scholarly journals The nature of collaboration and perceived learning in wiki-based collaborative writing

Author(s):  
Chun Lai ◽  
Chunlin Lei ◽  
Yang Liu

<p>Wiki-based collaborative writing has been widely adopted in education to facilitate collaborative learning. However, research shows that students adopt different collaboration patterns during wiki-based collaborative writing, and that collaboration patterns may vary in how they enhance learning. It is thus critical to understand the relationship between the nature of collaboration and learning. This study examined 95 university English as foreign language (EFL) learners’ performances in wiki-based collaborative writing projects. Analyses of the student survey and interview responses and students’ archived performances on the wiki platform showed that they adopted three collaboration approaches, and that the approach featuring high equality and mutuality was associated with the greatest enjoyment of, perceived learning from, and positive attitudes towards collaborative writing. The study further found that equality and mutuality exert different impacts on different learning outcomes, and that labour division and peer contribution during collaboration determine the learning potential of collaborative writing for EFL students.</p>

2016 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 39 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sulaiman Alnujaidi

This study investigated the relationship between EFL students’ experience, attitudes, perceptions, and expectations toward the effectiveness of Social Network Sites (SNS), namely, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, Flickr, Classmates, Academica, MySpace, English baby, and Google+, in English language learning. A survey of 103 participants from different higher education institutions in Saudi Arabia was conducted. The study’s results revealed that the participants had an average SNS experience. The findings also indicated that participants had overall positive attitudes, perceptions, and expectations toward SNS. In addition, the correlations between experience and attitudes, and experience and expectations were statistically significant. Data analysis also showed that the correlations between attitudes and perceptions, attitudes and expectations, and perceptions and expectations were statistically significant. However, experience did not significantly correlate with perceptions. The findings also indicated that the model of the three variables (attitudes, perceptions, and expectations toward SNS) predicting the variable (experience in SNS) was statistically significant: The significant predictor was expectations.


JET ADI BUANA ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (01) ◽  
pp. 17-31
Author(s):  
Karunia Eka Nafilatul Janah ◽  
Mohammad Adnan Latief ◽  
Sri Andreani

Some previous studies have proven that having good reading habits is important for students. Regarding the importance of having good reading habits, it is essential that students who learn English as Foreign Language (EFL) to develop good English reading habits. If EFL students have good English reading habits, it will be much easier for them to receive language inputs and produce some language outputs after reading. The study is intended to investigate whether EFL students have good English reading habits as the fact that it is important for EFL students to develop good English reading habits. It covers the students’ general attitudes toward reading, the students’ amount of practice for reading English books, types of English materials the students read, topics of English texts the students read, number of English books the students read, the students’ purposes in reading English materials, and the students’ beliefs of English reading habits. This study uses descriptive research survey involving 154 EFL students of a state university in Malang, East Java, Indonesia. The results show that EFL students have developed good English reading habits, but they still need improvement in the frequency of reading practice and the number of books read. Besides, they have positive attitudes toward reading, various kinds of English reading texts and topics to read, various reading purposes, and positive beliefs toward English reading habits. However, it is found that some respondents have difficulties to give fast responses in answering the questions through the questionnaire platform used. Therefore, some suggestions are also given as the recommendations for future researchers related to this field of study.


2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Aysheh Mohammadzadeh ◽  
Touran Ahour ◽  
Mahnaz Saeidi

This study investigated the effect of different patterns of scaffolding (symmetrical and asymmetrical) on Iranian English as a Foreign Language (EFL) students’ writing accuracy, fluency, and complexity. For this purpose, 90 intermediate female EFL learners took a Preliminary English Test (PET), based on which those whose scores fell one standard deviation below the mean were considered as low intermediate and those whose score was one standard deviation above the mean were considered as high intermediate learners. So, the participants were grouped into three symmetrical and asymmetrical patterns in terms of their language proficiency level: one asymmetrical group with High Intermediate-Low Intermediate learners (H-L), two symmetrical groups with High Intermediate learners (H-H), and another with Low Intermediate learners (L-L). There were 30 students in each group who were, then, divided into smaller groups to interact with each other to develop their essays during a treatment. To evaluate participants’ writing skill, they were made to take a pretest and a post-test. The results of one-way ANOVA and Kruskal–Wallis H tests showed that there were significant differences between the three scaffolding patterns in the writing accuracy and complexity of the EFL students, but not their writing fluency. The findings of the content analysis for the interview further showed that the students had positive attitudes towards the use of the collaborative writing method as they found it enjoyable and beneficial. The results have implications for teachers and learners.


1989 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 167-177 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gail F. Munger ◽  
Brenda H. Loyd

In education, computers and calculators historically have been associated with mathematics and the sciences, and are frequently incorporated into these areas of the curriculum. This may have serious implications for females because of the long history of reported sex differences in achievement and attitudes in mathematics and related disciplines. This study of sixty high school students examines the relationship between mathematics performance and students' attitudes toward technology (computers and calculators), and whether the relationship is similar for males and females. A practice form of the General Educational Development (GED) test was used to measure mathematics performance. Students' attitudes toward computers were assessed by the Computer Attitude Scale, and attitudes toward calculators were assessed by a 4-item measure developed by the authors. In general, students with more positive attitudes toward computers and calculators were found to perform better than students with more negative attitudes.


