网络自主学习中的优势及不足之处研究

教学和学习的概念在过去的几十年里发生了变化，由于计算机教育导论。随着计算机和互联网的结合，语言教育在很大程度上得到了促进。现在，在基于网络的学习过程中，教师主要作为促进者提供必要的帮助或指导，以确保顺利学习，让学习者有一定的责任，#p#分页标题#e#以自己的研究主管。有许多大学的学习中心，并配备一定数量的计算机和他们的教材相关软件的学习，学习者可以决定何时进行他们的研究，学什么，以及如何设置个性化的学习速度。此外，如果学习者浏览网站提供更多的资源。以这种方式，大大促进了学生自主学习能力。本文致力于研究在wball#p#分页标题#e#英语学习者的情感因素。The notion of teaching and learning has changed a lot during the past few decades,due to the introduction of computer to education. With the combination of computer andinternet, language education has been facilitated in a large measure. Now in web-basedlanguage learning process, teachers mainly serve as facilitators who provide necessaryassistance or guidance to ensure a smooth learning, leaving learners with the mainresponsibility to take charge of their own studies. Having access to self-learning centre inmany universities, which are equipped with certain number of computers and learningsoftwares related to their course book, learners can determine when to carry out theirstudies, what to learn, and how to set individualized learning pace. Besides, moreresources are available if learners surf on web. In this way, learner autonomy can begreatly promoted.  http://ukthesis.org/dissertation_sample   This paper makes an endeavor to study English learner’s affectivefactors in WBALL. In the first chapter, research background, the necessity andsignificance and the purpose to carry out the study will be introduced.


1.1 Research Background研究背景
Since the 20thcentury, great importance has been attached to autonomous learning,thanks to the development of humanistic psychology. Thereafter, the focus of teachingand learning has been shifted from teacher-centeredness to learner-centeredness. As asaying goes, tell me I will forget, show me I will remember, involve me I will learn.Autonomous learning offers learners the opportunity to involve themselves wholly in thelearning process.With the advance of computer science and internet technology, computers have beenplaying an ever-increasingly significant role in language education. The College EnglishCurriculum Requirements (Ministry of Education’s Higher Education Department,2004)points out that “The objective of college English is to develop student’s ability touse English in an all-round way… the extensive use of advanced information technologyshould be encouraged, computer- and web-assisted English teaching should be promoted,and students should be provided with favorable environment and facilities for languagelearning.” In the requirements, computer- and web-assisted English teaching isrecommended to provide a comfortable and convenient learning environment anddevelop learner’s overall ability in a more efficient way.Following the instruction of College English Curriculum Requirements, manyuniversities have built up self-access learning centers to facilitate learner’s autonomouslearning. Via web-based study, learners are exposed to a completely new learningexperience in that learners can register and select periods, enter e-library and browseuseful information, download learning materials, and so on, which set learners free fromthe restraints of time and space. Web-based autonomous learning has “enjoyed a periodof unprecedented experimentation and implementation”, (Murrray, 1999:179) and has“dominated discussion about new ways in foreign language teaching over the lastdecade” ( Dlaska, 2002:129).Although web-based learning environment is considered to bring superiority toautonomous learning, learners in general have failed to live up to our expectations tomake full use of the web platform and to exercise their autonomy properly, according tomy personal observation through teaching experience. What’s more, since much moneyhas been spent in building self-access learning centers and much effort has been put todesign learning softwares, we should not waste these resources.#p#分页标题#e#


