ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
Treating of Content-Based Instruction to Teach Writing Viewed from EFL Learners&apos; Creativity
Author: Jaelani, Selamet Riadi
Date: 2017-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,Creativity,Writing Instruction,Content Area Writing,Problem Based Learning,Instructional Effectiveness,Quasiexperimental Design,Creativity Tests,Writing Tests,Statistical Analysis

The objectives of the research are to examine: (1) whether Content-Based Instruction is more effective than Problem-based learning to teach writing to the EFL Learners; (2) whether the EFL Learners having high creativity have better writing than those having low creativity; and (3) whether there is an interaction between teaching methods and EFL Learners' creativity in teaching writing.The research method of this research was quasi-experimental research. The techniques of collecting data were creativity test and writing test given to the both classes. The data were analyzed by using Multifactor Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) test of 2 × 2 and Tukey test. The result of data analysis showed that: (1) Content-Based Instruction was more effective than Problem-based learning to teach writing (2) the EFL Learners having high creativity have better writing than the EFL Learners having low creativity and (3) there was an interaction between teaching methods and EFL Learners' creativity in teaching writing. Based on the finding, it can be concluded that Content-Based Instruction was an effective method to teach writing.
Better Learning of Chinese Idioms through Storytelling: Current Trend of Multimedia Storytelling
Author: Li, Ee Hui
Date: 2017-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Story Telling,Language Patterns,Cultural Influences,Chinese,Second Language Instruction,Experimental Groups,Control Groups,Multimedia Instruction,Comparative Analysis,Foreign Countries,Qualitative Research,Statistical Analysis,Tests,Student Surveys,Questionnaires,Undergraduate Students,Program Effectiveness,Educational Technology,Technology Uses in Education,Likert Scales,Student Attitudes,Knowledge Level

Storytelling plays a vital role to impart a nation's tradition, cultural beliefs and history to future generation. It is frequently used for the purpose of sharing or exchanging information as it enables the messages to be conveyed to the audience easily. Storytelling acts as a tool of human social interaction and is commonly used in education for learning, explaining and entertaining. Due to the learning effectiveness brought up by storytelling, this study is aimed to compare and differentiate the feasibility of traditional storytelling and multimedia storytelling in motivating and leveraging the nonnative novices' learning of Chinese idioms. A total of 83 non-native novices who have attended the Chinese as Foreign Language Course in a local private university of Malaysia were selected as the research sample and divided into two groups. 43 participants were placed in the experimental group and studied the Chinese idioms with a developed multimedia storytelling prototype (MSP), whereas the other 40 participants in the conventional teaching group learned the new knowledge through traditional storytelling. A Chinese idiom test and survey questionnaires were distributed to the non-native novices to examine their learning achievement and preferences towards the learning approaches. Results showed that the students in the experimental group scored higher and had greater satisfaction towards the Chinese idiom learning than the learners from the conventional group.
Detection of Common Errors in Turkish EFL Students&apos; Writing through a Corpus Analytic Approach
Author: Demirel, Elif Tokdemir
Date: 2017-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Error Correction,Error Analysis (Language),English (Second Language),College Second Language Programs,Writing Difficulties,Essays,Academic Discourse,Writing Assignments,Grammar,Literary Styles,College Freshmen

The present study aims to explore Turkish EFL students' major writing difficulties by analyzing the frequent writing errors in academic essays. Accordingly, the study examined errors in a corpus of 150 academic essays written by Turkish EFL students studying at the Department of English Language and Literature at a public university in Turkey. The essays were written on assigned topics as take home exam papers or assignments in the context of a first year academic writing course. The corpus consisted of essays of various lengths ranging from 500 word essays to 1500 word essays. The essays were compiled into a corpus and analyzed by using a concordance program. The essays were also checked for plagiarism using the online plagiarism detection software and plagiarized essays were excluded from the analysis. Errors were classified by using an error classification system which was organized according to lexico-grammatical categories. The resulting categories consisted of mostly syntactic and lexical categories of error but academic style errors were considered as well. As a result of the analysis, in terms of error categories, the most frequent errors were observed in the verb related error categories. When considered individually, the most frequent errors were observed in noun modification and were mostly interference related.
On Non-English Majors&apos; Strategy Training in English Reading Comprehension
Author: Yang, Xiaoling
Date: 2017-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Nonmajors,Reading Comprehension,English (Second Language),Reading Strategies,Questionnaires,Student Surveys,Experimental Groups,Control Groups,Pretests Posttests,Reading Improvement,Instructional Effectiveness,Psycholinguistics,Learning Strategies,College Second Language Programs,Foreign Countries

