The use of facebook on group collaboration among fast track sophomores in felte ulis vnu perception and implication

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHER EDUCATION GRADUATION PAPER THE USE OF FACEBOOK ON GROUP COLLABORATION AMONG FAST – TRACK SOPHOMORES IN FELTE, ULIS, VNU: PERCEPTION AND IMPLICATION Supervisor: Ms Đặng Anh Thư (M.A) Student: Trần Minh Hằng Course: QH2012.F1.E2 HÀ NỘI - 2016 ĐẠI HỌC QUỐC GIA HÀ NỘI TRƯỜNG ĐẠI HỌC NGOẠI NGỮ KHOA SƯ PHẠM TIẾNG ANH KHÓA LUẬN TỐT NGHIỆP VIỆC SỬ DỤNG FACEBOOK CHO CỘNG TÁC NHÓM CỦA SINH VIÊN NĂM HỆ CHẤT LƯỢNG CAO KHOA SƯ PHẠM TIẾNG ANH: THỰC TRẠNG VÀ ĐỀ XUẤT Giáo viên hướng dẫn: Thạc sĩ Đặng Anh Thư Sinh viên: Trần Minh Hằng Khóa: QH2012 HÀ NỘI – 2016 ACCEPTANCE PAGE I hereby state that I: Trần Minh Hằng (QH2012.F.1.E2), being a candidate for the degree of Bachelor of Arts (TEFL) accept the requirements of the University relating to the retention and use of Bachelor’s Graduation Paper deposited in the library In terms of these conditions, I agree that the origin of my paper deposited in the library should be accessible for the purposes of study and research, in accordance with the normal conditions established by the librarian for the care, loan or reproduction of the paper Signature Date May 4, 2016 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT First and foremost, it is my great honor to be supervised by Ms Đặng Anh Thư, whom I would like to express my deepest sense of gratitude for her support and guidance all the time Without her careful supervision, this paper could not be accomplished In addition, I deeply appreciate the enthusiastic participation of 53 secondyear students from three fast-track classes (14E1, 14E2 & 14E20) Thank you so much for your responsible collaboration Moreover, my thanks go to ICT teachers, who were so nice and to accepting my interview and provide me information Besides, I would like to say thank you to my sisters and friend for their tremendous help during the research process so that I have more effort to finish Last but not least, my heart comes to my parents, who give me their wholehearted support and encouragement day by day to help me accomplish this paper ABSTRACT The 21st century has opened a new and state-of-the-art technology period to human beings Among such modern products, Facebook, one of the social networks, has dramatically changed people’s lives and brought us closer than ever However, people seem to normally consider Facebook as a tool for entertainment, not for any educational purpose As there have been few studies on this aspect, this paper was conducted to explore the use of Facebook for group collaboration among fast-track sophomores at FELTE, ULIS, VNU This study is basically aimed at giving a reference for students as well as course designers Quantitative research was applied with a structured questionnaire and a semi-structure interview to investigate the use of Facebook for group collaboration The participants, fast-track sophomores from Faculty of English Language Teaching Education (FELTE), University of Languages and International Studies (VNU), are studied in two main aspects namely group activities on Facebook; the pros and cons of using Facebook for group work The result showed that fast-track sophomores often collaborated on Facebook such as discussing assignments, sharing opinions/ ideas with each other, etc They found that it was convenient to use Facebook for group work as it was so popular and every member owned one, which made it become the common tool for group work However, Facebook Messenger could be a big obstacle for members to follow the discussion Besides, disobeyed members who were not on time for group discussion Therefore, the solution has been come up with by ICT teachers such as note takers, punishment for late members or other applications usage, etc TABLE OF CONTENT ACKNOWLEDGEMENT i ABSTRACT ii LIST OF TABLES, FIGURES AND ABBREVIATIONS v CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION 1.1 Statement of the problem and rationale for the study 1.2 Research questions 1.3 Significance of the study 1.4 Scope of the study 1.5 Thesis structure CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 Group collaboration 2.1.1 Definition of group collaboration 2.1.2 Types of group collaboration .6 2.1.3 The pros and cons of group collaboration 2.2 Facebook 2.2.1 The development of Social Networking Sites (SNS) and its influence on education .9 2.2.2 The definition of Facebook 11 2.2.3 Functions of Facebook .11 2.2.4 The popularity of Facebook in the world and Vietnam in the recent decade 13 2.2.5 The effect of Facebook on academic learning around the world and in Vietnam 14 2.3 The influence of Facebook on group collaboration 15 2.4 Related studies on collaboration and the use of Facebook .16 CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY .18 3.1 