A Context-aware Ubiquitous Language Learning APP Designed for Green Building English Learning Purposes: Investigating Correlations between Learner Perceptions and Receptive Skills

• Main Authors: Hong-YouWang, 王虹又
• Other Authors: Gi-Zen Liu
• Format: Others
• Language: en_US
• Published: 2016
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/c6xh3b

碩士 === 國立成功大學 === 外國語文學系 === 104 === Context-aware ubiquitous language learning (CAULL), which is an emerging e-learning field, enables students to learn the target language anytime and anywhere with the help of sensors and QR codes using mobile applications. In this study, the Green Building English Learning APP (GBELA) is designed and proposed to develop students’ English listening and reading comprehension skills using smartphones in a green building context. The current study aims at investigating the effects of perceived usability, usefulness, learner attitude, learner behavior, CAULL self-efficacy, and contextual factors on high-achievement (HA) and low-achievement (LA) groups. For this purpose, 40 university participants were recruited to utilize GBELA at the Magical School of Green Technology in Taiwan. Mixed research methods were conducted via pre-and-post tests, questionnaires, and semi-structured interviews focused on green building English receptive skills. Results display that learners’ listening and reading abilities improved dramatically. Moreover, significant differences existed among HA and LA learners in terms of attitudes, behavior patterns, and self-efficacy factors. According to Lin and Tsai’s (2016) framework, this study divided high and low achievers based on mean = 53.72. 1. Major research findings indicate how and why the LA group cared more about perceived usability and smartphone self-efficacy as well as contextual difficulty, while the HA group cared more about perceived usefulness and language learning self-efficacy in Green Building-based English (GBbE). First, the current study discusses LA students showed positive attitudes as the system was easy to use and they performed better when English learning materials were designed with authentic conversations. This is in line with Hung, Yang, Fang, Hwang, and Chen (2014) that context-aware videos can enhance low achievers’ smartphone self-efficacy and increase active behaviors in CAULL. Consequently, low achievers aim at enhancing receptive skills for real-life communicative purposes. 2. Second, HA students showed positive attitudes regarding perceived usefulness and GBbE language learning self-efficacy; thus they were concerned whether the u-learning system can enhance their English listening and reading comprehension abilities. As a result, they aim at developing their receptive proficiency for academic purposes. 3. Third, human-computer interaction (HCI) in mobile language learning affects self-efficacy (Bandura, 1993; Lai ＆ Hwang, 2016) and learning behaviors (Azar ＆ Nasiri, 2014), and therefore can have an impact on receptive achievements (Barrett ＆ Liu, 2016; Carle, Jaffee, ＆ Miller, 2009). This study argued that LA learners could advance their attitudes and behaviors to high-achievement with GBELA. Significant findings in post-test revealed some LA learners outperformed the HA group in green building receptive abilities. The analysis indicated that these low achievers showed more risk-taking behaviors and utilized the English dictionary as well as audio-visual materials with high frequency. This is consistent with Vanlaar et al. (2016) that LA learners needed visual scaffolding and highlighted key words to compensate their lack of background knowledge in green building topics. As for HA learners, they considered videos and audio-scripts were highly useful for occupational purposes, such as working as a tour guide (Wach, Karbach, Ruffing, Brünken, ＆ Spinath, 2016), and they frequently practiced lesson quizzes as they liked to be informed of corrective feedbacks. 4. Finally, this study concludes with a discussion of the significant correlations among GBbE receptive achievements, learner attitudes, self-efficacy and learner behaviors factors. To sum up, the present findings reveal that content usefulness and GBbE self-efficacy fostered high achievers’ receptive proficiency for their academic language learning purposes; function usability and smartphone self-efficacy facilitated low achievers’ receptive skills for real-life communicative purposes. Based on the findings, the major contributions are concluded for language teachers, tour guides, users, designers, and system developers. For language teachers, it is worth integrating HCI principles to encourage learners’ interaction with context-aware technology as usability and usefulness of GBELA are highly perceived. Moreover, besides online feedback from the mobile APP, both HA and LA students mentioned the necessity of receiving corrective facilitations from English teachers. Thus, future EFL instructors are suggested to get involve in u-learning contexts (Lai ＆ Hwang, 2016). For guides in tourism industry, they are expected to broaden green building knowledge by making good use of GBbE materials and the GBELA system. For EFL users and material designers, audio-visual materials combining native speakers’ conversations can raise learner attitudes and receptive achievements. Both HA and LA students expressed their positive opinions for learning useful sentences by watching the videos using a smartphone. Furthermore, low achievers were fond of using the English dictionary to check new vocabularies. Consequently, some LA learners exceeded HA learners after using GBELA as their risk-taking behaviors and positive self-efficacy were triggered. As for system developers, they are suggested to be aware of the stability of u-learning systems, so users’ learning motivation can be sustained. To sum up, the designing phases and instructional approach in this study may provide an appropriate model for EFL teachers, tour guides, users, future material designers and system developers for green building English learning purposes.