Reading Report No. 4

Lester and King (2009, p462) compare undergraduates’ learning outcome and attitude toward learning experience in “a traditional face-to face visual communications lecture course” and the same course via Second Life. In their study, the same lecture taught the same contents in both courses.

Although Lester and King (2009) report that the results do not show significant differences in both learning outcome and attitude toward learning experience, this study is not about language teaching course. Similarly, all reading materials in their literature review are not about language teaching or Second Life as follows:


Online-assisted instruction is superior

Maki, Maki, Patterson & Whittaker (2000)
There is no reference about this reading material, but Lester and king (2009) mention that this material is about psychology.
Benbunan-Fich and Hiltz (1999)
The studay area is business, the tool is Asynchronous Learning Networks.
Twigg (2003)
I think that this article only says that web-based course-delivery improve quality and reduce cost of educational institutions. The tool is Web site.
Winsler and Manfra (2002)
I cannot get the full-text, but the abstract explains that this article is about pre-post child development course for undergraduates and WebCT.


Face-to-face instruction is superior

Wang and Newlin (2000)
The study area is Psychology, the tool is Web site.
Waschull (2001)
The study area is psychology, the tool is Web site.
Rodrigue (2002)
The area is geography, the tool is Web site.


There is no significant difference between online-assisted and face-to-face instructions

Botsch and Botsch ( 2001)
The study area is American government classes, the tool is Web site.
Sankaran, Sankaran and Bui (2000)
The study area is business computer course, the tool is Web site.
Hensley (2005)
The study area is core curriculum classes of Department of Theatre and Dance, the tool is WebCT.
Shelley, Swartz and Cole (2006)
I cannot get the full-text, but the abstract explains that this article is about business law and Internet.
Benoit, Benoit, Milyo and Hansen (2006)
I cannot find this book, But Lester and King (2009) mention that this book is about speech communication course and WebCT.

In summary, I cannot find studies about language teaching with Second Life which conclude that face-to-face instruction is superior or there is no significant difference between online-assisted and face-to-face instructions.


References

Benbunan-Fich, R., & Hiltz, S. R. (1999). Educational applications of CMCS: Solving case studies through asynchronous learning networks. Retrieved September 9, 2011, from http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com.ezproxy.aut.ac.nz/doi/10.1111/j.1083-6101.1999.tb00098.x/full

Botsch, C. S., & Botsch, R.E. (2001). Audiences and outcomes in online and traditional American government classes: A comparative two-year study. PSOnline, 34, 135-141.

Hensley, G. (2005). Creating a hybrid college course: Instructional design notes and recommendations for beginners. Retrieved September 9, 2011, from http://jolt.merlot.org.ezproxy.aut.ac.nz/vol1_no2_hensley.htm

Rodrigue, C. M. (2002). Assessment of an experiment in teaching geography online. Retrieved September 9, 2011, from Assessment of an experiment in teaching geography online

Lester, P. M., & King, C. M. (2009). Analog vs. digital instruction and learning: Teaching within first and second life environments. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 14, 457-483.

Sankaran, S.R., Sankaran, D., & Bui, T. X. (2000). Effect of student attitude to course format on learning performance: An empirical study in web vs. lecture instruction. Journal of Instructional Technology, 27(1), 66-73.

Shelley, D. J., Swarts, L. B., & Cole, M. T. (2006). A comparative analysis of online and traditional undergraduate business low courses. Retrieved September 9, 2011, from http://www.igi-global.com.ezproxy.aut.ac.nz/bookstore/article.aspx?titleid=2305

Twigg, C.A. (2003).Improving quality and reducing costs: Designs for effective learning. Change, 35(4), 22-29.

Wang, A. Y., & Newlin, M.H. (2000). Characteristics of students who enrol and succeed in psychology web-based classes. Journal of Educational Psychology, 92(1), 137-143.

Waschull, S.B. (2001). The online delivery of psychology courses: Attribution, performance, and evaluation. Teaching of Psychology, 28(2), 143-147.

Winsler. A., & Manfra, L. (2002). Increasing student learning, technology use, and computer skills via use of WEBCT in an undergraduate child development course: A pre-post course evaluation study. Retrieved September 9, 2011, from http://eric.ed.gov/ERICWebPortal/search/detailmini.jsp?_nfpb=true&_&ERICExtSearch_SearchValue_0=ED472513&ERICExtSearch_SearchType_0=no&accno=ED472513#