Selection of subjects .18 3.2 Research instruments 18 3.3 Procedure of data collection 19 3.3.1 Data collection instruments 19 3.3.1.1 Structured questionnaire 19 3.3.1.2 Semi-structured interview 19 3.3.2 Construction of data collection instrument 20 3.4 Data collection procedure 24 3.4.1 The questionnaire 24 3.4.2 The semi-structured interview 24 3.5 Procedure of data analysis 25 CHAPTER 4: FINDINGS AND DISSCUSSIONS 26 4.1 Summary of findings 26 4.1.1 Background of fast-track second-year students 26 4.1.2 Research question 1: How is Facebook often used by fast- track sophomores at FELTE, ULIS, VNU? 27 4.1.3 Research question 2: To what extent does Facebook influence on group collaboration as reported by fast- track sophomores at FELTE, ULIS, VNU? 28 4.1.4 Research question 3: What are the obstacles when using Facebook for group work collaboration as reported by fast- track sophomores at FELTE, ULIS, VNU? 30 CHAPTER 5: CONCLUSION 42 5.1 Major findings of the study 42 5.2 Pedagogical implications 42 5.3 Limitations of the study 51 5.4 Suggestions for further studies 51 LIST OF REFERENCES 52 APPENDICES 58 APPENDIX 1: QUESTIONNAIRE FOR STUDENTS 58 APPENDIX 2: INTERVIEW QUESTIONS FOR STUDENTS 65 APPENDIX 3: INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPTION AND NOTES 78 LIST OF TABLES, FIGURES AND ABBREVIATIONS LIST OF TABLES LIST OF TABLES Table 1: Construction of data instrument .20 Table 2: The length of using Facebook, perceived by fast-track sophomores 26 Table 3: Suggested assessment form for group collaboration 50 LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1: The numbers of Facebook users (2010-2018) 10 Figure 2: The layout of Facebook in 2004 11 Figure 3: The layout of Facebook nowadays .12 Figure 4: The number of monthly active users of some social networks 12 Figure 5: Leading social network worldwide (2015), ranked by number of active users 13 Figure 6: Number of Facebook users in Vietnam (2011-2015) 13 Figure 7: The information about Vietnamese users (October, 2012) .14 Figure 8: Time for Facebook, perceived by fast-track sophomores 27 Figure 9: Common activities on Facebook, perceived by fast-track sophomores .27 Figure 10: Facebook activities on group collaboration, perceived by fast-track sophomores 28 Figure 11: Advantages of using Facebook for group collaboration perceived by students 31 Figure 12: Disadvantages of using Facebook for group collaboration perceived by students 36 LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ULIS University of Languages and International Studies VNU Vietnam National University, Hanoi ICT Information Communications Technology Some members would not online in time  divide the work as usual including that member’s work When that member is online, others will tell him/her to scroll though the messages to get hold of what he/ she has to It would be difficult to follow on Facebook Messenger to read old messages  at the end of each conversation, one member should summarize the content of the discussion with bullet points, maybe, to help the team remember what they said, so there’s no need for old messages’ forever scrolling The members online at any places so the concentration would not be constant  Can’t think of any It would waste time when the members involve in other applications on Facebook  I think this is the same with the idea saying “losing concentration by other chatting or playing” like above So the solution is still the same, get something so that members of the group can monitor one another while working Typing would time- consuming  Facebook have the voice message feature, make use of it Or even Facebook Video Call The member’s contribution would be hard to control and measure  The contribution is normally assessed through the work they finish and send on Facebook, so I don’t think this is a disadvantage that needs solvinG Facebook would limit face-to-face call as Video call on Facebook is not popular as Skype or Google Hangouts  Can’t think of any solutions THANKS SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME AND COOPERATION!  STUDENT C According to your information, you live on it Facebook What you use Facebook for and explain more about your answer? (academic purpose or social purpose) Both Most of the time for social purpose but Facebook is also a very convenient way to discuss and get my work done In the 2nd question, you ticked all the given ideas so could you clarify which activity is most frequently and least done? - The most frequent activity is Post information for group projects As Fb has Group function, it helps members from the same group have a place to gather together and all the necessary information about group projects can be informed quickly -Personnaly, the least frequent action I use Fb for in group projects is Discuss group assignment Fb is originally a social network and I mainly use it for