運用行動裝置促進小學生的英語情境學習

Improving English Learning in Elementary Schools with Mobile Devices in Familiar Situation

陳淑鈴(Holly S. L. Chen)

指導教授 ： 黃武元

國立中央大學/資訊電機學院/網路學習科技研究所/博士(2015年)

摘要

情境學習對學生的學習有許多好處，特別是對於以英語作為一門外語來學習的學習者而言。本研究提出了一個使用行動裝置融入學習系統來幫助小學生在情境中練習和增進他們的英語技能。一方面，聽和說的實驗中招募了五年級的兩個班級共計60名學生；其中一個班是實驗組有30名學生，其餘學生是另一個班被分配為對照組。而另一方面，讀和寫的實驗中招募59位六年級的學生，這些學生分別來自不同的兩個班級；其中一個班是實驗組有28名學生，另一個班是對照組有31名學生。而且，實驗組的學習資源是儲存在行動載具--PDA中的多媒體學習資源，在午餐時間用來輔助學生認識有關於午餐的食材與食物。相較之下，對照組使用的是紙本印刷的圖片和文字，而且沒有配合相對應的情境，就如同傳統的上課方式一般。聽和說的實驗結果顯示，本研究所提出的系統和活動增進了學生在情境中聽與說的練習機會，並能熟悉基本詞彙和簡單的句子。而且，實驗組的學習成就顯著優於對照組。藉由系統推薦同儕聲音的功能，實驗組學生能在情境中反覆聆聽與跟讀，從而獲得更多練習的機會，並能能在情境中與同儕互動。其他顯著的發現是，學生會將午休時間和同儕的學習經驗反映在晚餐和父母的互動中，而將所學應用於日常情境中，這被定義為多樣化實踐(practice diversity)，這種多樣化實踐增加是顯著相關於學生的學習成就也提高。也就是說，當學生在情境中與同儕的多樣化實踐越多，他們的英語技能也隨之提高。透過訪談，本研究發現實驗組學生能擴展他們在校的學習到日常家庭生活中。換句話說，學生的學習不是課堂中刻意的安排的演練，而是自發性的實踐在日常生活中。此外，在讀和寫的實驗中學生可以在情境中使用行動載具輔助完成寫作任務，這些情境包括描述學校操場、教室內設施和午餐菜色及心情。實驗的結果顯示實驗組和對照組之間學生的學習成就有顯著差異。實驗組學生認為在情境中寫作的活動很有趣;因此，他們在寫作過程中更傾向於持續維持較高的學習興趣。基於訪談學生的資料顯示：在活動情境中透過本研究提出的系統輔助學生，不但能激發學生寫出更多句子，而且能描述的標的物也更清晰透徹。因此，本研究能幫助小學生在情境中學習英語。

關鍵字

情境學習 ； 熟悉的情境 ； 行動學習 ； 練習多樣性 ； 同儕互動 ； 以英語為外語的寫作學習

並列摘要

It is beneficial for students to experience situational learning, especially for English as a foreign language (EFL) learning. This research proposed a situational learning system with mobile device to help elementary school students practice and improve their English skills. On one hand, the listening and speaking experiment recruited 60 fifth-grade students from two separate EFL classes. A class of 30 students was identified as the experimental group, and the remaining students were assigned as the control group. On the other hand, the reading and writing experiment recruited 59 sixth-grade students from two separate EFL classes. A class of 28 students was identified as the experimental group, and another class of 31 students was assigned as the control group. Furthermore, the experimental group learned multimedia-based learning materials about food materials at lunch with PDAs. In contrast, the control group learned via paper-based learning materials in class without real contextual support. The results of the listening and speaking experiment show that the proposed system and designed activities provided EFL elementary school students with listening and speaking practice opportunities in basic vocabulary and simple sentences with the support of familiar, situational learning. Additionally, findings reveal that the experimental group significantly outperformed the control group in learning achievement. By providing recommended sample voices recorded by peers, students in the experimental group could repeatedly listen to the recordings in familiar situations, thus obtaining more opportunities to practice and interact with peers later. In addition, the other significant finding is that the number of peers used to practice speaking English in daily contexts, defined as practice diversity, was significantly correlated to learning improvement. That is, when students practiced speaking English with an increased number of peers, in familiar contexts, their English skills improved. After interviews with students, an interesting phenomenon was identified; students in the experimental group extended their learning from school to home. In other words, students’ learning was not only a deliberate event but the situation learning also took place spontaneously in their daily lives. Moreover, in the reading and writing system students can carry out assigned writing tasks using the support of mobile devices in situations deemed to be familiar to the students, such as on the school playground, within classroom facilities, and at lunch. The results of the experiment indicated a significant difference in learning achievement between the two groups. Students in the experimental group perceived the designed activities to be fun; thus, they were more inclined to maintain interest in situated learning scenarios. Furthermore, based on interviews with participating students from both groups, we found that the activities presented within familiar contexts, and supported by our proposed system, inspired students to not only write more sentences, but to describe the target objects clearly and thoroughly. Therefore, the proposed system and activities can help EFL students, particularly novices, learning English in familiar situational contexts.

並列關鍵字

situated learning ； familiar context ； mobile learning ； practice diversity ； peer interaction ； EFL writing

參考文獻

Arslan, R.S., & Sahin-Kızıl, A. (2010). How can the use of blog software facilitate the writing process of English language learners? Computer Assisted Language Learning, 23, 183–197.

Bruner, J. (1983). Child’s talk: Learning to use language. N.Y.: Norton.

Brown, J. S., Collins, A., & Duguid, P. (1989). Situated cognition and the culture of learning. Educational Researcher, 18(1), 32-42.

Bueschel, A.C. (2008). Listening to students about learning. Stanford, CA: Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching.

Burstall, C. (1975). “Factors Affecting Foreign-Language Learning: A Consideration of Some Relevant Research Findings.” Language Teachings and Linguistics Abstracts, 8, 5-125.