Article Review ( 10%)

THIS is the article

Title: The development and evaluation of a web-based college English outside reading system for EFL Freshmen

Author: Ching-Ying Pan, Institute of Education, Tzu Chi University and Pei-Ching Huang, Tai Pei Country Hai-San High School

Journal: The JALT CALL Journal, Volume 5, December 2009

OVERVIEW

Reading is considered as one of the most elements in language learning. In Taiwan, where English Language is taught as a foreign language, there is a need and high demand for the students to excel in their reading skill. For colleges as well as other students, instead of just learning how to read well using the old traditional method, there is also a need for new style of teaching reading for the language learner. Web-based reading has been created in order to attract more people to read and many parties has created many websites that includes various types of reading text such as stories, cartoons, diagrams and etc.

SUMMARY

1) Aims of the research

The main purpose of this study was to design web-based English outside reading learning system for college students to study English reading outside the classroom by themselves. This study is also aimed at exploring web-based learning system’s effect on students by comparing it with the reading of traditional printed material. This study is also aimed at investigating the effect of WBEOR learning system on user’s English reading comprehension, motivation and satisfaction.

2) Methodology of the research

Researchers conducted the study for freshmen English reading courses at a university in Taiwan. This study is an experimental study where it applies the pretest-posttest group design. Researchers use WBEOR (web-based English outside reading) learning system for this study and used a t-test to check the results of the student’s University Entrance English Exam and English learning motivation scale.

3) The subject/ sample

There are 166 participants for this study which are Taiwanese university students who took English Reading courses. One group, consist of 79 students called the control group will use traditional outside reading method while another group called experimental group is required to access WBEOR for their study. Both group had the same learning material, schedule and tests and all of them is required to complete their assignments. Control group will fully-use traditional method whereby experimental group will use web-based application throughout the research.

4) Findings of the research

Researchers are focusing on the experimental group for this study. Result shows that experimental group achieved significantly higher scores than the control group on the nine unit reading comprehension as well as quizzes, two midterms and one final examination. For both factor investigated in this study which are motivation and learning satisfaction, experimental group shows higher attainment compared to the control group. It can be concluded that students who adopted web-based learning method had better reading comprehension than students who use paper materials. The result provided positive evidence to support the hypotheses that WBEOR had positive effects on student’s English reading comprehension.

REFLECTION


On my first glance towards the title of this article/research, I have the intuition that this is an interesting study to be explored. To be honest, even though I have been using technology in my teaching process and designing lesson plans, this is the first time I get to know the term “web-based reading”. What is really interesting about this research is that it is conducted in Taiwan which is a country in the expanding circles of Braj Kachru’s circle of World English whereby English is taught as a foreign language. It really triggers me to know the effects of web-based reading and this study on language learners who are not the first or second language learners of English Language. Another factor attracting me to explore this study is that the study is conducted on young adult language learner, not children where I would like to discover how the result and findings of this study may vary.
My opinion is that this study is well conducted because researchers even use two groups which use two different materials and as a result, the researchers have been able to show a discrepancy of reading comprehension ability between the two groups in an obvious, positive and authentic way. I would say this research is well-conducted is also because it involves quite a large sample/participants which are more than 100 participants. However, the finding and result of this study cannot be generalized to the first and second language learner of English which concerns the people in countries like United States, Australia and Malaysia.

Web-based materials usually offer large amounts of authentic materials. This is a great opportunity for the language learner to learn language in an authentic, meaningful way. In general, web-based reading instruction will be an important factor and assistance in enhancing the reading ability of English Language learner. Web-based reading system and materials will be a great shift in our attempt to foster reading habit in our Malaysian children who did not really like to read before because of reading materials such as books, magazines and newspapers are perceived as dry and boring by the children. In our country, number of children who are computer-literate is increasing from time to time and the use of web-based reading and materials is a good initiative and strategy in encouraging the children to read. This will be a good assistance for the reading and literacy programme for the children that have been launched by our government a few years back. As a future teacher, if the school that I will be posted to have all the resources and facilities needed; I will use web-based reading materials and system in my teaching process.