entertainment so it is very difficult to focus on academic stuff Others may also have the same idea and I don’t find it effective if using Fb to talk about my homework According to your choice in 3rd question, in terms of advantage, you disagree with the perception “I would feel more relaxed when discussing on Facebook” How you feel and kindly explain why? Mentioned above Do you have/think of any solutions for these difficulties when using Facebook for group collaboration? ( The disadvantages are provided below) Internet connection would sometimes interrupt the group discussion The members would easily distract from group discussion by chatting or playing games on Facebook Files with heavy properties would not be uploaded Some members would not online in time It would be difficult to follow on Facebook Messenger to read old messages The members online at any places so the concentration would not be constant It would waste time when the members involve in other applications on Facebook Typing would time- consuming The member’s contribution would be hard to control and measure Facebook would limit face-to-face call as Video call on Facebook is not popular as Skype or Google Hangouts I would only suggest that not using Fb for group work The disadvantages are so obvious and there are already many other applications that can be used more effectively for this purpose STUDENT D In the 2nd question, you ticked all the given ideas so could you clarify which activity is most frequently and least done? Answer: The most frequently is discuss group assignment and least done is set schedule for group meetings According to your choice in 3rd question, in terms of advantage, you agree that “Facebook Messenger would allow more than two people to chat at a time” Can you kindly clarify how useful it is to you group collaboration? Answer: Facebook messenger is very convenient because it allows people to add more than two members to the same group, so a lot of people can chat at the same time This makes the dicussion become easier as we can share the ideas, give comment, feedbacks,… like a face-to-face conversation Move to the disadvantage part, you disagree with the idea “The members would easily distract from group discussion by chatting or playing games on Facebook” Have you ever been in that situation or in the same group with that type of member? How did you deal with in that situation? Answer: Actually, I haven’t been in the situation as my teammates focus on discussing assignments Do you have/think of any solutions for these difficulties when using Facebook for group collaboration? ( The disadvantages are provided below) Internet connection would sometimes interrupt the group discussion The members would easily distract from group discussion by chatting or playing games on Facebook Files with heavy properties would not be uploaded Some members would not online in time It would be difficult to follow on Facebook Messenger to read old messages The members online at any places so the concentration would not be constant It would waste time when the members involve in other applications on Facebook Typing would time- consuming The member’s contribution would be hard to control and measure Facebook would limit face-to-face call as Video call on Facebook is not popular as Skype or Google Hangouts I often have back-up plan, instead of using wifi, I can use 3G connection This helps me to avoid interruption The difficulty is very challenging to solve as it depends on awareness of teammates I will use other social networks such as Gmail I will set appropriate time for everybody in advance If anybody is not online, I will send message or make phone call to remind them I think I can set up a Facebook group instead of group chat I don’t have any solutions I don’t have any solutions I think typing is not very time-consuming, however, we can use Skype to discuss to avoid typing We can assign exactly work for each member 10 If I want to make video call, I will use other social networks STUDENT E In the 2nd question, you tick all the available options but could you kindly explain more about the idea “Share knowledge and technique problems”?  