CHAPTER 3 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
3.3 Research Instruments
國
立 政 治 大 學
‧
N a tio na
l C h engchi U ni ve rs it y
32
their learning styles. Among thirty-nine participants, twenty-two of them were identify as FI learners and seventeen of them were identified as FD learners. In addition, there were eleven FI learners and seven FD learners in the experimental group, and eleven FI learners and ten FD learners in the control group. Participants of
both groups are shown in Table 3.1.
Table 3.1 Participants of the experimental group and control group
Groups Number FI FD
VALRM 18 11 7
SDLRM 21 11 10
Total 39 22 17
During the instructional experiment, both groups listened to the same listening text but reviewed it by using different listening review mechanisms. The study used the independent-samples t-test to confirm there were no significant differences between prior English proficiency of both groups according to their semester English scores.
3.3 Research Instruments
3.3.1 Video-Annotated Listening Review Mechanism (VALRM)
The VALRM is an online computer program which needs to be executed with the Google Chrome browser. It can capture videos from Youtube and play them on its own platform. The VALRM is chosen as the research instrument in this study because
‧ 國
立 政 治 大 學
‧
N a tio na
l C h engchi U ni ve rs it y
33
it can support an individualized learning for learners with different achievement levels.
When learners watch videos through the VALRM, they can mark the sections they do not understand at any time and review them immediately or later.
The user interfaces and main functions of the VALRM are detailed as follows.
3.3.1.1 Function Setting
As revealed in Figure 3.2, the employed VALRM allows learners to choose whether to show the video, captions (English subtitle) or Chinese subtitles during English listening practice. After performing the function setting, learners type the Youtube web address into the address bar and press enter. Then click on the “video”
button and start to listen/watch the video.
Figure 3.2 Function setting interface of the VALRM
3.3.1.2 The customized review section
‧ 國
立 政 治 大 學
‧
N a tio na
l C h engchi U ni ve rs it y
34
The customized review section consists of two functions—“play the mark” and
“mark and replay”. These two functions allow learners to replay the marked sections
of the video starting from the previous five seconds, and learners can go back to review these sections again readily without wasting time to recall or look for their confusing parts. Different functions of “play the mark” and “mark and replay” are detailed as follows.
As shown in Figure 3.3, when doing the listening practice, learners can mark any sections they do not comprehend well without pausing the video, and then the marked sections will be put into the customized review column as a list for reviewing purpose. During or after the listening practice, learners can select the marked sections from the list and replay them by clicking on “play the mark”. If learners prefer reviewing the unfamiliar part they mark immediately, they can click on “mark and replay”, and then the marked section will be repeated right away.
‧ 國
立 政 治 大 學
‧
N a tio na
l C h engchi U ni ve rs it y
35
Figure 3.3 Customized review section of the VALRM
3.3.1.3 The caption button
Figure 3.4 shows the caption button which can be switched on or off when needed. The function of the caption button is to capture the captions or subtitles from the back end of Youtube and to show them on the screen. Learners can choose either to hide or display captions or subtitles of the chosen sections before playing the videos.
‧ 國
立 政 治 大 學
‧
N a tio na
l C h engchi U ni ve rs it y
36
Figure 3.4 Caption button of the VALRM
Although both the Voicetube, an interactive English learning website which is
well-known in Taiwan, and the VALRM have the “mark and replay” function, the VALRM further provides learners with the “play the mark” function, which can record learners’ marked sections on a list and be replayed when needed. For learners with different learning strategies, they can have more reviewing ways to choose when using the VALRM. In addition, there are no advertisements on the VALRM platform which may increase learners’ cognitive load when they are doing listening practice.
The comparison of the two listening learning tool is detailed in the table 3.2.
Table 3.2 The comparison of the VALRM and the Voicetube
The VALRM The Voicetube
Mark and replay The marked section will be None
‧
Captions / Subtitles Only the captions / subtitles of the marked sections will be displayed.
All captions / subtitles of the listening text will be displayed.
Advertisement None A few advertisements are on
the website.
3.3.2 Self-Determined Listening Review Mechanism (SDLRM)
The SDLRM in this study refers to Youtube, in which learners practice learning without provided “customized review section” function. Learners using the SDLRM
to review listening have to drag the mouse to click on the portion they want to review from the “play segment” on Youtube by themselves.
3.3.3 Listening Comprehension Tests
Each listening comprehension test consisted of ten multiple choice questions was used to assess the effects of two different mechanisms on participants’ listening comprehension. The comprehension test was assigned to participants of the both groups after they finish practicing the assigned listening text.
‧ 國
立 政 治 大 學
‧
N a tio na
l C h engchi U ni ve rs it y
38
3.3.4 Group Embedded Figure Test (GEFT)
Since different cognitive styles may affect learners’ learning performance on listening comprehension, this study employed GEPT to identify participants’
cognitive styles as FD and FI learners. GEFT is a perceptual test which requires the
subject to find the hidden figure within a more complex figure. The test is to measure a person’s cognitive style. The higher the score is, the more the person is considered
to be FI learners. In contrast, the lower the score is, the more the person is considered to be FD learners. In this study, a Chinese version of GEFT developed by Wu (1987) was employed to measure participants’ cognitive styles to minimize the error of the
study caused by the misunderstanding of the description on the test. According to all participants’ GEFT scores, the participants whose GEFT scores were higher than the
average value were identified as the FI learners, whereas the participants whose GEFT scores were lower than the average value were identified as the FD learners.
3.3.5 Questionnaire Survey
A questionnaire survey was conducted to evaluate the participants’ perspectives
and attitudes toward the usage of the assigned SALRM and SDLRM. The questionnaire survey was conducted on the last day of the experimental treatment after participants completed all of the listening practice. The questionnaire consisted
‧ 國
立 政 治 大 學
‧
N a tio na
l C h engchi U ni ve rs it y
39
of two sections and was detailed as follows.
The first section consisted of eight questions and was to elicit learners’ learning satisfaction. The second section was to evaluate learners’ technology acceptance; it was composed of ten questions and divided into two dimensions: five items for perceived usefulness and six items for perceived ease of use. Both sections were
evaluated by a five-point Likert scale, ranging from “strongly agree” to “strongly disagree.”
3.3.6 Cognitive Load Scale
The cognitive load scale was to measure learners’ cognitive load toward using different review mechanisms. The scale consisted of seven questions for two dimensions: five items for mental load and three items for mental effort. The
participants were asked to express their perspectives in a seven-point Likert scale, ranging from “strongly agree” to “strongly disagree.”