1.2 Necessity and Significance必需和意义
There are several reasons that make this research necessary.The first reason should be attributed to the impact of college English teachingreform. After the implementation of College English Curriculum Requirements, WBALLhas become the focus of educational reform. Many self-access learning centers are builtand various learning softwares have been designed. In some universities, online study isgranted with credits and in others it is required for after-class activity which will be takeninto account in setting their final scores. Although outer needs for web-based learninghave been met, student’s learning behavior and their actual learning outcome are far formsatisfied. So, it is necessary to investigate learner’s inner factors that result in theirinefficient performance in WBALL environment.The second reason derives from the affective deficiency in WBALL. Based on yearsof teaching experience, Luo Hongwei (2009: 1) discovers that there are sharp differencesbetween learning expectations and real outcomes for web-based learning. In effect,learners find it hard to adapt to web-based learning environment. Besides, there is anintense vibration of their affect, and they frequently sense the bitterness of anxiety andisolation. In view of another investigation, learners report that they lack a strongmotivation to learn and that they don’t have a clear understanding of functions ofweb-based learning because they merely use it for doing recorded exercises. (Jin,2008:113)Finally, it is because of the close relationship of affect and language learning. As animportant element of individual’s inner factors, affect has an overwhelming impact onforeign language acquisition. Earlier in New Curriculum Standard for middle schoolstudents, it is emphasized that “affective factors of students in English learning should beconcerned. Teachers should develop students’ positive affect of learning English, ensureparticipation of teachers and students and make them develop harmoniously in Englishteaching and learning”. Now in WBALL, more or at least equal attention should be paidto learners’ affect, since learners are left with indifferent machines. According toKrashen’s Affective Filter Theory, language input can not be converted to intakeeffectively if learners bear high affective filter, for instance, if they are anxious,unconfident, or weakly motivated.The above materials reinforce that affect is important for language acquisition,whatever learning environment learners might be in, and that the unexpected outcome ofstudents’ WBALL behaviours can be, in part, ascribed to a lack of affective concern.Web-based learning is rendered by many researchers and teachers as a convenientsupport for autonomous learning. A large number of studies have been conducted in thisregard, concentrating on how to improve learner autonomy in the model based onmultimedia and network (Fu, 2007:36), or autonomous learning elements of learnersassisted by computer and internet facilities (Chen, 2007:33), or the constraining factorsof WBALL (Lu, 2009:165), to list just a few. As teachers and researchers have graduallyrealized that affect may exert influence on WBALL, they begin to combine affectiveelements into the study of autonomous learning. For example Liu (2008:83-93) perceivedthat positive attitude can contribute to frequent usage behavior, Zhu (2009:72-85) alsocarried out an investigation of students’ attitudes and behaviors. However, recent studiesof affective influence on WBALL are confined to attitude only, and the majority ofaffective researches are still about classroom teaching and learning.Obviously, it is important to provide more information about the effects thataffective factors can bring to WBALL, so as to solve affective deficiency problem, toincrease the efficiency of web learning and to improve student’s autonomous learningability.#p#分页标题#e#


1.3 Purpose of the Thesisdissertation目的
In view of the achievements that previous researchers have made on WBALL andaffect respectively, this paper aims to find out concrete affective factors learners havewhen they carry out web-based learning. It also intends to report learners’ autonomouslearning behaviors in this process. Moreover, it tries to explore how affective factorsinfluence autonomous learning behavior. In short, the purpose of this thesis is:1) To investigate learner’s affective factors and their learning behavior. Theinvestigation will be followed by questionnaire and interview.2) To study the relationship of certain affective factors and learning behavior.Certain affective factors will be chosen in this part. After the analysis, the impacts ofaffective factors on learning behavior will be generalized.It is hoped that this thesis will provide learners with valuable information to solvetheir affective problems, improve their autonomous ability, and enhance the efficiency ofWBALL. It is also expected that this paper will shed some light to English teachers onhow to cultivate students’ positive affect, and to maximize the use of our WBALLresources.


1.4 Organization of the Thesisdissertation结构
This thesis is composed of five parts. Chapter One presents introduction, whichbriefly introduces the background of the study, the necessity and significance to conductit and the purpose for this study.Chapter Two focuses on literature review. In this part terms like learner autonomy,WBALL and affect are clearly defined, classification of affective factors are providedand theoretical foundations for both learner autonomy and affect are listed respectively.What’s more, previous researches on autonomy and affect are reviewed, especially thestudy of affect in WBALL.Chapter Three is devoted to research design. Items like research questions, subjects,instruments and treatment are explained. What’s more, how data is collected andanalyzed is expounded in detail.Chapter Four reveals data results and discussion. The discussion follows these fouraspects: 1) learner’s affective factors and learning behaviors in WBALL environment; 2)the relationship between certain affective factors and learning behavior; 3) affectivealarms involved in WBALL; 4) how to optimize affective factors in WBALL process.In the last chapter major findings are summarized. Besides, its pedagogicalimplications are provided, hoping to further improve learning ability in WBALL. In theend, suggestions for further research are proposed, and limitations of this study are given.                   