We can share the link of references so that we can enhance our range of knowledge or information about the projects As well, in the process of projects, there are many technique problems related to computer softwares appearing We tend to solve that problems through online chatting more than meeting According to your choice in 3rd question, in terms of advantage, you disagree with the perception “I would discuss with other members at any time and place with a smartphone” Why you think so? Could you please kindly provide one or some examples to illustrate your point? Our teammates cannot always be online because of their timetable We tend to discuss with each other at the evening from 8p.m to 12p.m which are the most suitable for members to join the discussion At the morning, we’re busy with schooling and houseworks Move to the disadvantage part, you almost agree with given disadvantages when using Facebook but totally disagree with the perception “Typing would be timeconsuming” Can you explain more? Actually, from my perspectives, typing is not too time-consuming and thanks to it, I can have second thoughts on what to say Compared to speaking, I like the idea of typing more and I find my speed of typing faster and faster while discussing Do you have/think of any solutions for these difficulties when using Facebook for group collaboration? ( The disadvantages are provided below) Internet connection would sometimes interrupt the group discussion The members would easily distract from group discussion by chatting or playing games on Facebook Files with heavy properties would not be uploaded Some members would not online in time It would be difficult to follow on Facebook Messenger to read old messages The members online at any places so the concentration would not be constant It would waste time when the members involve in other applications on Facebook Typing would time- consuming The member’s contribution would be hard to control and measure Facebook would limit face-to-face call as Video call on Facebook is not popular as Skype or Google Hangouts About the internet connection and time, the members should choose the fixed time which is the most suitable for everyone to discuss with a good internet connection About Facebook Messenger, to avoid that problem, the group should have its own group on Facebook instead of using Facebook Messenger, which will help members more easily to track the information and discussion THANKS SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME AND COOPERATION!  STUDENT F In the 2nd question, you ticked all the given ideas but can you explain further about the idea “Inquire about details of project assignment”? What type of information that you often inquire? Answer: In my opinion, all project assignments’ details would be inquired by using other searching tools such as google, etc… to look for further information Furthermore, details of project assignments should be discussed face to face to be understood clearly by all members When utilizing Facebook for group collaboration, we only confirm our responsibilities (the parts we have to complete) and set the deadline to submit our work According to your choice in 3rd question, in terms of advantage, you almost agree with the given perception but disagree with the idea “I would discuss with other members at any time and place with a smartphone” Could you kindly explain more? Answer: - Sometimes my smart phone (or my friends’ smart phones) has some technical problems which prevent me from contacting other members - Lacking wifi or 3g also a reason for failing to contact with each other - The mobile phone is out of money Move to the disadvantage part, you disagree with the idea „Some members would not online in time” So how did you and your team deal with in that situation? Answer: we set a mutual time that everyone has to online to discuss our work if a member has to something that he/she cannot online at that time, he/she has to explain the reasons carefully if anyone fails to follow the rule without explaining the reason, he/she will get more work to next time Do you have/think of any solutions for these difficulties when using Facebook for group collaboration? ( The disadvantages are provided below) Internet connection would sometimes interrupt the group discussion The members would easily distract from group discussion by chatting or playing games on Facebook Files with heavy properties would not be uploaded Some members would not online in time It would be difficult to follow on Facebook Messenger to read old messages The members online at any places so the concentration would not be constant It would waste time when the members involve in other applications on Facebook Typing would time- consuming The member’s contribution would be hard to control and measure Facebook would limit face-to-face call as Video call on Facebook is not popular as Skype or Google Hangouts Answer: The member’s contribution would be hard to control and measure => group leader must be a capable one who could divide balanced workload and check each member’s part if it is qualified or not Internet connection would sometimes interrupt the group discussion The members would easily distract from group discussion by chatting or playing games on Facebook The members online at any places so the concentration would not be constant It would waste time when the members involve in other applications on Facebook Typing would time- consuming Facebook would limit face-to-face call as Video call on Facebook is not popular as Skype or Google Hangouts  Set time to meet face to