ERIC Number: EJ1010336
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2013-May
Pages: 5
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0007-1013
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Exploring the Utility of a Video-Based Online EFL Discussion Forum
Huang, Heng-Tsung Danny; Hung, Shao-Ting Alan
British Journal of Educational Technology, v44 n3 pE90-E94 May 2013
Online discussion forums represent "online collaborative learning spaces in which communities become engaged in the discourse on a topic about which they share common interests or goals" (Montero, Watts & Garcia-Carbonell, 2007, p. 568). This digital communication modality has been claimed to enhance second/foreign language (L2) learning by facilitating and archiving group interactions in a threaded structure, enabling meta-commenting, fostering higher-order information processing through permitting reflections on peer contributions and so forth (Godwin-Jones, 2003; Lamy & Hampel, 2007; Thomas, 2002). However, to date, although L2 studies that examined the effectiveness of online discussion forums in enhancing language learning outcomes abound, most worked with text-based forums that only supported written exchanges (eg, Liaw, 2007); few, if any, efforts have been made to investigate the utility of video-based online discussion forums in strengthening language proficiency. Since video technology affords the possibility of visually presenting both verbal and nonverbal messages (Mayer, 2002) and could as such influence group dynamics, personal appearance, and individual language variations (Godwin-Jones, 2003), the current research thus attempted to explore English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners' perceptions of participating in a video-based online discussion forum as a way to augment their English competence. (Contains 1 figure.)
Descriptors: Computer Mediated Communication, Educational Technology, Discussion Groups, Computer Uses in Education, English (Second Language), Second Language Learning, Video Technology, College Students, Foreign Countries, Student Attitudes, Social Networks, Student Surveys, Questionnaires, Mixed Methods Research
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Taiwan
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A