scholarly journals Anatomizing Students’ Task Engagement in Pair Work in the Language Classroom

2021 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 88-106
Author(s):  
Tomohito Hiromori
Keyword(s):  
Student Engagement ◽  
Task Performance ◽  
Collaborative Writing ◽  
Task Engagement ◽  
Dyadic Interaction ◽  
Multiple Data ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Language Classroom ◽  
Description Task ◽  
Pair Work

Student engagement in the second language classroom has been the focus of numerous researchers and teachers. Previous studies have shown that there are several dimensions of student engagement, but it is still unclear how they change (or not) over time and consequently how they affect actual task performance. This study investigated the task engagement of language learners engaged in collaborative writing in pairs. Specifically, it focused on the combination of behavioral, cognitive, emotional, and social dimensions of task engagement, and examined which combinations resulted in better task performance. Participants were 60 Japanese university students who worked in pairs on a picture description task. Multiple data sources, such as the number of words/turns/language-related episodes, patterns of dyadic interaction, and self-reported questionnaire results, were utilized to investigate the process of students’ task engagement. The results showed: that the 30 participating pairs fell into three groups showing similar combinations of dimensions; that there was a significant difference in actual engagement between the groups and across time; and that such differences had a significant impact on task performance. Based on the results, pedagogical implications for teachers are discussed concerning the use of pair work in the language classroom.

Comparing student-selected and teacher-assigned pairs on collaborative writing

2016 ◽  
Vol 21 (4) ◽  
pp. 496-516 ◽  
Author(s):  
Seyedeh Hamideh Mozaffari
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
Second Language Learning ◽  
High Performance ◽  
Collaborative Writing ◽  
Dyadic Interaction ◽  
Pair Group ◽  
Task Behavior ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Pair Work ◽  
Patterns Of Interaction

Despite the preponderance of theoretical and empirical evidence that suggests the use of pair/group work to promote second language learning, it is still unclear who can best form high performance groups. Should students be allowed to choose their working partners, or should teachers themselves assign students to pairs? This study set out to compare the nature of student-selected and teacher-assigned pairs while they were engaged in collaborative writing. All learner talk was audio recorded, transcribed and analysed for the quantity, type and resolution of language related episodes (LREs) as well as the patterns of dyadic interaction. Furthermore, the study examined the texts produced using both quantitative and qualitative measures. Our findings suggest that the teacher-assigned pairs generated significantly more LREs than the student-selected pairs, while there was no significant difference in the patterns of interaction between the two pairing methods. Meanwhile, the qualitative analysis of learner talk revealed a considerable amount of off-task behavior among the members of student-selected pairs. Moreover, as far as the outcome of pair work (collaborative writing) was concerned, the teacher-assigned pairs noticeably outperformed the student-selected pairs on measures of fluency and accuracy. Also, they produced significantly better texts in terms of organization, grammar and vocabulary.

Learning Korean honorifics through individual and collaborative writing tasks and written corrective feedback

2019 ◽  
Vol 0 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hyejin Cho ◽  
YouJin Kim
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Second Language Acquisition ◽  
Task Performance ◽  
Applied Linguistics ◽  
Collaborative Writing ◽  
Corrective Feedback ◽  
Collaborative Group ◽  
Individual Group ◽  
Written Corrective Feedback ◽  
Significant Difference

AbstractTo date, the majority of task-based instructed second language acquisition studies have investigated the effects of tasks on second language morphosyntactic development, and little attention has been paid to the effectiveness of dialogic tasks on the learning of pragmatics in classroom contexts (Plonsky, L. & Y. Kim. 2016. Task-based learner production: A substantive and methodological review. Annual Review of Applied Linguistics 36. 73–97). The present study is a partial replication study of Taguchi and Kim (2016. Collaborative dialogue in learning pragmatics: Pragmatic-related episodes as an opportunity for learning request-making. Applied Linguistics 37. 416–437) and aims to compare learning outcomes between collaborative and individual task groups while written corrective feedback is provided.Thirty-two high beginner learners of Korean from two classes participated in this study. Each class was randomly assigned to either a collaborative or an individual group to complete e-mail writing tasks. In the collaborative group, students wrote e-mails with a partner, whereas the individual group wrote e-mails independently to introduce their professors during study abroad using four types of Korean honorifics. Both groups received indirect corrective feedback on honorifics used during task performance. Written description tests (WDT) were designed to investigate the short-term and long-term learning of Korean honorifics in line with the instructional tasks. Students’ responses on the WDT were analyzed in terms of the number of suppliance and accurate production of each target feature. Students’ responses to teacher feedback were analyzed using the following categories: resolved correctly, resolved incorrectly, and unresolved.The results showed that there was no significant difference in the production of target features during task performance when indirect WCF was provided to both conditions. Furthermore, both groups significantly outperformed in the immediate and delayed posttest than the pretest. However, the results found no difference in learning of Korean honorifics between the two groups.

