Current Projects
Current Projects
Using Mobile Technology to Encourage Student Dialogue in Computer-Mediated Collaborative Writing |
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Principal Investigator Guy Meredith |
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Mobile technology is used extensively for text-based communication in both social and business contexts so the question that needs addressing is: How can it be used to enhance students’ writing skills in an academic context through their engagement in dialogic online experiences? This dialogue can be between their peers and their tutor. This project explores how students can be encouraged to use online dialogue or Computer Mediated Communication (CMC) to communicate with each other and the teacher in order to co-construct a written text. This is a mixed method intervention study with two groups of students in their final year attending a course focusing on a series of four academic writing tasks. Data collection tools include a pre- intervention and post intervention survey, a CMC tool called “Quip”, an analysis of students’ writing, focus group discussions and notes taken by the tutor to record observations and insights. It is hoped that the results will support Vygotsky’s theory of the zone of proximal development and extend this to the role of the tutor as a “more able other”. The implications on teaching practice will be to help redefine the role of the tutor as one who co-constructs the text with the student not one who simply marks it when it is finished. Expected Completion: May 2016 |
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The Impact of Electronic Assessment Tools on the Student Learning Experience |
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Principal Investigator Dr. Alya Arabi |
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The study investigates the use of e-tests for enhancing students’ learning experience. The study is conducted within the General Chemistry II course. While the main purpose of the study is to enhance the students’ learning experience, there are several other advantages to it such as saving paper and ink as there will be no need to print exams. The study will compare the student learning outcomes using prompt feedback as an intervention while they take an exam. The study utilizes a comparative approach to collect quantitative data and a questionnaire to collect qualitative data. The quantitative part of the study involves a score comparison of exams and quizzes. The comparison will be detailed, i.e. the score of individual questions will be compared; and also comprehensive, i.e. scores of the quiz/test overall will be compared. It is expected that this study will help students learn more about their mistakes and perhaps improve their grades. This project will have a positive impact on the teaching and learning within Zayed University and it will support the use of mobile technology in classrooms within ZU Expected Completion: December 2015 |
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Using Formative Assessment in Teaching Mathematics with Mobile Technology in Zayed University |
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Principal Investigator Dr. Fatima Azmi |
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Co-PI Dr. Manisha M. Kankarej |
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Carefully constructed formative assessments provide valuable information about student thinking and learning that can be used to monitor students’ progress. Online formative assessments can help Mathematics teachers consider each student’s learning needs and styles, track individual student achievement and design objective student self-assessments. Formative assessments provide feedback to students, giving them a way to take more responsibility for what they learn and how they learn. As a result students become more responsible and successful learners. In this research we explore some of the available online formative assessment tools in mathematics that can be used with mobile technologies. The data of the study are the activities that we write using the online tools according to the courses we are teaching at Zayed University, and the samples of the work done by the students when they access the online activities on their mobile devices. At the end of the course, we will also conduct a survey to collect students’ attitudes and perceptions towards the use of online formative assessment activities. The study benefits are expected to be great in terms of providing accountability for what students know and are able to do at each stage of the learning process as well as increasing student motivation, engagement and achievement. Expected Completion: June 2015 |
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A cross sectional exploration of bilingual reading automaticity: Towards a standardized digital assessment tool |
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Principal Investigator Justin Thomas |
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Reading automaticity is the ability to rapidly and effortlessly read written words. This develops gradually when learning to read. However, the effort of conscious processing is eventually replaced by an automaticity that is hard to suppress. One technique for assessing reading automaticity is the Stroop task. This involves showing participants words written in different colored inks, and asking them to name the ink color, rather than perform the more automatic task of reading the word. Participants with optimum reading automaticity are much slower at naming ink colors when the ink color and written word are incongruent. For example, when the word “Red” is written in blue ink. The present study employs a specially developed computer application, using the Stroop paradigm to assess reading automaticity in both English and Arabic with millisecond precision. This application will be used to assess English and Arabic reading automaticity, in a cross-sectional study involving two cohorts of students learning English (beginners vs. advanced).The study will provide normative data for both groups in terms of English reading automaticity. This application may prove useful as a simple assessment of second language learning development that could be easily adminstered on a mobile device. |