This paper reviewed the literature of the previous research and questionnaire survey on reading strategy. Based on theories of psycholinguistics, a five-week experiment was carried out in order to probe into the effectiveness of strategy training. The experiment was designed to answer the following question: Can reading comprehension be improved by strategy training? Two groups of subjects from non-English majors participated in the experiment and questionnaire survey. Experimental group received training on reading strategies while control group didn't. By comparing the results of the pretest and posttest of the two groups, the effectiveness of strategy training was examined. The results of data analysis indicated that both efficient and non-efficient readers use strategies to facilitate their reading and there was no significant difference between them with regard to strategy use in general, but some strategies were especially favored by the efficient readers and that reading competence could be improved by strategy training.
Open Teaching: A New Way on E-Learning?
Author: Chiappe, Andres
Date: 2017-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Electronic Learning,Meta Analysis,Content Analysis,Literature Reviews,Teaching Methods,Educational Practices,Educational Strategies,Online Courses,Open Source Technology,Educational Technology,Technology Uses in Education,Qualitative Research

Open Teaching is currently considered an ambiguous and polysemic concept but has nevertheless become a growing global trend in ICT-based education. To identify key issues on the subject, this article presents a study on Open teaching that combines meta-synthesis and content analysis of research published over the last twenty years in major peer-reviewed databases. Six main analytical categories emerge from data, conforming six groups of findings. Those findings show that Open Teaching has been associated with various concepts over the years and that there is no consensus on its meaning in the academic community. The current understanding of Open Teaching, that it is merely related to distance education, thwarts important practical and conceptual possibilities by prioritizing access as its main feature and ignoring important &quot;openness&quot; attributes, such as adaptation, sharing, remixing or collaboration. Moreover, the findings note that the most common means to implement Open Teaching as an ICT-based practice are derived from the use of Open Educational Resources (OER) and via Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) which represents not only a major challenge for active educational practitioners but a new way of conceiving and implementing e-learning in higher education.
Personal and Academic Aspects That Contributed to the Development of the English Language Competence of Students from a Language Teacher Education Program
Author: Herrera-Mosquera, Leonardo
Date: 2017-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,Language Proficiency,Teacher Education Programs,Language Teachers,Qualitative Research,Questionnaires,Interviews,Focus Groups,Foreign Countries,Language Tests,Influences,Learning Strategies,Student Experience,College Students

Students from the English as a Foreign Language (EFL) Program targeted in the present study are expected to achieve a C1 level of English proficiency according to the Common European Framework (CEF). However, only a five per cent of the students has evidenced this level on the institutional English exam (Ileusco Test, henceforth IT) for the past five years. Through the present descriptive-exploratory qualitative study we have attempted to inquire about the personal and academic factors that may have contributed to the successful development of the L2 competence of those learners. We used a questionnaire, individual interviews and focus-group interviews to ask 12 students about learning strategies, experiences and actions they have implemented to develop their l2 competence. We concluded that it is mainly students' commitment and self-discipline that helped them keep their L2 learning process successfully running; that despite the high quality of a school curriculum, a language program or a teaching methodology, it is students' autonomous learning initiatives that mainly enhance their L2 proficiency; and that L2 instruction in higher education seems to convey a stronger impact than elementary and secondary education.
Construction of Stance through the Use of Retrospective Labels by American and Turkish Academic Writers
Author: Kafes, Huseyin
Date: 2017-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Writing (Composition),Attitudes,Authors,Journal Articles,Masters Theses,Novices,Academic Discourse,Qualitative Research,Statistical Analysis,Nouns,Computational Linguistics,Foreign Countries

