Week 2 - Article Review and Summary (Xin Zheng)

Article One

Summary

This research by faculty member of an American university and a Chinese university, the main purpose of the research article is to explore appropriate ways to integrate SL (Second Life) into an EFL (English as Foreign Language) program in China. Also, the research article have answered two questions for target readers, which including:

 a) If Chinese students are ready to use SL as a language learning platform in terms of technology    skills, what are the Chinese students' perception of SL as a language learning platform

 c) what are the Chinese students' perceptions of the EFL program in SL.

The research article took an evaluation research approach to explore the related issue of integrating SL into an EFL program in China. Researchers found that Chinese students were ready to use SL for EFL learning. In another hand, the research article showed through a post-program survey that the EFL Program participants had positive feelings toward SL as a language learning platform and they felt that it was easy to control their character- avatars and easy to navigate around in the SL environment. They all liked the interface and virtual environment of SL and felt interested to communicate with others in SL. The research article also found that the EFL Program participants perceived the EFL program to be generally interesting and positive. Students liked the SL learning environments and communications in SL and quite enjoyed working with their task partners as avatars in SL. However, nothing is perfect, there are also some problems are existed in this research findings. Technical problems reported in the research findings such as, including poor audio quality during the chat (e.g, echoing and interrupted flow of audio sound) and frozen screen. Except technique aspect problem, Class management problem is also identified. In conclusion, from the perspective of technology readiness and participants' interest, all the EFL program participants liked the program and indicated that they would like to have more learning opportunities in SL their future study.

Review

Research Purpose

The purpose of the research is to explore appropriate ways to integrate SL into an EFL program in Chinese universities. There are three facts should reported including Chinese students' perceived technology readiness for using SL, the Chinese students' perceptions of SL as a language learning platform and the EFL Program implemented in SL. 

Methodology

The research took an evaluation research approach to explore related the relevant issues of integrating SL into an EFL program in China. The research was implemented online in SL with participants from both a state university in the USA and a major provincial university in eastern China. This research study used qualitative and quantitative analysis. And data collection methods include pre-program and post-program surveys, interviews and documentation reviews.

Findings

The research article found that Chinese students were ready to use SL for EFL learning. Meanwhile, the research article showed through a post-program survey that the EFL Program participants had positive feelings toward SL as a language learning platform and they felt that it was easy to control their avatars and easy to navigate around in the SL environment. They all liked the interface and virtual environment of SL and felt interested to communicate with others in SL. The research article also found that the EFL Program participants perceived the EFL program to be generally interesting and positive. They liked the SL learning environments and communications in SL. They enjoyed working with their task partners as avatars in SL.

My  Critical Thinking  

I think to integrate SL into an EFL program will be a successful way for Chinese students to learn English. But it is important to tackle technology problems, such as poor audio quality and frozen screen. Sometimes it is hard to find appropriate chatting topic in SL, as students from both sides do not have face-to-face interaction. Also I have thinking that SL is a quite big imagination wide world, to set a class student to a group to management and control for teacher is also a challenge on technique aspect.

Reference 

Charles Xiaoxue Wang, Hongbo Song, Fangli Xia and Qiaoqiao Yan. (2009). Integrating Second Life into an EFL Program: Students' Perspectives. Journal of Educational Technology Development and Exchange , 2(1), 1-16