Educational games with blogs. Collaborating to motivate second language undergraduate critical thinking
| Published date | 26 September 2008 |
| Pages | 557-573 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/14684520810913963 |
| Date | 26 September 2008 |
| Author | Chiann‐Ru Song |
| Subject Matter | Information & knowledge management,Library & information science |
Educational games with blogs
Collaborating to motivate second language
undergraduate critical thinking
Chiann-Ru Song
Department of Communication and Graduate Institute of Telecommunications,
National Chung Cheng University, Chia-Yi, Taiwan
Abstract
Purpose – The importance of critical thinking disposition (CTD) in second language (L2) university
students’ writing is a topic rarely discussed. The purpose of this research paper is to examine L2
university students’ CTD during the writing process. Research questions discussed in this paper
encompass the CT dispositions and characteristics of L2 university students in online writing
environments. Measuring CTD and CTD training via online collaborative peer review were the two
grounding themes of this study.
Design/methodology/approach – A five-point Likert scale online questionnaire which included two
open-ended questions was developed to assess CTD. A factor analysis and a cluster analysis were
preformed on the data. A discriminate analysis determined the number of viable clusters and a one-way
ANOVA was performed to compare differences, withqualitative interviewdata to supplement. The data
set for CTD measurement was a matrix consisting of 27 participants and Pvariables.
Findings – The findings reveal that the CTD characteristics of L2s include open-mindedness,
systematicity and inquisitiveness, and low interaction/motivation.
Research limitations/implications – Limitations include a small sample size that mimics the
researcher’s anticipations, but the findings would be strengthened by a larger sample. A lack of
sensitivity and generalisability could be corrected in the future by using broader subject matter within
an online educational web site.
Originality/value – Knowledge of the CTD characteristics of L2s would allow interface designers to
take into account different CTDs in developing L2 online collaborative educational web sites. This
study outlines the first step in developing online collaborative educational games that allow L2
university students to improve their writing abilities by considering various CTDs.
Keywords Taiwan, Students,Games (curriculum), Language,Online operations
Paper type Research paper
Introduction
As an important aspect of teaching second language (L2) writing, critical thinking (CT)
has received considerable attention (Sommers, 1992; Stapleton, 2001). CT refers to one’s
cognitive skill and critical thinking disposition (CTD) (Tishman and Andrade, 1995;
Facione et al., 1995). This disposition requires complex learning skills such as
metacognitive strategies, cognitive strategies and social strategies (O’Malley and
Chamot, 1990). A successful writing process requires CT to engender the critical
understanding needed for deep learning. Thus, it is very important for L2 university
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available at
www.emeraldinsight.com/1468-4527.htm
This study was developed and designed by the researcher at the communication programme of
National Chung Cheng University and the project was sponsored by the National Science Council
(NSC) of Taiwan.
Educational
games with
blogs
557
Refereed article received
6 May 2007
Approved for publication
13 February 2008
Online Information Review
Vol. 32 No. 5, 2008
pp. 557-573
qEmerald Group Publishing Limited
1468-4527
DOI 10.1108/14684520810913963
students (L2s) to employ these skills to enhance their writing (Griffiths and Parr, 2001;
Kojic-Sabo and Lightbown, 1999; Paulus, 1999).
The cultural thinking patterns of the East lean toward the circular (Kaplan, 1966),
which coupled with cultural behaviours can cause CTDs to be misinterpreted. This is
important to understand because English follows rigid discourse patterns. If students
do not know the discourse pattern of English, they will be unable to read or write with
comprehension. L2 teachers need to be aware of students’ thought processes. This will
ensure that cultural writing styles can be integrated into an understandable English
discourse. It will also allow the students to maintain ownership of his or her ideas and
CT patterns.
Cultural behavioural patterns are claimed to be reflected in the rhetorical styles of
Asian learners (e.g. Japanese) when writing in English (Stapleton, 2002). For example,
one of these behavioural tendencies is the issue of losing face (Hofstede, 1997).
The English language follows a linear discourse pattern of thesis/topic sentence, main
idea, support and conclusion. In comparison Asian languages discourse patterns are
developed through indirection. Culturally, it is considered rude to address the main
idea directly. To make a point, speakers of Asian languages use “eight poetic hints”
and the listener or reader must deduce the main idea through them. As a consequence,
some of the problems reflected in L2 university students’ writing include flow, clarity
and creativity. Asian students are then labelled as passive learners lacking CT skills.
However, a new generation of Asian learners is not being depicted accura tely by
conventional constructs. The perception of Asian students as passive learners lacking
in CT skills has been questioned (Littlewood, 2000). Some researchers have proposed
that access to the internet may accelerate L2s’ CT skills (Stapleton, 2001) and have a
significant impact on student writing (Cohen and Riel, 1989). In particular, by enabling
online collaborative peer review, the internet allows students freedom to expres s
themselves and their CT actively (Yagelski, 1998).
It is worth noting that a commitment to the view that high-level thinking dispositions
are learnable is a mainstay of the thinking skills movement (Hausmann and Chi, 2002).
Educators who equip students with CT skills are not simply showing students how to
pass tests. They are concerned with imparting skills that teach students to transfer and
internalise thinking skills. Students will then be able to develop strong and stable
thinking dispositions (Perkins, 1987). Unfortunately, few studies in the area of L2
writing focus on the changes in L2 university students (Nelson, 2006). Indeed, there is
much we do not know about their ability to learn high-level thinking.
This study investigates the use of an online writing environment as a teaching,
learning and research tool to explore L2 university students’ CTDs. The researcher
developed and designed a digital educational game called MOSES (Song, 2006) with
cooperating blogs, with the aim of assisting Taiwanese L2 university students to learn
composition. The MOSES with Blogs online writing programme is designed to be used
as a tool to motivate L2 university students in learning free writing. The blogs were
employed to encourage peer group revision and interaction while students develop CT
skills in their writing via online collaboration using free writing.
The MOSES web site uses individual learning situations which are achieved by
multimedia, animation and interactive games. The blogs use small group learning to
promote self-editing and peer critiquing. In the study, the individual games stimulated
OIR
32,5
558
To continue reading
Request your trial