Digital News Stories: Building Language Learners' Content Knowledge and Speaking Skills.

Abstract: The study explored how the use of digital news stories promoted the development of content knowledge and oral language skills. The study involved 15 advanced Spanish students who used VoiceThread, an interactive multimedia tool, to create and exchange digital news regarding current events over the course of one semester. Both quantitative and qualitative data collected from post-surveys, transcribed digital recordings, blog reflections, and final interviews were analyzed. Data showed that digital news empowered students to use their own voices for self-expression and self-reflection and that social interaction helped establish a sense of community in which students supported each other by offering new ideas and feedback on each other's writing. In addition, students gained multi-literacy skills and further improved their speaking fluency. The findings also suggest that well-designed tasks are vital and that the instructor's guidance is needed to facilitate critical reflection.Key words: asynchronous computer-mediated communication, content knowledge, digital news stories, speaking skills, task designIntroductionThe advent of Web 2.0 technology1 brought new dimensions to foreign language learning and afforded learners new avenues to explore functional use of the target language. Because it is challenging to help students develop communicative language skills during limited face]to]face class time, language practitioners have embraced computer]mediated communication (CMC) technology to maximize use of the target language beyond the classroom walls (Guth & Helm, 2010; Kessler, 2013; Rosell]Aguilar, 2013). In addition to the traditional face]to]face instruction, CMC provides not only a personalized but also a collaborative and engaging setting where learners create, share, and build second language knowledge together. As a result, learners gain language competence and increase their oral skills (Lee, 2010; Levy & Stockwell, 2006; Lys, 2013; Sun, 2009; Thorne & Reinhardt, 2008; Volle, 2005). With CMC, students have a more equal opportunity to contribute to the discussion and feel less anxious as well as more confident in expressing themselves than with face]to]face interaction (e.g., Arnold & Ducate, 2006; Leahy, 2008; Sun, 2009). According to Lee (2011), CMC fosters learner autonomy, as students take an active part in decision making and problem solving within a virtual learning community. Unlike realtime CMC, such as Web chat and audiovideo conferencing, asynchronous CMC, such as wikis, blogs, and podcasts, engages learners in constructing second language knowledge at their own pace and reflecting on content without time pressure. Students thus tend to be more reflective and thus produce more thoughtful responses (e.g., Kitade, 2008). However, asynchronous CMC may not encourage social presence and community building due to lack of a timestamp, students' ineffective use of time due to lack of self]discipline, and insufficient interpersonal communication (Rourke & Kanuka, 2009; Rovai, 2002). This study addressed one form of CMC.digital storytelling. and sought to determine how the creation of digital news stories in conjunction with a four]skills, integrated approach to task]based instruction2 promoted the development of learners' content knowledge and oral language development. In particular, the study addressed the effects of peer comments on asynchronous CMC from sociocultural perspectives.Review of LiteratureDigital stories are created with a mixture of media, including images, audio, and video elements. Like other asynchronous CMC technology, digital storytelling has been increasingly used for instructional purposes, including second language learning (Alameen, 2011; Barrett, 2006; Lambert, 2007; Ohler, 2008; Reinders, 2011). From personal narratives to accounts of historical events and discussions of a wide range of course]related topics, digital storytelling empowers learners by giving them voices to share and exchange their views in an open and interactive environment (Gregori]Signes, 2008; Robin, 2008; Sadik, 2008). …