2008: ASCILITE 2008 Conference Proceedings

ASCILITE Conference - Concise Papers

• Intercultural communication by non-native and native speakers of Japanese in text-based synchronous CMC

  Atsushi Takagi

  This study explores speech behaviour when non-native speakers of Japanese (NNSJ) and native speakers of Japanese (NSJ) exchange cultural information, specifically using text- based synchronous computer-mediated communication. This experimental study uses a scaffolding technique in which a Japanese language teacher is less present and NNSJ are left to communicate with NSJ within a restricted timeframe. This study demands their intercultural engagement, thus suggesting an outcome of intercultural relationship building. While the study examined participants’ speech behaviours – specifically, the key speech act of requesting – observed to be important for realising smooth intercultural relationships, it also highlighted attributes of available technologies useful in facilitating intercultural engagement. Since people from different cultural backgrounds have different perceptions of politeness reflected in their behaviour and language use, understanding how request strategies are used by NSJ could give NNSJ intercultural insights and skills in Japanese language and socio-cultural behaviour. CMC has been utilised in computer-assisted language learning (CALL), with students able to learn languages through a real-world context and access native speakers of the target language, beyond the classroom. CMC has been found to be an effective adopted ‘third place’ (Kramsch 1993) located at the intersection of the cultures the learner grew up with, and the cultures to which they are introduced. In the case of language use, technology allows NNSJ to record their conversations, and reflect on the language being used, thus gaining intercultural insights and skills; these could be transferable to other communication modes, whether computer-driven technology or face-to-face. It is intended that the findings of this study might shed light on the innovative enhancement of non-native Japanese speakers’ intercultural and socio-cultural competence through the use of text-based CMC.

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• Framing pedagogy, diminishing technology: Teachers experience of online learning software

  Julia Thornton

  The purpose of this study is to understand the role played by cognitive framing in setting the parameters for teachers use of courseware. I use a small study of 10 teachers, emphasising two, to suggest that there are a number of ‘frames’ built up from previous teaching practice which influence the varieties of teachers’ engagement style used to approach ‘mixed medium’ teaching. The study shows that teachers who have mastered a set of basic skills in using Blackboard are in some instances content to remain guided by an ‘information transfer’ episteme; they are technologically adequate but passive, while other teachers who have relatively basic technological knowledge can produce truly ‘blended’ teaching using both face to face and online modes to the best value of their respective strengths. I argue that the explanation of this rest in the frames teachers use to understand what they are doing when engaging online.. One particular frame found in interviews also suggests that an immersion in understanding one’s own pedagogical practices produces more effective teaching online than does understanding technology. This has implications for teacher educators as well as for notions of pedagogy as resident in software.

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• The value of lecture podcasting for distance and on-campus students

  Rob van Zanten

  The purpose of this paper is to explore the value of podcasting the traditional classroom lecture to distance (external) and on-campus (internal) students. Download data are com- pared for distance and on-campus students enrolled in the same course. This exploratory research shows that for distance students at least, the lecture podcast appears to have some pedagogical merit. However, the format may have its limitations as shown by the marked decline in download activity of successive lectures in both of the courses examined.

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• SkillQuests: Bringing real life to the classroom with a collaborative computer-based instructional tool

  Marian Williams, Shilo Brosnan, Jenna Swan

  This paper explores the development and implementation of a structured computer-based learning tool, named a “SkillQuest”, for undergraduate students studying introductory project management at Bond University. This SkillQuest, “Making sense of all the dollars” was developed as an alternative to a lecture on project budgeting. Students are placed in a real-life working environment via a project scenario relevant to their chosen degree. In alignment with the theories of Gestalt, Constructivism and Experiential Learning, the SkillQuest provides a collaborative, student-centred approach where the lecturer acts a facilitator to the learning process. Student survey responses indicate the SkillQuest was a useful learning tool, interesting and a pleasant change from lectures. Statistical analyses of exam results support the use of the SkillQuest as a teaching tool. Use of the SkillQuest to actively engage students in the learning process was deemed a success. It is the belief of the authors that this type of computer-based, collaborative learning can allow students to learn more interactively and in an environment that more closely aligns with their learning preferences. Such a tool can be used in any university discipline in place of the traditional lecture-style approach or as a complement. SkillQuests can be undertaken with the instructor present in a classroom setting or as homework, making them also useful for online studies. This was a small pilot study in a single application. The authors hope that others will adapt this tool for use in their classrooms.

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• Factors affecting professor facilitator and course evaluations in an online graduate program

  Amy Wong, Jason Fitzsimmons

  Along with the rapid growth in Internet-based instruction there have been concerns about the quality of online instruction and whether traditional student evaluations of faculty are suitable in online environments. This study uses data collected from ongoing student evaluations of faculty in an MBA program within an online university to investigate the factors leading to student ratings of overall professor facilitator performance and overall satisfaction with the course. Using factor analysis we investigated the underlying factors related to the items on the survey which revealed factors relating to personal attributes of the professor facilitator, learning facilitation and quality of feedback. Results from regression analysis finds that evaluations of overall professor facilitator performance is predominantly driven by both the professor’s attributes and learning facilitation while overall student satisfaction is largely driven by factors associated with learning facilitation.

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