CHAPTER 5 CONCLUSIONS. chapter, pedagogical implications of selecting and using authentic Web-based reading tasks

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1 CHAPTER 5 CONCLUSIONS This concluding chapter provides the overview of findings drawn from the previous chapter, pedagogical implications of selecting and using authentic Web-based reading tasks and the limitations of this research. In addition, some suggestions for those who intend to conduct similar research in the future are also presented. 5.1 Summary of Findings In response to the research questions, the following results are summarized in six categories. First, most of the information or texts, even advertisements with short, interesting expressions on the Web, were hard for the participants to understand. The Web-based reading tasks appropriate for them were children s reading tasks with easy expressions, information in online dictionaries, vanity plates with short and intriguing expressions, and the selected topics and simplified articles posted on the instructional Web conferencing chosen by the researcher. In these cases, vocational high school students are still teachable by using Web-based reading tasks. These reading tasks were mainly used as a motivation enhancer to increase vocabulary range and basic reading comprehension. On the basis of the questionnaires (See Appendix G), all the Web-based reading tasks in the formal study were interesting and helpful as shown in Table 4-1 and Table 4-3, with the five-scale levels all over Moreover, as far as the level of learning difficulty is concerned, all the Web-based reading tasks were also over 3.00, indicating that none of the tasks was too difficult and thus acceptable (See Table 4-2). Second, online dictionaries play a key role in Web-based learning. They are a must. 73

2 Without them, Web-based learning is impossible. They are not only very helpful for lower 74 achievers to survive in Web-based learning, but also helpful for higher achievers to grasp the deeper meaning and different usages of each word or phrase more quickly. Third, according to the participants questionnaires (See Appendix G), most participants found instructional Web conferencing most helpful in regaining their confidence in reading comprehension and in improving their reading speed and reading skills. Reading and talking by means of instructional Web conferencing was just like talking on MSN, a familiar mode of software for communication, which they used almost every night anyway. They thought they had a very good excuse to use the Web conference room under the name of learning in an English classroom without the interference of their parents. Meanwhile, English learning was proceeding through fun talking. They considered instructional Web conferencing just part of their everyday lives. In the researcher s observation, after instructional Web conferencing, a 41 percent of the participants automatically went to the Web conference room and chatted in English (See Appendix E-4). In addition, the topics of instructional Web conferencing, ranging from the latest international news such as avian flu and Bill Gates to the latest local news related to the participants daily lives, attracted the participants attention. Some participants assured that they developed a photographic memory of the new words shown during instructional Web conferencing, a phenomenon not commonly encountered in classroom teaching. The total relaxation of this exam-free situation made it possible for the participants to attend instructional Web conferencing willingly. All of these confirm that instructional Web conferencing attracts most students to chat in English automatically. Fourth, the increase in vocabulary range, active and flexible Web-based learning, broadening of horizons, learning holistically, and animated pictures help to motivate students to learn at an individual pace and in high spirits. All of these make Web-based learning a motivation enhancer.

3 Fifth, in the process of Web-based learning, some participants tried to use online 75 translators in the sites, such as Yahoo Translator at /language/, Babel Fish Translation at and Dictionary.com at without the knowledge of this researcher, getting the meaning of the assigned Web-based materials. This is what Bickel and Truscello (1996) pointed out, our students will guide us to new ways of facilitating their own discoveries (p. 19). This showed that they participated actively enough to survive this reading activity; they even later made comments on different online translators. In finding the meaning of a text, the traditional teaching by using paper dictionaries is less effective than the teaching by using online dictionaries. In short, vocational high school students were still teachable during the research process. Finally, Web-based reading tasks that attract students interest, cater to their needs, suit their level, or help improve their reading skills are fit to be supplementary materials for EFL vocational high school students. In addition, as shown in Table 4-7, these Web-based tasks are more suitable for high-proficiency level students than for low-proficiency level students although all participants of the three proficiency levels scored higher on their TVHSGEPT post-test. It is apparent that low-proficiency level students showed no evidence of significant progress in the present study, because less than four-month learning period was not long enough for them to improve their reading ability. In conclusion, all the Web-based reading tasks in this research are suitable to be used as reading tasks for vocational high school students, and these tasks can also be incorporated into regular courses as shown in Table Pedagogical Implications Based on the findings presented in the preceding chapter, this research offers some pedagogical implications for teaching reading in vocational high school in Taiwan. The

