Plenary talk at Tamsui University (Taiwan)

1. CALL for EFL writing instruction: An
overview of research trends focusing
on blog, forum, and wiki
Terumi Miyazoe, PhD
Tokyo Denki University (TDU)

2. Online writing
Definition:
• Writing activity mediated by the Internet
• (Potentially) bi-directional
• Computer-Mediated (CM) writing
• Digital writing
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3. Chat Wiki
Blog
Forum Web conference
Email
SNS
Text message
Second Life
Tweeter
LMS
Etc.
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4. Synchronous vs. Asynchronous
• Synchronous: at the same time
– Chat
SCMC
• Asynchronous: at different times
– E-mail
– Forum
– Blog ACMC
– Wiki
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5. No reply…
No reply…
No reply…
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6. Time concept in online communication
(MiyazoeSLW 2012 Tamsui 2012)
& Anderson, 6

7. Research trends of online writing
in CALL 2001-2012
• Review of five major CALL international journals
• SCMC for SLA: A Research Synthesis (Sauro, 2011)
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8. CALL research articles 2001-2012
CALICO
40 %
30
20
System 10
CALL
0
ReCALL LL&T
CALICO CALL LL&T ReCALL System Total
Total 286 276 148 214 426 1350
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9. Online writing articles 2001-2011
No. of Articles
150
140
130
120
110
100
90
80 Online writing
70 Writing focused
60
Total
50
40
30
20
10
0
2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011
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10. Writing focused articles 2011-2012
No. of Articles
30
20
Online writing
Writing focused
10
0
2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
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11. Online writing tool use in CALL 2001-2012
wiki
2% 4% 2% email
6% word processor
blog 19%
8% email
chat
forum
forum blog
19% wiki
CM writing tools Cases Chat mobile
Word processor 4 various
40%
Email 37
Chat 77
Forum 36
Blog 15
Wiki 12
Mobile 3
Various 7
Total 191
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12. Research trends of online writing tool use
in CALL 2001-2012
100%
90%
forum
80% various
mobile
70% wiki
facebook
60%
chat tweeter
50% blog wiki
40% blog
forum
30%
chat
20% email
10% word processor
email
0%
2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
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13. “Telecollaboration”
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14. “Telecollaboration”
How Email Where LMS
Chat When Web conference
Forum Second Life
Blog SNS
Wiki
Who NS-NNS What Practice
NNS Culture
Tandem Why EAP
Bilingual tandem ICT
With which country
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15. Online writing research topics
in CALL 2001-2012
Online Writing
community change
Learner Comparative
reactions studies
Intercultural Exploratory
experience report
Interaction Online Course
analysis design
writing
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16. Miyazoe 2003-2005
No. of Articles
30
20
CM writing
Writing focused
10
MA TESOL PhD
0
2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
Interaction in Asynchronous Computer-Mediated Communication (CMC) in an English for Academic
Purposes (EAP) Writing Course for University Students in Japan
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17. Research trends of online writing tool use
in CALL 2001-2012
100%
90%
80% various
mobile
70%
chat facebook
60%
tweeter
50% wiki
40%
blog
forum
30%
chat
20% email
10% word processor
0%
2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
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18. “…there is, as yet, no conclusive evidence that networked
communication actually leads to an improvement in
written products.”
Dr. Ken Hyland, Second Language Writing (2003, p.155)
Dr. Mark Warschauer & Richard Kern, Network-based
Language Teaching: Concepts and Practice (2000)
Dr. Norbert Pachelor (CALL expert in Europe)
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19. A Writing Class in Autumn 2004-2005
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20. School LAN
CMC System for Writing Class Management
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21. Pair Work via Online Writing
Whole Class Activity via Online Writing
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22. Simultaneous Synchronous and Asynchronous Modes
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23. 250
200
Quantity N = 47 (two classes)
150
Sociology 27
Sociology 30
100
Mean
50
0
TOEFL1 TOEFL2
Quality
TOEFL Tests Word Count 3
2.5
2
1.5
TOEFL 1
1
TOEFL 2
TEEP (Test in English for 0.5
Educational Purposes) Attribute 0
Writing Scales (Weir, 1990)
Line Graph Representation of Rater Difference for TOEFL 1&2
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24. Participants
EAP
Sophomores in one university
Class Class Class Total:
A: 23 B: 18 C: 20 61
Tokyo, Japan
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25. Blended Learning Class
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26. Methods
• Survey
Paper-and-pen, final examination day
SPSS
• Interviews
Semi-structured, volunteers
SPSS Text Analytics for Survey
• Text analysis
Forum and blog posts
textalyser
• Consent for analysis and publication
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27. Wiki collaboration
Concept of Wiki-based Collaborative Translation
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28. Preferred online writing activity
Wiki-Blog-Forum
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29. Readability of students’
forum and blog postings
More difficult
Spring
Fall
Gunning-Fog Index for forum
Easier More difficult
Gunning-Fog Index for Blog
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30. Textalyser
http://textalyser.net/
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31. Gunning-Fog Index formula
• Grade Level = 0.4 (ASL + PHW)
where,
ASL = Average Sentence Length (i.e., number of
words divided by the number of sentences)
PHW = Percentage of Hard Words
Retrieved from http://www.readabilityformulas.com/gunning-fog-readability-
formula.php
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32. Readability of students’
forum and blog postings
More difficult
Spring
Fall
Gunning-Fog Index for forum
Easier More difficult
Gunning-Fog Index for Blog
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33. Category networks for
forums, blogs, and wikis
Forum
Blog
Wiki
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34. (Sato,2012 Tamsui
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35. Free web tools
• Email • Moodle
– Gmail
• Chat
– Skype
– MS messenger
• Blog
– Edublogs.org
– Blogger.com
• Forum
– Google Docs
– SNS
• Wiki
– wikispaces.com
(Miyazoe, Daniels, Anderson, 2011)
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36. Guides
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37. Thank you for listening!
For questions/suggestions:
t.miyazoe@mail.dendai.ac.jp
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