Examining the quality of mobile-assisted, video-making task outcomes: The role of proficiency, narrative ability, digital literacy, and motivation

Although increasing evidence has demonstrated the benefits of mobile technology in diverse aspects of language learning, research on the use of mobiles in task-based instruction has been scarce. Particularly, there has been little research directly investigating predictors of the quality of mobile-assisted, video-making tasks. To fill the gap and contribute to the area of emerging technology-mediated, task-based language teaching, the current study examined predicting factors of the quality of digital-video-making task outcomes. Forty-eight Korean high school students completed a digital-video-making task using a mobile application called KineMaster. Students created a self-introduction storytelling video focusing on their experiences of success or failure in their life. To examine predicting factors (English writing proficiency, first language narrative ability, digital literacy, intrinsic and extrinsic motivation), multiple data sources were gathered: timed argumentative English essays and Korean writing samples on the same narrative topic, a digital literacy questionnaire, and a motivation survey. For data analyses, the quality of the digital-video-making task outcome was scored using an analytic rubric assessing the use of multi-modes, language use, and task fulfillment. Students’ English and Korean narrative essays were rated for English writing proficiency and first language narrative ability, respectively. Digital literacy and motivation questionnaires were analysed quantitatively, and the composite scores were included in statistical models. Multiple regression models were created to investigate which factors predicted the quality of the digital-video-making task outcome. The results showed that English writing proficiency and first language narrative ability significantly predicted the quality of language use and task fulfillment. The findings shed light on mobile-assisted task performance in foreign language classrooms.

The Contribution of Vocabulary, Grammar, and Phonological Awareness Across a Continuum of Narrative Ability Levels in Young Children

Purpose Narrative skill represents a higher-level linguistic skill that shows incremental development in the preschool years. During these years, there are considerable individual differences in this skill, with some children being highly skilled narrators (i.e., precocious) relative to peers of their age. In this study, we explored the contribution of three lower-level language skills to a range of narrative abilities, from children performing below expected levels for their age to those performing much higher than the expected levels for their age. We speculated that individual differences in lower-level skills would contribute meaningfully to variability in narrative skills. Method Using a sample of 336 children between 3 and 6 years of age ( M = 4.27 years, SD = 0.65), both multiple regression and quantile regression approaches were used to explore how vocabulary, grammar, and phonological awareness account for variance in children's “narrative ability index” (NAI), an index of how children scored on the Narrative Assessment Protocol–Second Edition relative to the expected performance for their age. Results Multiple regression results indicated that lower-level language skills explained a significant amount of variance (approximately 13%) in children's NAI scores. Quantile regression results indicated that phonological awareness and vocabulary accounted for significant variance in children's NAI scores at lower quantiles. At the median quantile, vocabulary and grammar accounted for significant variance in children's NAI scores. For precocious narrators, only vocabulary accounted for a significant amount of variance in children's NAI scores. Conclusion Results indicate that lower-level language skills work in conjunction to support narrative skills at different ability levels, improving understanding of how lower-level language skills contribute across a spectrum of higher-level linguistic abilities.

Eider Rodríguez: Body, Disease and Narration

In this article we address the interpretive and narrative keys of Un corazón tan grande, a book of short stories by Eider Rodriguez, where women come into focus. The writer emphasises the importance of the body and the presence of scars, a recurring symbol. Under an apparent normality, conflicts about love, death, pain, (lack of) understanding – agreements and disagreements – beat at the heart of any relationship with family, a partner and one’s neighbours. The narrative ability of Eider Rodriguez reveals the mutable and contradictory nature of human beings, the ephemeral values of today’s society, and the visible and the invisible that underlie in human relationships, and in unsolved conflicts.

Narrative group intervention in DLD: Learning to tell the plot

The current research investigated the effectiveness of a narrative intervention method aiming to improve oral narrative ability in 8- to 10-year-old children with developmental language disorder (DLD) ( n = 6). Oral narrative ability was assessed through a narrative retelling and a narrative generation task of which both the narrative microstructure and narrative macrostructure were analysed. A debating intervention was included as a control condition ( n = 6). It was found that, after 10 weeks of narrative intervention, children significantly ( p < .05) improved their storytelling abilities at a microstructural level: mean length of utterance; grammaticality; fluency; and complexity, as well as at a macrostructural level: the number of story grammar elements. The alternative intervention only yielded significant results on the number of story grammar elements, not on any microstructural skills. The narrative intervention is effective in targeting and improving both narrative micro- and macrostructure and is easily applicable in classrooms with DLD children.

Using Picture Stories and Mind Maps to Improve Narrative Ability of a CI Student

This study aimed at investigating the impact of picture storytelling and Mind Maps as pre-writing tools for cochlear implanted student. Action research was conducted to improve cochlear implanted learner’s narrative writing skills with the aid of picture storytelling and mind maps. Number cycles of action-research were carried out to teach narrative writing and mind mapping over a period of two months. Data were collected at three stages of the study which included: pre-intervention, intervention and post intervention. In the pre-intervention stage, data were collected by using pre-writing samples. During the intervention stage, the data were collected through observations. In the post-intervention stage, data were collected by using two post writing samples. This strategy was developed on the assumption that while initially, the cochlear implanted learner would show difficulty in writing narratives and constructing mind maps but gradually the cochlear implanted learner would show less difficulty when the learner would become more acquainted with the strategies. The findings depicted positive outcomes in the writing ability of the participant. The result also showed a sound level of the effectiveness of picture storytelling and mind maps suggesting imperative need to incorporate them in educational settings in order to help cochlear implanted learners to write to their maximum potential.

