The present research investigates students’ degree of engagement and per-ceptions in a telecollaboration project which incorporates the use of the WebRTC (Web Real-time Communication) protocol and Peer-to-Peer (P2P) communication to develop a virtual exchange in a second language envi-ronment. WebRTC is an open source technology that simplifies the tele-communication process thanks to its inherent characteristics such as P2P connectivity, no plugins installation, scalability and accessibility. The study involved 32 participants from two different universities who partici-pated in a teletandem exchange over a period of 4 months. Task design con-sisted of information exchange and information gap activities that were giv-en to students in order to foster the interaction. A mixed methods approach was used and students’ engagement was measured through the use of a log, a pre-existing knowledge survey and an engagement scale. An additional sur-vey analysing students’ perceptions was also given to students at the end of the project. Inferential statistics showed significant results in terms of emo-tional, behavioral and cognitive engagement. Furthermore, WebRTC earned a high acceptance among students participating in the virtual exchange and advantages and pitfalls of using this technology were observed throughout the project.
Characterizing the Processes for Navigating Internet Health Information Using Real-Time Observations: A Mixed-Methods Approach
