Impacts of Using ICTs in a Grade 10 ESL Context
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Introduction
This analysis was done on the research article selected from the bank of the essay provided. The research chosen was that which was conducted through the department of Education to establish the impact of using ICT in grade 10 in English as a second language (ESL) context. This analysis focused on the concepts investigated in the research paper in the establishment of the impacts of using ICTs on grade 10 ESL students’ writing skills.
This analysis also focused on the researchers additional questions where it was intended to know how writing for an authentic purpose affects students writing skills and whether students would tend to be more autonomous by asking less questions when using ICTs while writing, rather than when handwriting. These questions were explored within the research to come up with concepts that would be connected to demonstrate the aim of the study. By the study intending to prove how using technology impacts grade 10 ESL students writing and how the use of ICTs and resources such as autocorrect, online dictionaries and blogs affect students writing skills, it is appropriate to conduct the analysis on theoretical framework of the study in order to connect the concepts of the findings within the study to the major issue investigated.
While introducing the study, it is argued that computers are becoming a common element in classroom settings. This thus forms component of the research in establishing the effects such elements have on students in the classroom. In the paper, the formats and rules of conducting a research were followed as the general presentation of the research problem, a preliminary review of the literature as well as the description of the research questions and the definitions of key terms used with be assessed was taken into consideration. There was a clear description of the target group and the methodology employed which serves best this analysis
Principle elements of the research
The study was conducted in a classroom context to determine factors that support the research topic rather than exploring a problem. In the research work, the writer formulates two questions and finally expresses what the research tend to achieve when completed. His questions try to establish (1) the effects of using ICTs on grade 10 English as Second Language (ESL) students’ writing skills and (2) how writing for an authentic purpose impacts students writing skills. The writer goes ahead to establish if students tend to be more autonomous by asking fewer questions when using ICTs when writing, rather than when handwriting. In this work, the writer has no single question or developed hypothesis hence it is only right to explore the work through analyzing theoretical framework rather than the problem statement.
On completing this study, the writer expected to have explored how using technology impacts grade 10 ESL students writing and how the use of Information Communication Technology (ICT) and resources such as autocorrect, online dictionaries and blogs affect writing skills. This aim will be brought to limelight through Analysis of the theoretical framework of the study work. The theoretical framework will be able to explore all the concepts that the researcher studied in the work and connect them to identify the relation with the issues investigated.
In the project, five students were accustomed to using programmed computers to pre-installed features of autocorrect, synonyms and translations. These students were studied for a period of two months. During the process, the study of integrated designs was conducted in order to establish learning methods aimed at improving the students learning. Various techniques were employed to investigate the impact of computers on students learning. There were weekly writing and learning tasks allocated to each of the student’s undertaken weekly using different items and applications. The close monitoring of the students by the teacher was a sign of avoiding loophole during the study and making sure all the conditions of the study were followed to enable the teacher to identify the impact ICTs have on students writing skills and methods.
There were three lessons designed by the researcher with objectives to be met and the criteria to be followed. There were set criteria for evaluating the students in order to establish or rather obtain the different components that would make the research study well-understood. Self-assessments, a questionnaire, checklists as well as note-taking were the methods conducted to obtain the data that were necessary for the researcher to achieve the aim of the study and answer questions. The students were also given opportunities for self-assessment that would eliminate bias of any kind during the analysis and evaluation of the study. It is very evident that the writer could not leave anything to chance in the data collection process which used every method necessary to capture any detail deemed necessary for the study. It can be seen that the researcher distributed the data collection methods as per the lessons as per their importance in every study.
After the collection process using the tools that the researcher explicitly introduced and their roles stated, categorical analysis of data was carried out within established standards. After recording the data on charts, the data was then organized in Microsoft excel. All the data were compiled, organized and stored in different formats. These data were organized into presentation to communicate the results. In his presentation, the aim was to show visualization of the general relationship between concepts to support the study purpose and to answer the research questions.
Theoretical framework or problem statement?
In the work, the dependent variable can be said to be the impact of information and communicative technology on students writing skills with the independent variables being autocorrect, paper dictionary and online dictionary. The writer was establishing the contributions of these towards influencing the dependent variable. The variables achieved remarkably different percentages on their contribution towards the dependent variable. In the work, the research tends to build a connection of these concepts to their contribution to students’ learning and writing.
The results communicated from the analysis of the data supported the dependent variable with higher percentage of the students, at 43% and 44% preferring technology-enabled methods of learning and only 13% of them resorting to paper-based method demonstrating that student’s prefer using ICTs and quickly edit their work more when having access to electronic tools. This was also confirmed from the self-assessment results from the students where they confirmed themselves that they didn’t prefer paper-based tools of learning but electronic. The analysis from the study showed that the students made more errors while not using the online tools than when using the online tools. These results confirmed the research issue by proving that using information communication technology (ICT) had a positive impact on students learning process.
Analysis of the essay
The researcher based the study on proving the fact that ICT’s has the capacity of improving student’s learning. After analyzing the results, the researcher finds out that the participants made fewer mistakes on written productions when having access to ICTs including autocorrect, online dictionaries, Word Q and computers, and concludes that ICT use improves students’ writing skills than using manual tools. The writer also establishes that the students are more autonomous when having access to online tools that mostly contributed to their success.