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Mobile Technology: University Students using the TI-Nspire App to make sense of mathematics |
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Principal Investigator Dr. Jason D. Johnson |
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Co-PI Puja Girdhar |
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The popularity of mobile devices have prompted education reformers to shine the light on these mobile technologies as vehicles suitable for transforming education and learning for the 21st century. Since mobile technology is on the rise, Texas Instruments introduced the TI-Nspire App. The current research proposal is the first, in the UAE, to explore students making sense of mathematics using the Texas Instrument TI-Nspire App. For the proposed research study, the research team will examine four sections of Mathematical Modeling for Business at Zayed University. For the study, each student will be required to download the TI-Nspire App. Data for the research study will be: student completed activities, pre- and post-survey, and pre- and post-questionnaire. All data will be used to answer these research questions: To what extent students are able to make sense of mathematics using the TI-Nspire App? To what extent students view the TI-Nspire App as a useful tool to make sense of mathematics? Finally, data will be investigated using Vavoula and Sharples’s (2009) M3 framework– a 3-tier framework designed to effectively evaluate mobile learning. We expect that students will benefit from TI-Nspire App in enhancing their learning of Mathematics. We hope that as they explore and apply features of this mobile device to solve problems, they will improve their critical thinking skills and their conceptual understanding. These features will also help students to study and understand concepts in graphical ways, which are typically difficult to teach otherwise. This study will have useful implications for the mathematics education community, as no research currently exists examining the TI-Nspire App in the teaching and learning of mathematics. The findings from the proposed research could be a pioneer for other education programs in the UAE and around the world. Expected Completion: January 2016 |
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The Effect of Using Mobile Devices on Students’ Performance in Writing and reading Comprehension |
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Principal Investigator Dr. Marielle Patronis |
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The use of mobile devices in the classroom is growing rapidly at Zayed University; however, there is a lack of comprehensive data, which could begin to show the academic impact of these devices in the classroom. Since spring semester 2011, mLearning technologies have been introduced to instructors and faculty in the Academic Bridge Program and University College at this university. The introduction of these devices provides new opportunities for research on emergent mLearning technology and pedagogy. The purpose of this study is to address the following questions: To what extent does the use of mobile devices aid students with their writing skills? To what extent does the use of mobile devices aid students with their reading comprehension? Is there any evidence of improved writing accuracy whilst using mobile devices (e.g., documented increase in grades)? Is there any evidence of improved reading comprehension whilst using mobile devices (e.g., documented increase in grades)? In addressing these questions, statistical data from students at Zayed University in the University College will be collected. Standardized teacher assessment grades, surveys and semi-structured interview data will be gathered from students who have been using the iPad in the classrooms for a minimum of 2 semesters. The qualitative and quantitative data analysis will be carried out. The findings will be disseminated at regional and international conferences. Expected Completion: June 2015 |
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Classroom talk in iPad and non-iPad mediated classrooms |
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Principal Investigator Dr Marion Engin |
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Co-PI Senem Donanci |
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Classroom talk is a crucial feature of any lesson. It is argued that through the dialogue between teachers and students, as well as amongst students themselves, learning takes place. Dialogic teaching has been extensively studied in a variety of classroom contexts, but this study specifically accounts for the incorporation of technology, specifically iPads, into teaching and learning. This research aims to examine the features of dialogic teaching in an iPad mediated classroom. This is a qualitative study, using data from classroom recording transcripts in the form of teacher and student talk, observation notes, interview data from teachers and students. The participants are teachers and students in EWS, University College, and the Academic Bridge Programme. The analysis will be guided by earlier research into classroom talk, and established frameworks for examining dialogic teaching. We believe that existing definitions and frameworks of dialogic teaching need to be adapted for the changing nature of teaching and learning which incorporate mobile technology, specifically iPads. We also believe that existing frameworks for evaluating dialogic teaching need to account for specific sociocultural and educational contexts. This paper has been published in the Conference Proceedings of the 21st Century Academic Forum which took place at Harvard University, USA in March 2015. Click here to access the paper: http://www.21caf.org/uploads/1/3/5/2/13527682/10_hrd-517-donanci_ed_fmt_logo.pdf Expected Completion: April 2015 |