In parallel with the recognition of the importance of writer presence in academic texts, there has been an increasing interest in writer stance. Yet, very little of this research has been devoted to the construction of stance through retrospective labels. Driven by this need, this study aims to investigate the construction of stance through retrospective labels by American and novice Turkish writers in their texts. Using a corpus-based methodology comprising of quantitative and qualitative procedures, this study analyzes the frequency counts of stance through retrospective labels and the functions associated with them. The results of this corpus-based research have revealed similarities as well as some marked differences between the two corpora. It seems that in addition to proficiency in English, educational background of novice Turkish academic writers have an impact on their construction of stance through retrospective labels. I suggest that the strategic employment of retrospective labels to create stance is a valuable rhetorical strategy for academic writers to construct convincing arguments.
Drivers and Barriers to Adopting Gamification: Teachers&apos; Perspectives
Author: Sánchez-Mena, Antonio
Date: 2017-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Barriers,Phenomenology,Structured Interviews,Educational Games,Educational Practices,Use Studies,Performance Factors,Attention,Teacher Motivation,Usability,Recreation,Educational Resources,Student Interests,Classroom Environment,Technology Uses in Education,Educational Technology,Higher Education

Gamification is the use of game design elements in non-game contexts and it is gaining momentum in a wide range of areas including education. Despite increasing academic research exploring the use of gamification in education little is known about teachers' main drivers and barriers to using gamification in their courses. Using a phenomenology approach, 16 online structured interviews were conducted in order to explore the main drivers that encourage teachers serving in Higher Education institutions to using gamification in their courses. The main barriers that prevent teachers from using gamification were also analysed. Four main drivers (attention-motivation, entertainment, interactivity, and easiness to learn) and four main barriers (lack of resources, students' apathy, subject fit, and classroom dynamics) were identified. Results suggest that teachers perceive the use of gamification both as beneficial but also as a potential risk for classroom atmosphere. Managerial recommendations for managers of Higher Education institutions, limitations of the study, and future research lines are also addressed.
The Feasibility of E-Learning Implementation in an Iranian University
Author: Mirzamohammadi, M. H.
Date: 2017-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Electronic Learning,Feasibility Studies,Universities,College Faculty,Teacher Surveys,Interviews,Questionnaires,Statistical Analysis

The present research aimed to investigate the feasibility of e-learning implementation in an Iranian comprehensive university (included medical and non-medical fields) to provide appropriate solutions in this regard. To achieve this objective, seven research questions were formed. Surveying method was applied for data collection in this study. From the results, the readiness of the Iranian university to implement e-learning was moderate to low. This means that the Iranian university is not prepared for this type of learning. Accordingly, five factors were evaluated of which three factors: human, infrastructural, and cultural factors were in moderate to low level, and two factors: pedagogical and support, were at a low level. Ten basic strategies for successful implementation of e-learning were extracted at the Iranian university based on the studied five factors and they were presented according to the knowledge and research in the field of e-learning in the world and in Iran. Some of these consisted of holding training courses at the university level, considering a special place for e-learning in the university strategic plan, developing a mechanism for monitoring the activities of teaching and research in e-learning environment for students and faculty, and allocating and spending an appropriate budget.
Western Cape Subject Advisors&apos; Perception of Their Preparedness for Connected Classrooms
Author: Chigona, Agnes
Date: 2017-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Academic Advising,Faculty Advisers,Teacher Attitudes,Readiness,Internet,Technology Integration,Delivery Systems,Information Technology,Qualitative Research,Interviews,Knowledge Level,Technological Literacy,Pedagogical Content Knowledge,Geographic Regions

In South Africa, the Western Cape government (WCG)'s current broadband strategy aims to ensure that all schools will be connected to broadband service within a reasonable time-frame. According to the WCG integration of ICTs and the broadband will remove the digital divide and enhance curriculum delivery in schools. To achieve this, sensible long-term planning must be in place to ensure that subject advisors are adequately trained and equipped to participate in the connected schools environment and effectively assist teachers integrate digital resources into classrooms. The aim of this paper is to explore how subject advisors perceive of their preparedness to embrace new technologies for their advisory job; to ensure effective teaching and learning. A qualitative research approach was used; randomly selected education districts in the Western Cape Province provided subject advisors to be participants in the study. Results show that most subject advisors perceive their complex knowledge of how to effectively integrate ICTs into curriculum delivery as inadequate hence are hesitant to advise teachers on effective technology integration into classrooms.
Project Robot: A Software Simulation for Systems Engineering Education
Author: Arnold, Ross D.
Date: 2017-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Robotics,Computer Simulation,Computer Software,Systems Approach,Engineering Education,Military Training,Educational Games,Electronic Learning,Program Development,Program Implementation,Competition