The Effect of Using Sequenced Pictures on Students’ Ability to Write Narrative

This study was conducted in order to answer one research question, “Is there any effect of using sequenced picture on the students writing narrative ability at the tenth grade of SMK Bustanudin Pamekasan? This research used quantitative experimental research. The object of this was 25 students at SMK Bustanudin Pamekasan. Before collecting the data, the researcher observed the students to know their levels of English achievement, especially in writing narrative. The ways to collect data that are doing pre-test and doing post-test. Pre-test was given to the object of this study, before they were given treatment. Post-test was given after the researcher conducted the treatments to thestudents. The pre-test was not provided with sequenced pictures. The pre-test required the students write narrative paragraph. The students were supposed to write their favorite story. In the post-test, the student was also asked to write a narrative paragraph based on the sequenced pictures given. The treatment was given after pre-test by the teacher. The teacher taught narrative text by using picture of sequence to see the difference of students’ ability in writing narrative paragraph. The sequenced pictures were used as a media in teaching learning process for the length of pre-test and post-test. The result of data analysis turned out to prove that there was a significant different between the mean score of the pre-test (60) and the post-test (73). In fact, the mean score of the post-test was significantly higher than that of the pre-test. The result of t-test (10.670) was higher than t-table (2.064) for .05 percent level and (2.797) for .01 percent level). it can be concluded that sequenced pictures help students achieve better performance in writing narrative.

Social Sciences, Complexity and Sociology of the Present in Edgar Morin

The article intends to revisit the contribution of the french thinker Edgar Morin (1921-) to the construction of a plural and open method of research in Social Sciences. We will have as theoretical-epistemological basis the sociology of the present, an approach of social phenomena developed by the author during three decades, from the 1940s to the 1970s, constituting the matrix of complex thinking. The present work defends the idea that the central categories of the present sociology, such as phenomenon, crisis and event, as well as the so-called living method of empirical research are still fundamental today in the sense of proposing an opening of the social sciences to phenomena increasingly more complex and multidimensional. This presupposes the researcher's subjective and objective engagement, narrative ability, and sensitivity to grasp revealing detail.

PENINGKATAN KEMAMPUAN MENULIS KARANGAN NARASI DENGAN PENERAPAN METODE EDUTAINMENT PADA SISWA KELAS VII MTS NUJUMUL HUDA

AbstrakPenelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui peningkatan kemampuan menulis karangan narasi dengan penerapan metode edutainment pada siswa kelas VII.2 MTs Nujumul Huda Batu Samban Tahun Ajaran 2016/2017. Penelitian ini berupa Penelitian Tindakan Kelas yang terdiri atas dua siklus. Masing-masing siklus terdiri dari tahap perencanaan, tahap perencanaan tindakan, tahap observasi dan evaluasi, dan tahap refleksi. Metode pengumpulan data yang digunakan yaitu metode observasi, metode tes (dalam bentuk penugasan menulis narasi), dan metode dokumentasi. Data yang terkumpul dianalisis menggunakan analisis data kualitatif dan kuantitatif. Berdasarkan hasil proses pembelajaran diperoleh hasil sebagai berikut. Hasil peningkatan aktivitas guru siklus I mencapai 90,28% meningkat menjadi 94,44% pada siklus II. Pada siklus I aktivitas belajar siswa yaitu 87,72% meningkat menjadi 90,28% pada siklus II. Hasil belajar siswa juga mengalami peningkatan. Perolehan rata-rata hasil belajar siswa pada siklus I mencapai 66,77 meningkat menjadi 73,37 pada siklus II dengan ketuntasan belajar mencapai 87,09%. Dengan demikian dapat disimpulkan bahwa penggunaan metode edutainment dapat meningkatkan kemampuan menulis karangan narasi pada siswa kelas VII.2 MTs Nujumul Huda Batu Samban.Kata kunci: menulis, karangan, narasi, metode edutainmentAbstractThe underlying problem of this research was the low ability of students� in writingnarrative. This was caused by the lack of interest of students� in following the lesson and the lack of creativity of teachers when used the method of learning, so that students have difficulty in following the learning of writing narrative. This study aims to determine the improvement of writing narrative ability with the application of edutainment method in the students� of class VII.2 MTs Nujumul Huda Batu Samban in Academic Year 2016/2017. This research was Classroom Action Research consisting of two cycles. Each cycle consists of the planning stage, the action planning stage, the observation and evaluation phase, and the reflection stage. Data collection methods were used observation methods, test methods (in the form of writing narrative assignments), and documentation methods. The collected data were analyzed used qualitative and quantitative data analysis. Based on the results of the learning process obtained resultsas follows. The results of the increase in teacher activity cycle I reached 90.28%increased to 94.44% in cycle II. In the first cycle students� learning activity that was 87.72% increased to 90.28% in cycle II. Students� learning outcomes also increased. The average learning achievement of students� in the first cycle reached 66.77 increased to 73.37 in cycle II with learning completeness reached 87.09%. Thus it should be concluded that the used of edutainment method can improve the ability of writing narrative essay for the students� of class VII.2 MTs Nujumul Huda Batu Samban.Keywords: writing, essay, narrative, edutainment method