Are Two Heads Better than One? Comparing Engagement between Pairs and Individuals in an L2 Writing Task

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 ◽  
pp. 66-83
Author(s):  
Tomohito Hiromori
Keyword(s):  
Language Learners ◽  
Detailed Examination ◽  
Task Engagement ◽  
English Writing ◽  
Foreign Language Learners ◽  
Language Classroom ◽  
Writing Scores ◽  
Pair Work ◽  
Writing Task ◽  
Better Than

This study examined the performance of university foreign language learners on a writing task by comparing paired work (n = 50) against individual work (n = 50). Data were collected based on three aspects of learners’ task engagement: behavioral (time spent working on the task, number of words written), linguistic (English writing scores), and affective (attitudes toward the task). The results showed that (1) all participants worked on the task for the same amount of time and produced a similar number of words, (2) texts written by pairs were similar to and as accurate/fluent as those written individually, and (3) learners who worked in pairs evaluated the task more positively than did those who worked individually. A more detailed examination using cluster analysis revealed that while there was generally a positive relationship between each aspect of task engagement, a trade-off might occur depending on the situation, and one aspect might mediate the effect of others. In addition, by examining the differences between a successful and a less successful pair, this study provides pedagogical implications in relation to the use of pair work activities in the language classroom.

scholarly journals Developing Creativity Through Creative Engagement in Art Appreciation: Outcomes in Teaching Humanities

2021 ◽  
Vol 3 (4) ◽  
pp. 49-59
Author(s):  
Ma Cecilia Alimen ◽  
Pinky Jasmin Poral ◽  
Rhounella Rhane Magpantay ◽  
Rosella Quiros ◽  
Ma Elena Azarcon
Keyword(s):  
Student Engagement ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Art Appreciation ◽  
Personal Reflection ◽  
New Approach ◽  
Outcome Based Education ◽  
The Arts ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Approach To Teaching ◽  
Art Activities

This descriptive-correlational study determined the level of creative engagement as part of humanities teaching in the outcome-based education. This focuses on the dimension of student engagement and creativity in the context of a new approach to teaching and learning primarily through the arts. This study captures student creative engagement supported by their personal reflection after the course term. There were eight (8) classes utilized with 134 students. Results showed that the level of students’ creativity in art appreciation was “high” and it was also “high” when they were grouped as to sex. Creative engagement in art appreciation was considered “highly influential” and it was “highly influential” when they were grouped as to sex. No significant difference was noted in the level of the students’ creative engagement and development of creativity. There was a moderate and positive correlation between the level of the students’ creative engagement and influence of creative engagement in art appreciation classes to their development of creativity. The most highly valued creative engagement practices of students in art appreciation are: “I have developed an appreciation for the local arts;” “I have deepened my sensitivity of myself, my community and the society,” and “Inclusion of art activities demonstrated my understanding of art appreciation.

Engaging in dialogue during collaborative writing: The role of affective, cognitive, and social engagement

2021 ◽  
pp. 136216882110540
Author(s):  
Boya Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Social Engagement ◽  
Language Use ◽  
Collaborative Writing ◽  
Task Engagement ◽  
Three Dimensions ◽  
Dynamic Nature ◽  
Instructional Activities ◽  
Single Text ◽  
Method Approach

Collaborative writing (CW) involves two or more students writing a single text together. Previous studies mainly focused on students’ cognitive engagement in CW and investigated their attention to various language-related problems during task interaction. However, little CW research to date has considered that engagement in language-related discussions can manifest from three dimensions: cognitive, social, and affective. Focusing on the multidimensional characteristics of engagement, this study investigated how Russian learners’ social and affective reactions influence their focus on language use while they completed a CW task. Drawing on Svalberg’s framework of engagement with language to identify the three dimensions of engagement, I conducted a mixed-method approach towards analysing the audio-recorded collaborative dialogues by three student pairs ( n = 6), along with a qualitative analysis of their responses to a five-point Likert scale questionnaire. The analyses showed that when learners were interactive and viewed the activity as useful, they noticed many linguistic problems and elaborated on them. In contrast, when learners demonstrated social disengagement and perceived disadvantages from CW, they were likely to withdraw their attention from resolving the language issues they encountered. These findings indicate the complex and dynamic nature of task engagement. They can provide second language (L2) teachers with an in-depth understanding of how to fully engage students in instructional activities to better foster their L2 learning.

The impact of one’s response to the teacher’s feedback on the same person’s and the partner’s learning in paired writing

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Taichi Yamashita
Keyword(s):  
Collaborative Writing ◽  
Corrective Feedback ◽  
Posttest Score ◽  
Esl Students ◽  
American University ◽  
Google Docs ◽  
Written Corrective Feedback ◽  
Description Task ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship

Abstract The present study investigated the relationship between one dyad member’s revision in response to written corrective feedback (CF) and the same person’s learning and the other dyad member’s learning during collaborative writing. Twenty-eight English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) students at an American university were paired up and collaborated on two animation description tasks in Google Docs while receiving the researcher’s written CF on their errors on the indefinite and definite articles. Learners worked individually on an animation description task one week prior to the written CF treatment (pretest), immediately after the treatment (posttest), and two weeks after (delayed posttest). When pretest score and CF frequency were controlled for, the number of one’s revisions was not related to the same person’s or the partner’s posttest score. However, the number of one’s revisions was significantly positively related to the same learner’s delayed posttest score, but not to the partner’s delayed posttest score.