For an element to improve students learning in class, it must incorporate the teacher, and the teacher must have full awareness of such element. From the essay research, it is seen that the teacher based on the competencies of the computer technology. The teacher was able to learn on how to consolidate and manage ICT’s in classroom setting, and learnt the use of different online tools. The teacher is also able to learn on how to control and adequately supervise the students while using these tools, mainly to keep the students on track and for them not to get off tasks while in classroom.
In the literature review, the writer accessed various resources to approve the overall framework of the study. At the start, it is explained that at the program, writing and producing texts is the core and is essential in student’s competency. Within the work, MELS (2007) is quoted in different parts to justify the general concept of the paper. And the MELS (page, 30) justifies the role of information technology in providing for the students learning as it “provides an authentic purpose for writing and producing documents, as well as a real audience for students to address”, as writing on the blogs gives the students an authentic feeling of the authenticity of their writing purpose. MELS on the other hand is referred to confirm the fact that writing and producing texts by the students broadens their “repertoire of texts” allowing them to use the process to regulate their own development as writers and producers. From the research, it is evident that the students’ skill on the use of ICT and their strategies were the basis of evaluation.
Rahimi and Yadollahi (2011) and Yunus, Salehi and Nordin (2013) were other resources accessed by the researcher in order to support the research. And as it can be seen in Rahimi and Yodollahi (2011), the researcher was trying to prove the importance of the use of ICT in classrooms, saying that will ensure effectiveness in classrooms in terms of learning and teaching. Page 18 of the work supports this research by pointing out that ICT in classrooms is capable of providing students with an authentic purpose and “having a positive influence on their autonomy”. Page 223 of the same work is quoted in part that “educators move from traditional written responses to online forums making students recognize that there is social context for their work online, and often conform to particular roles or expectations without teacher prompting to impress their peers.” This expresses the motivation the students have to work online and the important role it plays for the teachers in their effort to coach students.
Even without the teachers prompting the students on their work, the research stresses the importance of quality of work produced by the students online. This warns of the possibility of a students’ work not being taken in if poorly done. Yunus and others (2013) work (in page, 2) are quoted in the work that the teaching and learning be much improved when blogs are employed in teaching. Furthermore, using ICT to create blogs motivate learners to edit their work more when writing basing on the fact that an unknown audience may access their productions, pushing the students to automatically write for the purpose with quality. This shows the much the integration of ICT in class context can impact on teaching and student learning.
In the research findings, it is evident that the students had ease writing on a computer and used autocorrect rather than using a paper thesaurus and dictionary. When these online tools are not available for the students, they will depend much on the teacher to correct their work that may prove hectic. Through this, the researcher confirmed the importance of exploring different online tools that encourage students to write freely and revise their work, experiment with their ideas in the targeted language and manage the various constraints of the writing process.
The use of ICT by students in a classroom setting is highly effective as the research confirms that they are much more efficient and less time consuming than other manual forms, if students appreciate their use in a second language setting classroom. Yunus (2013) is quoted in the research proving the fact that learning technology allows students to develop independent work habits and enable them build both their skills and confidence on literacy and the use of technology. Here, autonomy of students in their learning is achieved other than highly depending on their teachers for their work, thus raising their level of participation in the class setting as they will be confident to express themselves and ask questions they do not understand. It is, therefore, suggested here that if the confidence of students can be raised using ICT then its use should be incorporated in the class context and the students oriented to its use.
Conclusion
This analysis focused on the relationship of ideas within the study as well as how the research process achieved its purpose. The interventions the researcher established to guide the data collection process were examined, and the analysis of the results, and the presentation expressed to see if there was connection between the concepts and the aim of the study. The comparison of the students’ production when using the manual tools and while using the manual tools clearly clarified on the role played by such tools and their impacts on the student learning and writing.
The methodology employed during the research clearly limited bias as every participant of the process participated in the assessment. Incorporating the teacher element on the research to establish on the impacts of using ICTs for the teacher as well as students and the inclusive of the elements in the analysis process opened the scope of the study thus preventing it from leaning on one side. This as well allowed ESL teachers better to understand the importance and implications of using ICTs in the classroom. The analysis established that the research captured the concepts it required to answer the research question and to prove that ICT use in a classroom reduce the mistakes in written productions and promotes autonomy in students.
References Quoted
Ministère de l’Éducation, du Loisir et du Sport (MELS) (2007). Programme de formation de l’école québécoise. Enseignement secondaire, deuxième cycle. Québec: Government du Québec.
Rahimi, M., &Yadollahi, S. (2011). ICT Use in EFL Classes: A Focus on EFL Teachers' Characteristics. World Journal of English Language, 1(2), 17-29.
Yunus, M., Nordin, N., Salehi, H., ChooHui, S., & Amin Embi, M. (2013). Pros and Cons of Using ICT in Teaching ESL Reading and Writing. International Education Studies, 6(7), 119-130.
Yunus, M., Nordin, N., Salehi, H., Embi, M., &Mahamod, Z. (2013). Managing Problems and Planning Activities Involving ICT Tools in Teaching ESL Reading and Writing. Asian Social Science, 9(10), 222-230.
Yunus, M. d., Nordin, N., Salehi, H., Embi, M., &Salehi, Z. (2013).The Use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in Teaching ESL Writing Skills. English Language Teaching, 6(7), 1-8.