face When doing this, it will minimize the drawbacks APPENDIX 3: INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPTION AND NOTES TEACHER Interviewer (I): Good afternoon Mrs Khoa Anh Viet Thank you so much for accepting my interview request My name is Minh Hang and I am doing my thesis on ―The use of Facebook for group collaboration among fast-track sophomores at FELTE, ULIS, VNU‖ Teacher (T1): Ok I: Do you use Facebook? T1: Yes I use Facebook I: What you often use Facebook for? T1: I use Facebook for many purposes, for connecting friends and relatives or people with the same interest Secondly, I use Facebook for my business or in another way to earn money In short, I use Facebook for connection and business I: So you often use Facebook to cooperate with your colleagues or students? T1: Yes, very often I: And you find any drawbacks of using Facebook that way? T1: In terms of drawbacks, when about more people are in the same group, they may misunderstand others’ ideas and then the messages ……., it’s hard to catch up with As writing is different from speaking so sometimes, it is a disadvantage in that way I: I got your points What about advantages for students to use Facebook for group collaboration? T1: Of course, Facebook is very popular Instead of calling for each member by phone, you just need to send a message for people in a group and they are all informed I: Here are some drawbacks of using Facebook for group collaboration In terms of technique problems, you have any solutions? T1: The Internet connection or broken phone is common problems The smartphone nowadays is relatively cheap and people can easily get one for their studying The cost of 3G is cheap as well So I think this is not a big problem I: What about the members who are easily distracted from the discussion? T1: In fact, I myself experience that distraction as well When discussing in a group, I am also distracted by a notification or message To keep people’s attention, sometimes questions are given for members who are silent for a long time to check their understanding as well I: Some say that it’s hard to measure members’ contribution So what is your opinion? T1: I agree that it’s hard It’s better to use another tool such as Google docs to work and send the link to people The Message group is hard to divide the work so it’s suitable for quick discussion, the detail should be work on via other tools I: I think it’s the end of my interview Thank you so much again and wish you success in life! TEACHER Interviewer (I): Good afternoon Mrs Lan Huong Thank you so much for accepting my interview request My name is Minh Hang and I am doing my thesis on ―The use of Facebook for group collaboration among fast-track sophomores at FELTE, ULIS, VNU‖ Teacher (T2): Ok I: My very first question is you use Facebook? T2: Yes, I I: What you use Facebook for? Academic or social purpose? T2: Both I: So which purpose is more dominant? T2: Social purpose is more dominant I: So you often collaborate with your colleagues or students on Facebook? T2: Yes I: What are the disadvantages when using Facebook that way? T2: Yes The comments or posts are in the order of time so it is a little bit hard to follow The message group makes me difficult in reading old messages I: What about benefits for students? T2: It seems that almost everyone has a Facebook account, so it’s easy for them to find an online course or scholarship I: Here are some disadvantages to students when using Facebook for group collaboration Firstly, in terms of technique problem, sometimes Internet connection is not good to interrupt the connection So what is your solution? T2: I think they should be active in case the connection is bad In fact, I myself use 3G In fact, it is nor expensive, just 70.000VND/ month so they can afford it I: Yes I got your point Secondly, when facebooking, people can both chat with others or play games, which distracts them from group discussion Do you have any suggestions? T2: If a person opens the layout of Facebook and everything will appear in front of them But if he/she is online on mobile phones, the layout of a message box appears only so that you cannot be distracted by other things and totally concentrate on a conversation I myself can focus better, too I: Yes, I agree with you What about some too heavy files that cannot be uploaded on Facebook? T2: I rarely upload directly on Facebook I use other means such as Google drive, Drop box and then upload the link on Facebook for people I: Some members are not online as scheduled Do you have any solutions? T2: When working in a group, it should have a rule that every member needs to follow, both online and offline But I think online is more convenient when all of the conversation is recorded and they can follow I experienced as well There are solutions in this situation Firstly, he/she will lose his/her rights for giving