An investigation into the use of information technology in learning writing for the third year students of english at vinh university

Vietnam national university, Hanoi university of foreign languages & international studies FACULTY of POST-graduate studies *** -*** PHẠM XUÂN ĐẠT AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE USE OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY IN LEARNING WRITING for THE THIRD-YEAR STUDENTS OF ENGLISH AT VINH UNIVERSITY Nghiên cứu ứng dụng công nghệ thông tin học kỹ viết sinh viên tiếng Anh năm thứ trường Đại Học Vinh M.A MINOR THESIS Field: English Teaching Methodology Code: 60.14.10 Supervisor: Đỗ Tuấn Minh, PhD Hanoi, 2010 PART ONE I II III IV V VI VII PART TWO CHAPTER I 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 CHAPTER II I II CHAPTER III I II CHAPTER IV PART THREE APPENDIX I APPENDIX II LIST O Figures Figure 1- The history o Figure 2- An example Tables Table 1- Students’ com Table 2- Students’ wri Table 3- Students’ eva stages Table 4- Students’ asse writing learni Charts Chart 1- Students' com Chart 2- Reality of the Chart 3- Popularity of Chart 4- The students' Chart 5- The students' Chart 6- Students' pref PART ONE: INTRODUCTION I Rationale Information technology (IT) has made the globe quite different in many fields such as economy, science, politics, especially education English teaching and learning have been made much easier and more effective in higher education under the assistance of computer The reality shows that learners are popularly applying the computer and its accompanying tools to facilitate their listening, speaking, reading and writing activities IT application to ESL (English as a second language) teaching is, therefore, a need Like it does to the teaching and learning of the other skills, IT has changed the way students deal with writing It helps, for instance, learners correct their mistakes easily, peer proofreading online, submit their works to their teachers by e-mail, learn from samples and update information to better their writing In spite of the potential outcome, the application of IT to promote learning of the writing skill of third-year students at Vinh University is still constrained Moreover, even though IT has ever been used for writing learning, studies related to the reality of this application is still lacking The aforementioned facts lead the author to the study on the following topic: An investigation into the use of information technology in writing learning of the third-year students of English at Vinh University II Purposes of the study The thesis focuses on studying the extent to which IT can facilitate the third-year students to learn the writing skill at Vinh University Specifically, it aims at: - Investigating the influence that IT has on writing learning of the third-year students at Vinh University - Studying the reality of applying IT to writing learning of the students - Making recommendations for the administrators, the lecturers and the students to better the EFL learning and teaching by means of IT application III Scope of the study The study is in the following scope: IT can be broadly applied to ELT but in the framework of this minor thesis, the researcher would focus on studying the reality in which the students are using the computer in their learning of the writing skill Although IT is preferably used for listening, speaking and reading, the application to writing has been so far limited, for both teaching and learning This is a reason for the researcher to choose the writing skill to be studied Moreover, as stated above, the study aims at investigating the reality of the students' IT using for learning the writing skill because the computer is really important for them to learn and to write from the third year However, it is difficult to carry out this research in a larger scale because of time limit and the framework of a minor thesis Therefore, the study is narrowed to a group of 100 third-year students The students are at the English Faculty of Vinh University IV Research questions a What are the effects of IT in learning the writing skill of the third-year students? b What are the difficulties the students have in using IT in their writing learning? c What changes can be made for better use of IT in learning writing? V Methods of the study This is a descriptive case study Data is collected through a questionnaire for the students and interviews for the lecturers The data is then analyzed, compared, contrasted, and synthesized both qualitatively and quantitatively We conduct a survey into the third-year students of English at Vinh University using computer in learning the writing skill Questionnaires are sent to 100 students and interviews are made on the lecturers The aim of the survey questionnaire and the interview is to investigate the extents to which the students at the University use IT for learning the writing skill; advantages and difficulties they have and solutions to the problems Results of the data analysis will be the answers to the research questions mentioned above VI Significance of the study The study will play an important part in defining benefits of using IT for learning English as a second language, especially the writing skill at university Besides, the thesis will provide an overview of the reality of using IT for language learning at universities of the same background and conditions Moreover, the study would help discover drawbacks of CALL in the context of higher learning and the findings will be a useful tract of information for lecturers and education administrators to enhance the application of IT to their practices Last but not least, this is expected to provide information and materials for other researchers to carry out their studies in the same field VII Organization of the thesis The study consists of three main parts: introduction, development and conclusion The introduction provides the rationale, purposes, scope and significance of the thesis as well as research questions and methods of study The development part consists of four chapters: literature review, research methodology, results and discussion, and recommendations In chapter one, the literature review will provide a brief history of computer in foreign language education It also discusses the influence of computers on EFL teaching, especially on writing teaching and learning The second chapter details the methodology in terms of setting and