The U.S. defense industry spends billions of dollars each year developing defense systems to keep the nation and allies secure. However, the failure rate of system development is notoriously high. Even when development efforts do succeed, they often do so with cost overruns and compromises in system performance. As a result, large amounts of money are wasted in defense acquisition, leaving the nation both poorer and less secure than it could be. Though this problem is certainly multi-faceted, one way to approach the problem is to provide better systems engineering education to engineers. Systems engineering skills, generally considered to be key to the successful development of large scale systems, often require many years to acquire. However, recent research investigates the theory that these years can be reduced through the use of simulation software. This paper describes Project Robot, a defense systems engineering simulator designed to facilitate the acquisition of systems engineering skills at an increased rate. Project Robot was the co-winner of the 2010 Experience Accelerator international systems engineering simulator competition held at Stevens Institute of Technology, NJ. The development of this simulator is a first step towards the design and development of experience accelerating simulations and software games that push the boundaries of engineering education to the next level using modern computer software techniques. The paper introduces the concepts of systems engineering and systems thinking, then discusses the Project Robot game concept, design, theory, and implementation, including detailed screen captures. The paper concludes with a discussion of the future of Project Robot and related research efforts to improve systems engineering education through simulation.
Overcommunication Strategies of Violating Grice&apos;s Cooperative Principle in Ground Service
Author: Xiaoqin, Liu
Date: 2017-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Communication Strategies,Questionnaires,Interviews,Air Transportation,Organizational Communication,Communication Problems,Performance Factors,Deception,Credibility,Employee Attitudes,Foreign Countries

Based on four maxims of Grice's cooperative principle framework, a small-scale study is conducted to examine the communication strategies employed by experienced ground service staff. Data have been collected from questionnaires and in-depth interviews with Chinese domestic airlines' ground staff. This study identifies that the communicative challenges usually happen in service failure and service recovery. And it finds out violation of four maxims of Grice's cooperative principle is taken as sub-strategies of overinformativeness, telling a white lie, irrelevance, and ambiguity or prolixity. These strategies lead to overcommunication which could be routinely employed for the specific professional purposes of saving the passenger's face, gaining the passenger's understanding, reducing conflicts, avoiding complaints, or even establishing a harmonious relationship with passengers. This study moreover exploits that in the ground service communication context, two salient reasons stimulate the overcommunication strategies. Firstly it is to improve the service quality and secondly to enhance the passenger's satisfaction which are the determining factors to the sustainable development of the airlines. This study is ambitious to seek a new means of understanding and investigating the ground service communication from the perspective of pragmatics. By integrating business communication in ESP context to the classical theory of pragmatics, this study attempts to offer practical suggestions to the frontline communicators.
A Review on Language Learner Autonomy Research in China (2006-2016): Based on 12 Key Domestic Journals
Author: Ou, Chuying
Date: 2017-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Personal Autonomy,English (Second Language),College Students,Student Centered Learning,Journal Articles,Literature Reviews,Teaching Methods,Educational Research,College Second Language Programs,Second Language Instruction,Teacher Role,Teacher Education,Educational Environment,Evaluation Methods

Since the implementation of the 2001 curriculum reform and the release of the 2004 college English requirements, learner autonomy has become one of the most important research themes in the field of ELT in China, especially college English, reflecting the tendency of a learner-centered teaching approach. In this paper, I have reviewed 39 studies about language learner autonomy from 133 articles selected in key journals targeting language education published in mainland China from 2006 to 2016, so as to see what have been the features of related research through the years. In the review process, it is found that influencing factors, improving methods as well as evaluation approaches of learner autonomy have been the dominant themes that attract Chinese researchers' concern. Among them, improving methods of language learner autonomy have drawn even more attention from Chinese scholars, which have mainly addressed issues related to teachers, learner training and autonomous learning environment. It is also observed that empirical studies have been dominant through the decade and more types of students have been involved in research. However, I also note that there is still deficiency with such studies of language learner autonomy, so suggestions are provided for researchers in the field.