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Using Mobile Learning and Multi-modal Composition for Prewriting Tasks |
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Principal Investigator Matthew Andrew |
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Prewriting tasks such as brainstorming and outlining can help learners more successfully complete essay assignments. However, students often appear to lack motivation for prewriting tasks, and prefer to write an essay at the last minute without taking the necessary prewriting steps to help their writing become more organized and developed. This project investigates whether student motivation for prewriting composition tasks (brainstorming and outlining), and student perception of the usefulness of prewriting tasks, increases as a result of doing multi-modal compositions (images, audio, video). This project will also examine the role mobile learning plays in student production of multimodal projects and what device they prefer to use to construct their projects—laptops or tablets. The research involves 72 English Composition students taking part in a mixed-method, pre-/post-intervention study which involves: Questionnaires and focus group interviews that measure participant motivation and perceived usefulness of prewriting tasks (pre-intervention); Multimodal prewriting tasks using presentation tools, such as Prezi, and authoring tools, such as iBooks Author (intervention); Questionnaires and focus group interviews that measure participant motivation and perceived usefulness of prewriting tasks following the multimodal project (post-intervention). Preliminary data analysis suggests that there was no significant difference in participants’ perception of the usefulness of prewriting tasks following the multimodal intervention. However, student enjoyment of the prewriting tasks increased as a result of the multi-modal intervention. Students used mobile devices for recording audio and video for their projects. Implications for learning and future research suggest that having students construct projects on mobile learning devices can increase student engagement with writing tasks. Expected Completion: June 2015 |
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Community Service Learning: Successfully Engaging Emirati Business Students |
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Principal Investigator Robyn Albers |
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Co-PI Dr. Bradley Johnson |
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This study will investigate how project-based learning and mobile learning impact the depth of learning of Emirati students studying at Zayed University. Anecdotal evidence shows that projects are more successful when students employ mobile technology, while students’ depth of learning can be impacted by the apps they choose for communication during their projects and the frequency of use of these apps. Participants will be students attending a Business Communication course, within the College of Business. Data will be collected using surveys and focus group discussions where students will be asked to critically evaluate their experience with project-based learning and use of mobile devices. Based on Self-Determination theory (Deci & Ryan, 2010), students participating in this project are expected to develop autonomy because they will be free to choose group members, projects and student activities; and they will enhance their competence of the skills presented in the classroom and then employed in authentic environments. We also expect to see greater student engagement and depth of learning. The findings of this study can be used to create a model for project-based learning that will be shared with members of the Zayed University community. The study will also demonstrate that mobile teaching and learning is achievable when faculty welcome the technological tools/apps that students already use in their everyday lives. Expected Completion: January 2016 |
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Using exploratory talk in a mobile learning enhanced academic writing course |
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Principal Investigator Senem Donanci |
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The aim of this project is to explore the possibilities that ‘exploratory talk’ (Mercer, 1995) has to offer in order for students to enhance their language skills for developing oral arguments for reasoning, justifying, challenging and asking questions. By the end of the study, it is hoped that the students’ oral argumentation skills will have developed significantly. It is also hoped that this research will in effect benefit the students’ development of written arguments pertinent to writing persuasive and argumentative essays. The research will be carried out with four classes, three of which will be treated as the experimental group while the fourth will be treated as the control group. The students will be working with an adaptation of the ground rules and principles of exploratory talk as identified by Mercer (1995, 2000), while they develop oral arguments through discussion type of activities using their mobile-learning device or laptop. This will be a qualitative study employing several techniques; i.e., audio recordings, transcriptions of the recordings, and interviews with students. The transcripts will be analyzed by looking at the use of language produced by the students while they interact with one another during collaborative tasks. The interview notes will be analyzed for the students’ perception of how they are progressing. Finally, the argumentative papers from both the experimental and control group will be analyzed. In addition to the students enhancing their oral and eventually written language for developing arguments, teachers can also benefit from using a similar approach in their classes, hence the improvement in overall student performance and teaching success. The transferable nature of the principles of exploratory teaching is highly applicable to all disciplines as well. Expected Completion: May 2016 |