research procedure In chapter three, findings will be analyzed and discussed before implications are referred to In chapter four, the researcher will produce some recommendations and suggestions for enhancing the effectiveness of using computer for learning the writing skill The last part will summarize the key issues, enclosing some limitations of the study, and suggestions for further studies PART TWO: DEVELOPMENT CHAPTER I: LITERATURE REVIEW Introduction We have experienced essential changes in teaching and learning technology, from the simple tool such as a blackboard and chalk to the modern machine such as computer and LCD projector The following will consist of studies already made on how technology is applied to foreign language teaching and learning in each period of time, especially to writing teaching and learning These theoretical backgrounds will be the basis of the investigation in fulfilling the thesis Educational technology and EFL teaching and learning Educational technology involves the simplest things such as chalk to the most complicated ones such as computer According to Warschauer, M and Carla Meskill (2000), each type of teaching has certain technological items to support it The grammar-translation method is, for example, perfect with blackboard which allows teachers to transmit information one-way Harmer states that boards “provide a motivating focal point” and can be used for different purposes such as a note pad, explanation aid, picture frame, public workbook, game board, notice board (Harmer 2001, pp.137-139) These means are still in need in language classrooms; however, the social development and more advanced technologies have decided teaching methods to keep their pace As a result, teaching tools such as pictures, charts, radios, cassette players, recorders, overhead projectors (OHPs), television sets have changed to facilitate instructors’ performance These means have played an important part in language teaching and learning OHPs can help showing texts or exercises, pictures or diagrams or students’ writing of very high quality (Harmer, 2001:136) Songs and stories recorded on radio tapes create an exciting classroom environment Videos help bring the real-life things and events into the classroom Though educational technologies have bettered language teaching and learning, the real change in effectiveness of these things goes with information and communication technology in which the computer is central The following will be about the computer and its applications in EFL teaching and learning Computer and EFL teaching and learning Computer-assisted language learning (CALL) is a rapidly evolving academic field that explores the role of computer technologies in language acquisition A lot of teaching and learning activities can be carried out with the support of computers, the Internet, CDs, VCDs, DVDs, projectors, cameras, CD ROMs, radio, television The following will give an overview of CALL in respect of its definitions and history 3.1 Definitions of CALL As posted up on the website Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer-assisted language learning), CALL is defined as an approach to language teaching and learning in which computer technology is used to aid to the presentation, reinforcement and assessment of material to be learned, usually including substantial interactive element; an approach that drew heavily on practices associated with programmed instruction This term originated in the USA and was in common use until the early 1980s, when CALL became a dominant term Also according to the website, an alternative of CALL is TELL, short for Technology Enhanced Language Learning This term emerged in the early 1990s, but failed to provide a more accurate description of activities which fall broadly within the range of CALL Therefore TELL is not widely accepted as CALL Levy (1997:1) similarly stated that CALL is the search for and study of applications of the computer in language teaching and learning As aimed in this thesis, CALL is used to talk about the assistance of computer in language teaching and learning 3.2 History of CALL As suggested by Wang and Cadiero-Kaplan (2004, pp.144-151), CALL has evolved from a behavioristic model, to communicative and integrative models, to include finally a more collaborative approach The following figure is about the evolution of CALL created by the authors More specifically, according to Warschauer (1996), behavioristic CALL, conceived in the 1950s and implemented in the 1960s and 1970s, was based on the then-dominant behaviorist 37 - The researcher really expect to put forward the difficulties with the hope that they will be shared, dealt with and changed by the different partners involving the teaching and learning process - Despite the difficulties and the fact that such application is at the early stage, the researcher can see its future prospect in which the students will advance the learning writing with computer to keep pace with other students at other universities, in the region and all over the world 38 CHAPTER IV: RECOMMENDATIONS For the administrators 1.1 Equipping the classrooms As mentioned before, there is at present an audio-visual classroom mainly designed for listening teaching and learning To improve the quality of writing teaching and learning, there should be some special classrooms which are equipped with enough computers for all the students in a class The computers are connected to LAN and the Internet A master computer is used by the teacher to monitor all the students’ activities There should be an overhead projector fixed to support the teacher’s presentation 1.2 Investing correction software To be more professional and save time for the teachers, the administrators should invest some automatic writing evaluation programs which correct the students’ writing errors Available on the market now are the two well-known commercial products such as E-Rater (Criterion) and My Access Basically, they work like the auto-correction spelling and grammar function of the Microsoft Word The difference is that the programs can revise both on surface and deeper in the text organization, verb and subject agreement, missing prepositions, comma splice, no comma in a compound sentence, vague pronoun references, tense shift, incorrect use of the possessive apostrophe, pronoun agreement error, sentence fragment, run-on sentence, etc 1.3 Providing training courses Many teachers and students