opinions or commenting and everything cannot be changed Secondly, there should have a scribe to jog down main ideas of the discussion That’s the way we use And then the outline will be given for every member in that group I: I couldn’t agree with you more Too many messages in the box can cause the trouble to find back T2: I see I often try to read through to catch the main ideas only and everyone needs to be aware of following old conversation I: Typing sometimes takes time What you think? T2: I see students nowadays type so fast They are born in the century of technology, unlike us Maybe typing on mobile phones in a long time can be slow, but to important conversations it should be on computers, but open the layout of that conversation only to avoid distraction I: When working online, the measurement of members’ contribution is relatively important What is your suggestion? T2: I think it’s easier than offline working So I don’t think it is a disadvantage I: Have you ever used Video call on Facebook? T2: No, I haven’t It’s quite new and recently I have never had such kind of discussion But if it’s available, just use it However, like video calls on Skype or Google Hangouts, it takes a lot of memory If members in groups not know each other beforehand, video calls should be conducted for the first meeting and then turn of the camera for better connection I: I got your point It’s the end of my interview, Thank you so much for your cooperation I wish you happiness and success in life TEACHER 1.Do you have a Facebook account? Yes I 2.What you often use Facebook for (in terms of academic purpose and social purpose)? I used my FB for social purpose only I hardly use FB for academic purposes, except for Facebook group, where I check my students’ progress on News bulletin assignment 3.Do you often connect with other people (colleagues, students) for group collaboration? If yes, how you you connect with them? Usually Often via a Facebook group or a group chat 4.Do you find any obstacles when using Facebook for your group collaboration? - If yes, could you kindly clarify some obstacles? (1) hard to keep track of all discussion going on (2) easy to miss important information – there are no bullet points during a chat (3) members are distracted by various irrelevant stories (4) I myself am distracted by other things - If no, could you imagine any obstacles? 5.What advantages you think that Facebook can bring out for the student in group collaboration? (1) free – no charge applicable (2) userfriendly – very easy to use (3) instant – they not have to install anything Could you kindly give the students any solution/ advice for the use of Facebook for group collaboration for each disadvantage below? In terms of technique problem: unstable Internet connection would sometimes interrupt group discussion (1) go to public Internet access places (2) turn on wifi using 3G if they can afford (3) switch to traditional ways such as using phone call if they can afford Members would be easily distracted from group discussion by chatting or playing games on Facebook (1) they have to control themselves against all distractors Files with heavy properties (>2Gb & & >25 Mb) would not be uploaded (1) using another host such as GG drive, file for share, dropbox, etc Some members would not be online as scheduled (1) punishments should be placed for disobeyed participants It would be difficult to follow on Facebook Messenger to read old messages (1) try your best to summarise yourself (2) take turn to summarise everything after discussions The members online at any places so the concentration would not be constant (1) try your best to accommodate yourself to the group work Typing would be time- consuming (1) any work is time consuming (2) using voice-to-text softwares / build-ins Members‟ contribution would be hard to control and measure (1) it is not hard to control and measure member’s contribution Everything is displayed in written language and it is easy to count the number of ideas raised Facebook would limit face-to-face call as Video call on Facebook is not popular as Skype or Google Hangouts (1) it is available for all devices already It is not popular because students think it is not popular They have to spend time getting to know and use it ... questions: How is Facebook often used by fast- track sophomores at FELTE, ULIS, VNU? To what extent does Facebook influence on group collaboration as reported by fast- track sophomores at FELTE, ULIS, ... each other This study focuses on the online group collaboration; therefore, the formal learning teams and study teams are more suitable to work on 2.1.3 The pros and cons of group collaboration. .. questionnaire to investigate the use of Facebook among fast- track sophomores There are two options for the questionnaire participants: the student having a Facebook account and the student not using