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Social Media as a Tool for Learning Leadership |
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Principal Investigator Nekeyla Oliver |
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Co-PI Amanda Davis |
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The purpose of the study is to examine the effectiveness of using social media networks as tools to promote leadership among the female students at Zayed University through informal mentoring. For the project, four separate COL 105 classes (career exploration course taught by advisors) will be assigned to use different social media networks (i.e., Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube, blogs) to follow a woman that they consider to be a leader and complete weekly activities to demonstrate what (if any) information they have obtained. The students who have volunteered to participate in the study will be assessed about their knowledge of leadership prior to the start of the study and at the end. They will be given a pre- and post-test and then interviewed for more in-depth information regarding what they have learned. The aim is to determine to what extent the use of social media networks can be used as effective means of incorporating and promoting learning outcomes, such as leadership, for the university. Expected Completion: June 2015 |
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Influences of Instructor Practices on Student Use of Mobile Learning in the Language Classroom |
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Principal Investigator Tara Waller |
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It is sometimes heard amongst faculty of language teaching that they like to teach a particular skill over another. This may affect the way in which they teach that skill in the classroom. With the integration of mobile devices in modern society, we also have our own particular ways of using these devices. For example, an instructor may not like to read for pleasure on a mobile device herself. Then, she may not see the value or have the pedagogical knowledge of using the mobile device when teaching reading in the classroom. However, to best prepare students for the changing learning environment, all practices are important to explore. Therefore, the investigator proposes to research the following question: What are faculty practices in teaching language using mobile devices in the classroom and how do these practices influence student use of mobile devices both for learning within the language-learning environment and in their personal lives? It is hypothesized that instructor beliefs on the efficacy of mobile learning along with his/her knowledge of pedagogical practices using mobile devices have significant influence on student perceptions of learning with these devices, especially in the language-learning classroom. Data will be collected from the faculty participants as well as the students both pre- and post-intervention. Intervention will be a series of workshops that promote changes to pedagogical practices so that a purposeful attitude will evolve in using mobile devices. Upon completion, the investigator will disseminate the findings via local and international conferences as well as journal articles. Expected Completion: April 2015 |
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Mobile learning, learning outcomes and assessment: Business communication |
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Principal Investigator Catherine Nickerson |
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Co-Pi Valerie Priscilla Goby |
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Co-PI Chrysi Rapanta |
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The research project will build on existing research in the College of Business relating to i) assessment and accreditation within the framework ii) mobile learning and its impact on business communication pedagogy. One part of the project will rely on Blackboard as the electronic platform to administer the test, and the second part of the project will use the Schoology App to allow students to generate materials and communicate with other students in their section to provide peer review. Part One of the project will use traditional educational technology as a data-gathering tool. Part Two will explore ways to use mobile technology to enhance teaching practice, it will involve student-centered use of mobile technology and learning, and it will use mobile technology to enhance group collaborative projects. The project will take place over a twelve-month period. The first six months will consist of the data-gathering phase in the Spring semester of 2015. The second six months will allow us to analyse the data collected in Parts One and Two, and then report back in the form of conference presentations and journal publications. Expected Completion: Fall 2015 |
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Addressing Free Riders in Collaborative Course Projects in Higher Education in the UAE |
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Principal Investigator Dr. Suzanna El Massah |