are still lacking of basic computer skills There should be training classes in order to enhance the knowledge of information technology for the teachers and the students For the lecturers 2.1 Using the computer frequently as a means of teaching and evaluation The fact that lecturers frequently use computer to teach and evaluate students’ works will encourage students to learn with it Moreover, in order to create a habit of using computer to learn and to write among the students, the lecturers have to apply some rules to their teaching such as word-processing essays, submitting assignments by email, and proof-reading online By this way, the students will cooperate and help one another in writing learning 2.2 Giving the students writing models and setting more writing tasks 39 Models are really important for the students to gain experience in writing Models also give them frameworks for similar writing Therefore, providing the students with samples is beneficial Besides, they should be given more tasks to practice on computer Tasks can be varied from reading and giving comments on others’ works to writing short or long essays on topics suggested For the students 3.1 Developing the habit of writing on computer Forming the habit of using computer to learn and developing it is a need for the students The habit is formed by simple tasks such as exchanging emails with friends and teachers, chatting with them in free time, writing diaries or short stories, doing assignments set by the lecturers Once having the habit, the students will get skilled at typing and exploiting the computer 3.2 Training and being trained for computer skills It is important that the students have sense to perfect their computer skills from “how” to “what” They must know how to type, to use different functions of the computer, and to process online information; know what to write on computer, what to first and what to later for developing their writing skill The students also need to attend training classes provided by the administrators 40 PART THREE: CONCLUSION AND FUTURE DIRECTION Summary In order to realize the project, the reseacher have tried to answer the three questions related to the effects of computer assisted writing learning, difficulties the students are facing and changes be made The study is conducted on the relevant theoretical background The data was collected by means of questionnaire for the students and interview for the lecturers The data was then analysed, compared and generalized quantitatively and qualitatively The results found show the students’ evaluation of IT in writing learning, the difficulties the students meet when learning to write on computer, and suggestions for change Despite the disadvantages, the discussion reveals that the students have a positive attitude toward learning to write on computer Besides, after the findings had been established, some implications arose and essential recommendations were made for the administrators, the lecturers and the students Limitations This research does not cover the reality of writing teaching at the university in the framework of this minor thesis Moreover, the number of lecturers who are standing the writing classess is limited to two; therefore it was difficult to enrich the data In addition, because there are no computer for the students to practice writing in the classroom, the students mainly write and learn to write on computer at home; therefore, the researcher found it difficult to make observation, which may affect the validity and reliability of the data Suggestion for further study The purpose of this research aims to investigate the reality of learning writing on computer of third-year students only If possible, it can be conducted on lecturers or on both students and lecturers Moreover, further studies can be on IT application to the other skills such as listening, speaking and reading Specially, it is useful if there is a study on the application of an automatic writing evaluation program to a group of participants Contribution of the study The study has helped to find out the reality of IT application to writing learning of the thirdyear students at Vinh University Besides, it awakens the students to the importance of computer in learning the writing 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in J Rosenthal (Ed), Handbook of undergraduate second language education (303-318), Mahwah, th New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum, Available online, Retrieved on May 2007 46 Warschauer, M (2009) Learning to Write in the Laptop Classroom Writing and Pedagogy 1(1), 101-112 47 Warschauer M (2007) Technology and Writing In C Davison & J Cummins (Eds.), The International Handbook of English Language Teaching (pp 907-912) Norwell, MA: Springer 48 Warschauer, M., Turbee, L., & Roberts, B (1994) Computer Learning Networks and Student Empowerment (Research Note No.10) University of Hawai’I, Second Language Teaching and Curriculum Center I APPENDIX I SURVEY QUESTIONNAIRE Để phục vụ đề tài nghiên cứu thực trạng ứng dụng công nghệ thông tin vào việc dạy học kĩ viết giáo viên sinh viên tiếng Anh năm thứ ba trường Đại Học Vinh, mong muốn bạn trả lời câu hỏi sau Chân thành cảm ơn! Have you got any computer? Yes No How often you use computer? Often So Is your computer connected to the Internet? Yes No Have you got any e-mail address? Yes No How often you use computer for? - Listening: - Speaking: - Reading: - Writing: How can you type? Very fast Which you prefer? - Writing with pen and paper - Writing on computer - Writing with pen and paper, then type According to you, what are advantages of writing on a computer? ……………………………………………………………………………………… How does the computer develop? a your writing skill: Very effectively Quite effectively Not very effectively Not very effectively at all II b your writing sub-skills: Discovering relevant online information Outlining/planning Finding words and phrases for writing Checking spelling and grammar Receiving and giving comments (feedback) from friends and teachers Revising and editing 10 Evaluate the level of usefulness of computer to each of following stages: Prewriting First draft Proof-reading Revising Editing Final draft 11 Do you have any problem in learning writing skill with computer? If possible, suggest solutions to each problem, please Problems:………………………………………………………………………… Solutions…………………………………………………………………………… III APPENDIX II INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPTION I: Interviewer L1: Lecturer L2: Lecturer I: Have you got a computer? L1: Of course, yes I’ve used it for a long time and the Internet is very useful for my teaching, therefore, I’m frequently online so that I can read, check mail, look for information, and prepare lesson plans L2: I the same Besides, I often listen to news, chat with friends, colleagues and students, find writing models for the students and mark their assignments I: How often and how you teach writing skill with the assistance of computer? L1: Sometimes I use my computer and an overhead projector to support the teaching of writing theory in the first period, and then the students exercises in the next period I: You say you don’t always use the computer in every lesson Could you give some reasons? L1: I find preparing lessons on slides very time-consuming because there are a lot to for a slide such as typing, picture inserting and slide organizing I think I will learn more computer skills and apply it more often to my teaching Moreover, computers and OHPs are not at hand in every classroom; therefore, it requires a lot of fitting before a class can start with computer L2: I share Ms Huong’ ideas We haven’t joined any course training computer skills and apply it to English teaching All our present computer skills are self-taught Apart from using the PowerPoint to present theoretical parts of lesson, there is not much to with computer related to writing practice Practicing the writing skill on computer is mainly at home I: Which you prefer your students to do, writing on computer or writing with pen and paper? L1: Computer is a very good tool for writing Students can type, copy and paste parts of speech easily During the writing process, they can find relevant words, phrases, and collocations in edictionaries installed on their computer They can have computer check spelling and grammar, format and print essays L2: Computer can a lot for writing but pen and paper is still common in our classes for short essays Computer is better for writing long essays such as mid-term papers and final assignments at home What are advantages of computer-assisted writing teaching in comparison with the traditional writing teaching? IV L1: As said above, computer can help show models and focus students onto good writing It eases the teacher’s instruction Giving comments to and scoring students’ writing are also more convenient L2: In a traditional writing class, paragraphs cannot be shown fully for peer correction, but with an OHP and a computer, students can have an overview of an essay and then go to details At present, we have to spend very much time giving comments and scoring the students’ papers I think there should be an automatic evaluation program for us to these things I: What can an automatic evaluation program do, according to you? L2: As I know, there are now many automatic evaluation programs available on the market such as Criterion (E-rater) and My Access These programs provide individualized feedback not only on spelling, grammar, and word usage, but also on style, organization and development However, they are commercial products, so users must buy and register if we want to own one I: What about plagiarism? L2: The automatic evaluation programs don’t support an anti-plagiarism software It’s the time we owned a software program which prevents students from using others’ texts without reference to I: In which writing sub-stages is computer used most? How is it used? L1: Rough drafting requires most of time by a computer from looking up words to typing L2: Computer is needed for every sub-stage In pre-writing, we search information on the computer and planning; send e-mail to classmates for peer correction and to teachers for teacher correction in the proofreading stage; remove and add parts of text in the revising; format text in the editing and complete the writing These can be done in a short time but typing for the first draft takes much longer I: What writing sub-skills are often done with computers? L1: We can discover relevant online information for writing, generate ideas, find words and phrases, check spelling and grammar, receive and give comments, revise and edit draft L2: Among all the sub-skills, spelling and grammar checking can be automatically done with the Microsoft word or some available software How your students often submit their writing to you? L1: The students often submit their papers direct to us If required, they word-process their writing and send e-mails V L2: Most students’ writing is on paper, therefore, they don’t have the habit of submitting essays by sending e-mails to the lectures The reason is that not every student owns computer or doesn’t get access to the Internet, so they have to copy essays to a USB and go outside to send This sometimes causes annoyance What are difficulties students meet when learning writing with computer? L1: Many students have a low standard of living, so they don’t own a computer This results in unfamiliarity with the computer and their typing speed is slow L2: Beside the lack of computers, finding relevant information before writing is limited because the Internet is not available for all the students Moreover, the demand for using computers in writing is still low because there are few assignments and academic writing is not really popular Could you give some suggestions to improve computer-assisted writing? L1: There should be some classrooms intended for writing teaching In such a classroom, each student has one computer and all the computers are connected via LAN To save time, there should be some evaluation and scoring programs L2: It is necessary that lecturers in charge of the writing skill give their students more assignments and ask the students to carry them out on the computer, and then send the final draft by e-mail ... lacking The aforementioned facts lead the author to the study on the following topic: An investigation into the use of information technology in writing learning of the third-year students of English. .. it aims at: - Investigating the influence that IT has on writing learning of the third-year students at Vinh University - Studying the reality of applying IT to writing learning of the students. .. students use IT in their writing teaching and learning, effects of using IT in learning and teaching writing skill of the students and lecturers, and what changes can be made for better use of IT The