4 present research examines the effects of Web-based reading materials on EFL vocational 76 senior high school students. After a careful review of the Web-based reading tasks, this researcher selected tasks which would not only interest the participants but also be helpful in enhancing their English reading comprehension. In this research, most of the participants were highly motivated (See Note 5), browsing the Net for reading materials and asking the researcher for more websites in order to broaden their horizons. In this way, their confidence apparently built up day by day with the easy Web-based reading tasks, especially for the low-achievers. With an online English-Chinese dictionary, they no longer felt like giving up on English as they did before. They could read easy English without others help; thus, they regained their confidence. Moreover, the WebQuest homework (See Appendix D-2, 3, 4) showed that students in vocational high school have higher potential to study than we teachers thought before. Consequently, the use of WebQuest is not a mission impossible. Instead, our students would say, Impossible? No, I m possible! (from a TV car commercial) In addition, student-faculty and student-student interactions in and out of the computer class are like communication on MSN; the mellow atmosphere makes teaching and learning a novel and exciting experience. In their computer class, students have more freedom than in a traditional class to learn at their own English level and pace. The more relaxed they feel, the better the learning atmosphere and the better the interaction they have with others. This phenomenon can be well supported by the computer lab observation that all the participants were in high spirits sitting in front of their computers. The fact that Web-based reading tasks facilitate students learning suggests that using these tasks could be one of the teaching reading-strategies for all vocational senior high school English teachers of English. Before starting a similar online reading program, however, certain guidelines should be taken into careful consideration.

5 5.2.1 Guidelines for Selecting and Designing Web-Based Reading Tasks 77 In the first place, one of the fundamental considerations when deciding to incorporate Web-based reading tasks into a course is whether the use of these tasks is worth the effort. To answer this and other questions, an instructor must rely upon past experience and in-class students responses from a pilot study. Second, in choosing Web-based tasks, instructors should keep in mind the level of difficulty of the tasks their students are able to cope with because different classes have their own needs, interests, genders, and abilities. Third, the selection should take into account students life experience and youth culture, giving students a sense of fulfillment in English learning. Fourth, some of the websites articles such as daily mystery stories, interesting, helpful, but posted only for a very short period of time are not suitable reading materials. Another choice is asking students to seek and recommend some suitable websites for English learning. From this pilot study, one participant found a much better vocabulary competition site ( exam/game.htm) than the one this researcher provided. Fifth, some of the English learning games are excellent; despite this, they should serve as only part of the vocabulary or grammar practice games. Instructors who are interested in Web games should give careful consideration to include overall vocabulary in different fields and scopes of grammar. Finally, whenever selecting Web-based reading materials, instructors should think carefully as to why they should be used and learned on the Web rather than printed out on hard copies taught in the traditional classroom. Yang (2005) asserted that reading via computer screen is approximately 24.8% slower than reading on the medium of paper. Yang s assertion is similar to this researcher s finding on high-proficiency students reading speed from feedback questionnaire. This is food for thought whether to use screen reading or

6 paper reading Guidelines for Using Web-Based Reading Tasks Engaging students in an online environment is an effective learning pedagogic tool for overcoming the passive environment of traditional classroom teaching. Still, traditional classroom teaching has certain advantages. For those who are interested in conducting similar research on using Web-based tasks as reading supplements, the following guidelines are suggested. Beginning from an Online Dictionary Beginning from the easiest step is a sure way to make the reading program steady. The easiest step is the use of online dictionary. The online English-Chinese dictionary offers clear pronunciation, definitions, and examples. By holding vocabulary competitions, teachers can energize their students to become familiar with such a dictionary. Some instructors may argue that dictionaries are only tools. However, for low-level students who know only 26 letters but still need to keep up with their peers, online dictionaries provide them a good chance to make up the time they lost and catch up with their peers. Thus, online dictionaries are helpful, and learning how to use them should be the first priority. Without enough basic vocabulary, reading is impossible. In addition to vocabulary, sentence examples under each entry in online dictionaries are the basic elements of a paragraph or a complete article, for a paragraph is a combination of a certain number of sentences. Since students familiarize themselves with more words and more sentences and their usage by using these dictionaries, they may understand more about articles.

7 Boosting Students Confidence in Reading Via Web-Based Tasks 79 As is often the case, students in vocational high school were inferior performers in their junior high school years. They lagged behind their brilliant or hard-working peers. This lack of confidence in learning made them fall into a vicious cycle. More encouragement from their teachers and more animated pictures from the Net may help them regain their confidence and arouse their interest. Besides, some lower-achievers with good computer skills were better motivated to learn in a computer lab than in a traditional classroom. They feel more at home sitting in front of a computer. Moreover, easier and more interesting Web-based reading task materials of their own choice will increase students satisfaction. Given chances to discuss materials with their peers, they will build confidence since everybody has the same chance to contribute his or her ideas. While helping students build confidence, an instructor should bear in mind to be extremely patient, devoted, and encouraging. In doing so, students will be relaxed and find that reading Web-based materials is fun, encouraging them to be willing participants. Engaging Students Via Web-Based Tasks After students have learned the use of an online dictionary and have confidence in reading easier and more interesting articles such as children s reading materials, WebQuest and Web conferencing come at the right time to integrate what they have previously learned while eliciting student-student and student-teacher cooperation and interaction in English. This step-by-step reading training is crucial to this reading program. WebQuest encourages students to participate in group learning. Peers encouragement has a positive effect during the learning process. In this process, peers help each other by taking part in the whole task. While finding information and discussing the results, students take it upon themselves to fulfill the whole task. Since students are empowered with the necessary technical skills and abilities to