Author(s):  
Limor Goldner ◽  
Adar Ben-Eliyahu

Formal community-based youth mentoring relationships (CBM) are a popular form of intervention worldwide in which caring, non-parental adult figures are matched with at-risk children (i.e., children who experience an intense and/or chronic risk factor, or a combination of risk factors in personal, environmental and/or relational domains that prevent them from pursuing and fulfilling their potential) to promote development and health. Common models suggest that a close mentoring relationship is needed for the success of the intervention. However, it remains unclear which key relational processes and variables promote relationship quality to generate the most significant benefits. Using the PRISMA framework, 123 articles were identified as relevant for this review which explores the state of the literature on CBM relationships describing the main findings regarding the characteristics of the relationship and the mediating and moderating variables. An essential ingredient that consistently emerged for generating mentoring outcomes is characterized by feelings of support, sensitivity, and trust and accompanied by a purposeful approach to shaping the goals of the relationship. A balanced approach comprised of recreational, emotional, and catalyzing aspects has been reported as essential for mentoring success. Mentors’ positive attitudes toward underprivileged youth, maturity in terms of age and experience are essential in forging positive relationships. Mentees who have better relational histories and more positive personality traits exhibited higher relationship quality. However, data imply the possibility of addressing mentees from moderate risk status. Preliminary evidence on thriving as a mediating variable was found. Program practices, such as training, parental involvement, and matching based on perceived similarities and similar interests, emerged as important factors. Generating many research suggestions, the review identifies research questions and uncharted territories that require inquiry.


2017 ◽  
Vol 41 (S1) ◽  
pp. s843-s843
Author(s):  
K. Vaiphei ◽  
P. Sreedaran ◽  
V. Sathyanarayanan

AimsStudies investigating attitudes of people with mental illness are scarce. The aim of the present study was to investigate person living with psychosis on their attitudes and perception towards the mental health professionals in contact with mental health services.MethodsAn in-depth interview was used to explore their lived experiences and attitude towards mental health professionals.ResultsBoth negative and positive attitudes were prevalent among the patients. Most negative attitudes concerned on not giving time, the MHPs are most interested in financial gains. They felt attitude changes according to diagnosis, psychosis perceived as diagnosis with violence; they are more interested in protecting themselves, perception that treating symptoms and not cause of illness. On the contrary, they felt positive on the relationship and time given to them.Discussion and conclusions The PLWI's attitude to MHPs could be a product of the type of admission (forced upon), symptoms related or on the type of service settings. The present study is purely qualitative, single settings, could not be generalised. However it points on the need for sensitization of MHPs and relationship building oriented intervention.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.


2009 ◽  
Vol 32 (2) ◽  
pp. 87-100 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher Murray ◽  
Allison Lombardi ◽  
Carol T. Wren ◽  
Christopher Keys

This investigation examined the relationship between prior disability-focused training and university faculty members' attitudes towards students with learning disabilities (LD). A survey containing items designed to measure faculty attitudes was sent to all full-time faculty at one university. Analyses of 198 responses indicated that faculty who had received some form of disability-focused training scored higher on factors pertaining to Willingness to Provide Exam Accommodations, Fairness and Sensitivity, General Knowledge About LD, Willingness to Personally Invest in Students with LD, and personal actions, such as Inviting Disclosure and Providing Accommodations, and lower scores on negatively valenced factors than did faculty who had not received prior training. Faculty who had previously attended disability-related workshops and courses reported the most positive attitudes, followed by faculty who had participated in “other” forms of training (i.e., reading books and articles or visiting websites) and faculty who had received no prior training. The total number of types of training experienced and time spent engaged in training was predictive of faculty attitudes as well as faculty-reported satisfaction with prior training. Implications of the findings are discussed.


2021 ◽  
pp. 136216882110467
Author(s):  
Hyejin Cho ◽  
YouJin Kim

Although digital multimodal composing (DMC) is receiving increasing attention in language classrooms, the extent to which it contributes to students’ writing practices is controversial. In order to understand the affordances of DMC compared to traditional monomodal writing in school contexts, it is pertinent to compare DMC and traditional writing using academic integrated-skills tasks. The current study aims to investigate the relationship between the quality of Korean high school students’ multimodal composing and that of the same students’ traditional monomodal writing, as well as content and language alignment. Thirty-one Korean high school students carried out a summary-reflection task through DMC and traditional monomodal writing. After reading a short fable by Aesop, students summarized and reflected on the text. While students used only one mode in traditional writing (i.e. English text), they utilized multiple modes in DMC (e.g. pictures, movies). Students’ task outcomes were scored using analytic rubrics, and texts were coded in terms of the content and linguistic features students retrieved from the text (i.e. alignment) and their degree of reflection. The results showed that there were no statistically significant differences in the quality, content and language alignment, or amount of reflection in writing outcomes between students’ DMC and traditional monomodal writing.


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