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The study will investigate and observe student collaboration behavior in group-work, in order to address the phenomenon of free riding (unfair/uneven exerted academic effort) among university students. Additionally, it will explore students' perception of the free riding, existence, reasons, and consequences, and how it should be combated as the students are always at the core of free riding either as culprits or victims. The research will be applied in three classes (75 students) of senior finance students, studying Islamic Finance and Banking at Zayed University. Students will be divided into team groups of six. Data will be collected from several sources over the 10-week study: 2 questionnaires, a mobile learning application (Quip/Google Docs), students’ reflection reports, and instructor’s reflection reports using Conflict & Management profiles and Simple Multiple level Observation Techniques (SMOT). The study is expected provide evidence of the extent of free riding existence and how it affects student learning; students’ perception of free riding; the role of mobile learning applications to address free riders in collaborative work; and the role of the instructor to eliminate the free riding behavior, if discovered. The study also attempts to answer other questions such as: To what extent do students differ in their perception of collaborative learning? What are the reasons for free riding occurrence? Do students report free riders? Why not? The findings will provide a good platform for examining and evaluating university students’ collaboration. Expected Completion: May 2016 |
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Business Education in a Second Language Environment (SLE): Using Mobile Devices to Enhance Learning |
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Principal Investigator Nora Alaniz-Bouqayes Instructor |
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Co-PI Dr. Jagadish Dandu |
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This study examines the effectiveness of intelligent online learning and assessment software in introductory business courses in a university environment where students are learning topics in a second language, i.e., a Second Language Environment (SLE). Students in the study (control group and experimental group) will take exactly the same course, which is a requirement for all business majors and is usually one of the first courses in business taken by students. Both groups will be taught by the same professor. The control group will be taught in the traditional lecture format, with the regular printed book with no added software. The experimental group will be taught the same course with added computer-based components (eLearning). A survey will be used at the end of the course to assess student satisfaction and performance using the two modes of teaching and learning. We expect significant student satisfaction with using the eLearning system and improved performance in the course. This research study is important because it aims to provide evidence about using a readily available software tool with mobile devices in a university setting with second language learners to better enhance learning. Expected Completion: May 2016 |
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Using Mobile and Web 2.0 Technology to Enhance Discipline Specific and Academic Vocabulary Acquisition |
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Principal Investigator Kirk Dowswell |
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Most students find it difficult to fully comprehend the academic reading material because they lack the requisite vocabulary knowledge. This study will evaluate the use of mobile and Web 2.0 technology as vocabulary learning tools, through the use of the following interventions: a discipline specific corpus created with the SketchEngine application; a course specific wiki developed to promote student interaction and collaboration; and the Memrise application to aid retention. Approximately 20-30 male and female university students with Arabic as their first language majoring in Information Technology will participate in the study. The study will utilize a pre-/post-test design in order to assess student vocabulary level and students’ knowledge of discipline specific vocabulary. The intervention part of the study will take place over a period of twelve weeks. For each new topic covered in the course, students will select unknown vocabulary from the list of KWIC words highlighted in the corpus or select their own vocabulary from class readings. They will then work in groups and update the course dictionary using the wiki template. Students will have the opportunity to edit the wiki entries as they see fit. The lexis will also be transferred to the Memrise mobile learning application, thus allowing the students the opportunity to review the vocabulary anywhere anytime. Students will complete six short vocabulary quizzes. Finally, students will be invited to complete a questionnaire that will assess their perceptions on the use of Web 2.0 learning tools. This study will highlight the value of using discipline specific corpora in the classroom and help evaluate the potential of mobile applications as free vocabulary-learning tools that can be used across multiple platforms. Expected Completion: May 2016 |
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Flipped Classrooms in English Language and Learning |
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Principal Investigator Pinar Ozdemir-Ayber |
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Co-PI Zeina Hojeij |
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This research project focuses on the effectiveness of flipped classrooms. There is a need for more research studies on the practices, opportunities and quality of instruction in flipped classrooms, and on the role of the teaching faculty as well as the learners in these types of classes. Based on Bloom’s revised taxonomy (2001), the flipped classroom model allows students to do the lower levels of cognitive work (gaining knowledge and comprehension) prior to class, and to focus on the higher forms of cognitive work (application, analysis, synthesis, and/or evaluation) during class, where they have the support of their peers and the instructor. The research design involves two parts. Part one comprises of producing videos inserted in iBooks, each focusing on a certain aspect of the grammar curriculum objectives of ABP intermediate classes. These iBooks will be disseminated to students as assignments prior to actual class time. Part two is the actual implementation of the classes. One class will have flipped instruction for the first half of the term, while the other will follow traditional instruction. In the second half of the term the process will be switched. This will give each class equal learning opportunities. Having watched the videos and taken notes, once the students come to class they will be allowed to do the widgets and further semi-controlled practice. As such, language production will take place during actual class time. The data collection process will include: the results of the grammar activities that are prepared using widgets; the test scores from both models of instruction for comparison; instructors’ journals and classroom observations; a survey on student preferences and experience conducted at the end of the course. Expected Completion: May 2015 |