Offline vs online problem-based learning: a case study of student engagement and learning outcomes

2022 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hans Kristianto ◽  
Linda Gandajaya
Keyword(s):  
Student Engagement ◽  
Learning Outcomes ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Problem Based Learning ◽  
Student Learning Outcomes ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Health Related

Purpose Furthermore, the purpose of this study is to compare the student engagement and the learning outcomes in offline and online PBL in the aforementioned course. The COVID-19 pandemic has caused disruption in various sectors, including education. Since it was first announced in mid-March 2020 in Indonesia, teaching and learning activities have been carried out online. In this study, a comparison of the offline (Spring 2019, prior to the pandemic) and online (Spring 2021, during the pandemic) problem-based learning (PBL) method in the sustainable chemical industry course is investigated. Design/methodology/approach A quantitative analysis was conducted by measuring the students’ engagement, course-learning outcomes (CLOs) and student learning outcomes (SLOs). Difference tests of engagement score, CLOs and SLOs were investigated by using the t-test or Mann–Whitney U-test. Furthermore, the perceived students’ stressors were measured. Findings It is found that the students’ engagement in offline and online PBL gives similar scores with no significant difference. This is possible because of the PBL structure that demands students to be actively engaged in gaining knowledge, collaboratively working in teams and interacting with other students and lecturers. Although similarly engaged, the CLOs and SLOs of online PBL are significantly lower than offline PBL, except for SLO related to oral and written communication skills and affective aspect. The decrease in CLOs and SLOs could be influenced by students’ academic, psychological and health-related stressors during the COVID-19 pandemic time. Originality/value This study provides a recommendation to apply online PBL during the COVID-19 pandemic time and beyond, although some efforts to improve CLOs and SLOs are needed.

scholarly journals Performance, Movement, Posture, and Perceived Discomfort in Active vs. Static Seating

2019 ◽  
Vol 63 (1) ◽  
pp. 1154-1158
Author(s):  
Jeremy D. Faulk ◽  
Cameron C. McKee ◽  
Heather Bazille ◽  
Michael Brigham ◽  
Jasmine Daniel ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Task Performance ◽  
Motor Task ◽  
Fine Motor ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Trunk Movement ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Within Subjects ◽  
Computer Based ◽  
Preliminary Study ◽  
Static Conditions

Active seating designs may enable users to move more frequently, thereby decreasing physiological risks associated with a sedentary lifestyle. In this preliminary study, two active seating designs (QOR360, Ariel; QOR360, Newton) were compared to a static chair (Herman Miller, Aeron) to understand how active vs. static seating may affect task performance, movement, posture, and perceived discomfort. This within-subjects experiment involved n = 11 student participants who sat upon each of the three chairs for 20 minutes while performing a series of computer-based tasks. Participants showed increased trunk movement while also reporting higher levels of perceived discomfort in the two active chair conditions. There was no significant difference in either posture or fine motor task performance between the active and static conditions. Future research may benefit from additional physiological measurements along with a wider variety of tasks that require seated users to make postural adjustments.

Future time perspective and group performance among students

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (5) ◽  
pp. 1265-1280 ◽  
Author(s):  
Manish Gupta ◽  
Arnold B. Bakker
Keyword(s):  
Student Engagement ◽  
Task Performance ◽  
Time Perspective ◽  
Group Performance ◽  
Group Cohesion ◽  
Future Time Perspective ◽  
Future Time ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Mediating Role

PurposeThe objective of this study is to understand the mediating role of student engagement between future time perspective and group task performance. In addition, the study examines the interaction effect of group cohesion task with student engagement on group performance.Design/methodology/approachData were collected from 170 (a total of 34 groups of five members each) business management students for three consecutive months. To analyze the data, multi-level modeling was carried out.FindingsThe results of the three-wave multi-level analysis indicate support for the hypotheses and suggest that future time perspective affects group performance through student engagement. Moreover, group cohesion interacts with student engagement to predict group task performance.Research limitations/implicationsThe findings show how the application of engagement theory can help in understanding the relationship between two distant variables, namely, future time perspective and group performance.Practical implicationsThe educators are encouraged to engage students for facilitating the positive impact of future time perspective on group task performance. The findings also imply that the students with future orientation perform well and thus, the educators may need to teach students to have futuristic perspective.Originality/valueThis study in one of its kinds to test the mediating role of student engagement between future time perspective and group task performance as well as the interaction effect of group cohesion task with student engagement on group performance at both the individual and group level over a period of time.

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