8 access the instructional Web conferencing, an instructor needs to pick up a current topic in 80 the news or a topic the same as or similar to the one being currently covered in their textbook. While conferencing, an instructor peppers them with new words or expressions to help students become independent in finding the meaning from the context. At the very beginning of Web conferencing, an instructor s role is to teach discipline, in order to make students responsible and self-supporting in the use of the technology. The second step here is to ensure that students participate in instructional Web conferencing. If they are to make the effort to learn the technology and be enthusiastic about its learning potential, they will attend instructional Web conferencing willingly (Note 5). While conferencing, an instructor can foster greater participation and learning outcomes by providing topics that build upon student interests. Topics, when appropriate, should allow students to call upon life experiences and personal interests. To make the topics more appealing to students, it is suitable to allow students input in determining some of the topics, as long as those chosen meet the reading objectives. It is recommended that instructors keep topics focused on their life experiences, needs, and interests. As such, instructors should embrace flexibility in choosing topics. Supervising Students Closely While in the Computer Classroom Vocational high school students do not usually focus deeply on what they are learning. However, computer classroom learning is the exception. Though they look energetic in front of the computer, they may not be doing what the teacher assigns them to do. Repetitively checking their screens should be done for fear of their using or playing computer games. Instructor s Role in Using Web-Based Tasks An instructor acts as a facilitator who screens myriad websites to find appropriate ones for students. The time spent in screening is worth the effort. In addition, an instructor should

9 ask the following questions when considering the use of certain Web-based reading tasks: 81 How much value do I place on the materials I select for my students? Will the tasks I select achieve the reading objective? Will the tasks interest students? How much time do I want students to spend on it? How does the motivation factor play into the assignment? Incorporating Web-based tasks in a regular course requires as much careful planning and consideration as employing any instructional strategy. Care must be taken to create realistic learning objectives for the reading activities along with consideration of the student involvement necessary to meet these objectives. Furthermore, an instructor will need to develop effective assessment methods to evaluate a student s performance and knowledge integration. 5.3 Limitations The present research has made a pioneer start of using Web-based reading tasks at the vocational high school level in the Taipei City area. Although it has produced positive results, there are still certain limitations in the process of the research that need to be discussed here. First, the pool involved in this research included only 17 participants, which is relatively small and the time allotted for this research was less than four months, which is not long enough to collect longitudinal data. Second, all of the participants just passed their entrance exam, the Basic Competence Test for Junior High Students. The low effort made from procrastination and laxity is a variable that cannot be easily measured or quantified in this research. Finally, the Web-based reading tasks cover more categories such as , blog, wiki, audio-conferencing, MOOs, forums (Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums at student/viewtopic.php?t=10695), and other tasks concerning basic reading training. This researcher dismissed including such reading tasks for fear of the

10 82 ineffectiveness and inefficiency in teaching them online because of the participants English level. 5.4 Suggestions for Further Research In this study, only four Web-based reading tasks were used. For further studies, first, the Web-based task materials chosen should include some easier assignments, such as basic reading in English Class Online at Second, due to time constraints and financial concerns, it is of great regret that the researcher did not use authoring software. For those who wish to conduct similar studies, it is suggested that instructors make good use of authorizing software or cooperate with school computer technicians in school to design tailor-made software programs tailored to their students. The vocabulary competition used in this pilot study is one typical example. Such tailor-made programs are encouraged and financially supported as research projects by the Taipei City Government starting from the year Furthermore, the presently used software IWILL and MOODLE (See Note 5) are also good sources for conducting the research related to Web-based tasks. Those who want to use free Web-based materials could consult some of the good EFL websites listed in Appendix J; some other useful websites for vocational high school students are highlighted as also recommended (See Appendix J). Web-based learning materials are very much in flux; however, there will be no lack of new and innovative materials in the future. This research also suggests that in addition to the regular class teaching, English Web-based reading tasks can be assigned as outside reading or take-home tasks such as WebQuest. Instructors can assign Web-based materials to cover more topics related to their daily lives, enabling students to accept Web-based learning as a self-study activity. Moreover, instructors can hold intra-class Web-reading competitions. This will provide opportunities for students to learn more by surfing on the Net for useful materials both to learn English and to

11 broaden their horizons. 83 To conclude, this research made a small contribution to the techniques used in language learning, successfully incorporating Web-based reading tasks into regular courses (four regular hours and one Web-learning hour per week), which was also proved by Lin (2005) (See Note 6). Though the low-achievers made no great improvement, they accepted Web-based learning. One of them even marked his English preference from the original one to three on the five-point scale. Some participants couldn t wait for instructional Web conferencing to begin (See Note 7). Some even went to the conference room by themselves chatting in English at the very beginning of this experiment. This is learner autonomy in the making, the final goal of the researcher. The most important factor behind the success of this research is not the sole use of Web-based reading tasks. To great extent, it is the hand of the instructor that successfully manipulates the whole process of teaching. It counts much how the instructor plans, supervises, evaluates, revises ways of teaching, and motivates students. She should also take credit for her constant perseverance, endless love, inexhaustible patience, and devotion.