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Using MALL to best suit Emirati university students’ vocabulary learning preferences |
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Principal Investigator Sarah Hopkyns, MA |
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Co-PI Timothy Nicoll, MA |
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This study aims to determine ABP students’ preferences for learning vocabulary, and how mobile-assisted language learning (MALL) can be used to best suit these preferences. There are three phases to the study. Phase 1 includes collecting data on participants’ (120 ABP students) learning preference/style through questionnaires and focus groups. Phase 2 involves analyzing the data and investigating appropriate apps and websites that can be used to match the most popular learning styles. The apps will then be introduced to the students via their teachers and used for vocabulary learning for a four-week period. Phase 3 involves giving the participants a second questionnaire and focus group sessions asking for their opinions on the vocabulary apps used. We will also test the effectiveness of the apps by comparing institutional test results with test results from the group involved in the study. Given the results of a pre-pilot study we conducted, as part of the SoTL course, which showed a marked preference amongst the students surveyed for kinesthetic and visual learning, we would expect the rest of the study to bear out these initial findings. This study has significant implications for the teaching of vocabulary to Emirati students. It may suggest that many of the current resources could be optimized by including more of a kinesthetic and visual element though the medium of MALL. Expected Completion: December 2015 |
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ELC: English Language Concepts Mobile Learning Tool |
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Principal Investigator Dr Gwen Bouvier |
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Co-PI
Professor Elsayed Darwish |
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This study is part of the larger and ongoing CEI Mobile Learning Research Project and seeks to support that study’s first phase (Language Tool Development). The benefits of undertaking this project are twofold. Firstly, this tool can be used to identify areas of missing knowledge in language and critical understanding. It allows ZU faculty to measure such issues and monitor them for specific courses and student groups, which can then lead to improved teaching. Secondly, this tool advances the students’ understanding of concepts through readily used technology. It promotes collaboration among students and interaction centred on course content. As such, students can learn collaboratively, anytime, and in specific response to their needs on a particular course. The ELC tool consists of a student-generated online compendium of course-specific vocabulary. It allows users to add and share concepts and notions that they do not understand, and add explanations in English and/or Arabic. The online ‘list’ is moderated by the course instructor and supported by an Arabic language specialist in order to ensure the quality of the contributions. Following the development and implementation (piloting) stages of the project, the uptake of the tool (how many students used it) will be looked at, based on user figures. In addition, students will be asked to evaluate their use of the tool. An in-class survey will be used assessing frequency of use, user-friendliness, technological issues, user context issues (classroom use and beyond), and whether it was helpful to have the tool overall. It is hoped that these technology-enhanced learning environments will aid language learning by having students help each other understand complex notions and the core concepts of a specific course. In addition, this tool can serve to collect data for gauging the level of language and knowledge students possess at different stages of their university careers. Expected Completion: Fall 2015 |
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The Effect of the Flipped Classroom Model on Student Academic Performance |
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Principal Investigator Nadera Baig |
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Co-PI Fariba Shaikh |
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A challenge many educators face in a lecture-based traditional classroom is that the majority of their time is occupied with lecturing, leaving minimal time for student interactions. The flipped classroom model is a relatively novel pedagogical approach to teaching and learning. The idea behind this model is to free class time in order to allow instructors to engage students with tasks that encourage skills at the upper end of Bloom’s taxonomy – such as to analyze, evaluate and create. While many studies have been published that use technology to flip classrooms, to the best of our knowledge there is no evidence in the literature of any such study carried out in a science course for ESL learners. This is an intervention study with a control group using a mixed method approach in a science course. It is set in a federal university in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) with primarily female students from the local population. There are 4 units in the Science course. The first two units before the midterm will be flipped. At the end of Unit 1, there is a common class quiz and at the end of Unit 2 there is a comprehensive system wide midterm based on Unit 1 and 2. In the treatment groups, learning objects (digital resources and power point presentations) created by the faculty will be posted on Bb 72 hours prior to class. When students come to class, an open book quiz will be administered. For the rest of the period, the students will solve specific activities in groups. These activities will be aligned with the videos and lesson power points and will focus on the application of concepts in different contexts. Two sets of data will be collected: assessments and student feedback. The students’ performance on the assessments will be compared between the treatment group and the control group. At the end of the semester, a student survey will also be administered. It is hoped that student-teacher interactions will increase, there will be more in-class time to address students’ difficulties with content therefore resulting in improved academic performance in students. Expected Completion: May 2016 |
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Capitalizing on Mobile Devices to Improve EFL Students' performance in Grammar using Flipped Learning |
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Principal Investigator Aicha Rochdi, PhD |
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Co-PI Jenny Eppard, PhD |
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Co-PI Preeya Reddy, MA |
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Co-PI Ida Dolci, MA |
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Co-PI Richard Johns, MA |
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Flipped learning, in its modern form, is when students watch lectures or view PowerPoint presentations at home instead of during class time. Subsequently, in class, students complete assignments while the instructor monitors their work. The goal of our study is to investigate the effect of flipped classroom in a second language acquisition setting especially to examine if and how it may impact students’ achievements in grammar. There will be approximately forty students and two teachers involved in this study. Students will be placed randomly in the classes. The study will be mixed methods. The quantitative component will follow a cross-over A/B/B/A design using a repeated measure ANOVA and the administration of a survey to determine students’ engagement with home materials that were presented outside of class. The qualitative component will include focus groups, both students and teachers, and teacher journals. The results of this study will help teachers quantify the usefulness of the flipped classroom methodology in the teaching of grammar. Also, this study will demystify the concept of flipped learning in this context and hopefully, make it more sustainable. Also, it would promote the use of contextualized content in teaching and the use materials that are culturally appropriate. Expected Completion: Spring 2016 |
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The Triple Flip: A Self-Editing Approach |
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Principal Investigator Zeina Hojeij |
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Co-PI Zoe Hurley |
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The limitations of teacher driven corrective feedback on student writing have been extensively studied as has research emphasizing the value of student self- editing based on the Noticing Hypothesis. This research investigates how mobile learning and use of a range of apps aid peer and self-editing aid noticing and enhance ownership of the writing process. Flipping corrective feedback becomes a win-win situation for both teachers and learners. The study is in three stages (Three Flips): The research investigates apps that allow teachers to flip the learning environment and provide materials and videos offering careful cues and models to guide students’ peer and self-editing through structure, content and language; The research considers apps that engage students in the peer and self-editing process through features including: annotation, voice commentaries and stickies; The research postulates how apps and mobile learning platforms, such as Edmodo and Schoology, provide authentic publishing platforms, audience and peer discussion forums, and motivate learners to improve their writing. The central issue of the action research is to investigate how students may take a more active role in the assessment of their writing and how the range of apps can function as a dynamic tool to facilitate this. Student experiences are at the center of the project to ensure that the initiative is dialogic and learners’ interpretations are paramount. The participants are female students at Zayed University Dubai who are currently in the Academic Bridge Program in Level 040 as well as students in CCMS. Qualitative research methods will be triangulated to include data collected from unstructured interviews, narrative practices, and survey questions. The expected outcomes of the project are higher student engagement and motivation due to the ubiquitous features of mobile learning, stronger sense of autonomy and control over the academic writing process, and general improvement to the students’ academic writing due to the socially collective practice of peer editing, forum discussions and publication opportunities. This research is highly relevant to academic writing across all levels of the university and will have a significant impact on teaching and learning due to the dual focus on mobile pedagogy and its suitability to Arabic learners in particular. Expected Completion: May 2015 |
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