Chapter Five Conclusion结论


 

#p#分页标题#e#wball就像一把双刃剑，网络带来的突破时间，空间的限制的优势，为材料具有发展自主学习提供了有利的环境。然而，在同一时间面临着挑战和存在的问题。在前面的章节中，我们已经报道和讨论大学英语学习者的情感因素，这两个问题之间的网络自主学习行为和关系。结果表明，足够的重量应注重情感关怀wball和努力，在wball过程的不同阶段#p#分页标题#e#已经取得了提高情感因素。本章将总结研究的主要结论，并提供对教学的启示。最后，为进一步研究概述本研究的局限性和建议。WBALL is like a double blade sword, the advantages that web brings to breakthrough the limitation of time, space, and materials has provided a beneficialenvironment to develop learner autonomy. However, challenges and problems come afterat the same time. In the previous chapter, we have reported and discussed the currentaffective factors of college English learners, their web-based autonomous learningbehaviors and relationships between the two issues. Result denotes that enough weightshould be attached to affective concern in WBALL and endeavor has been made toenhance affective factors in different stages of WBALL process. This chapter willgeneralize the major findings of the study and provide implications for teaching. In theend, limitations of this study and suggestions for further research are outlined.


5.1 Major Findings of this Study研究的主要成果
To sum up, the analysis and discussion of this dissertation demonstrate the followingfive points:1. Learners, as a whole, hold positive affect towards web-based autonomouslearning. An independent t-test denotes that there is no significant difference between theaffect of sophomores and that of freshmen, which is in contrast with a taken-for-grantedassumption that sophomores should have more positive affect than freshmen. As tospecific affective factors, the standard deviation for anxiety is very large, which impliesthat learners have great divergence towards questions whether web-based learning bringsabout anxiety or eases anxiety. What’s more, with growth of grade, sophomores dependless on teachers, relying more on individual responsibility to conduct web-based Englishlearning.2. In general, WBALL is reported to be of moderate frequency application ofweb-based autonomous learning behavior. Further study reveal that compared withfreshmen, sophomores make less access to autonomous learning and report poorerWBALL behaviors. Some sophomores attribute it to the fact that they just loosen upbecause of too much freedom granted to them and inadequate affective concern on thepart of English teachers.3. Correlations of affective factors and WBALL behaviors infer that intrinsicmotivation, the facilitating function that web-learning exert on anxiety and generalself-esteem that learners encounter are in close relationship with satisfying learningbehaviors. However, fewer learners are stimulated by intrinsic motivation than extrinsicmotivation. Worse still, the evaluation on the advantageous function of web-learningdescends as the grade ascends. Strangely, although learners claim pretty positive attitude,it is proved to be the only affective variable that shows no correlation with web-learningbehavior.4. As WBALL process is classified into three stages, the second stage—the stage tocarry on actual online study demands the strongest affective concern. While the other twostage exhibit relatively high affective concern, the overall distribution is looked like aninverted triangle.5. Based on the above findings, the paper move forward to work on how to enhanceaffective concern over the three stages of WBALL process. Specific measures are takento cultivate positive affective factors and minimize negative ones.#p#分页标题#e#


5.2 Pedagogical Implication启示性含义
The findings achieved on learners’ affective factors and behaviors in web-basedlearning environment shed some light to both English teaching and learning. We can gainthe implications as follows:Firstly, theoretically, web-based learning environment can promote autonomouslearning, but it can never guarantee it unless weights are attached to affective factors.Since learners report varied degree of anxiety towards web using, it is justified to trainthem for basic knowledge about computer operation. Only when learners master certainskills, can they surf online effectively and develop their autonomous learning further.Secondly, learners should be cultivated to take good care of their own affect.Flexible means should be used to arouse learner’s motivation towards language learning,especially their intrinsic motivation, to encourage learners’ confidence within themselvesand to boost the idea that learners are the center of their own study. Specific measures ashow to enhance affective factors during web-based autonomous learning process havebeen discussed in detail in the previous chapter. Once learners have a clear awareness oftheir affective variables, they will witness relative improvements on their autonomousoutcomes, since it has be proved in this paper that these items are in close relationshipwith WBALL behaviors. At first, they might be guided by teachers. As the virtuous circlegoes on, they may seek positive affective factors and abandon negative ones consciously.Just as saying goes that take care of the penny and the pounds will take care ofthemselves.Thirdly, as the facilitator, teachers should make keen observation of learners’learning behaviors and intervene when necessary. Autonomous learning does not meanisolated learning. Teacher’s role should never be replaced for internet in the WBALLenvironment. In effect, teacher’s role is not reduced but becomes more challenging,because now they should act as guide, judge, organizer, counselor, interpreter and so on.Teachers are expected to familiar with each learners learning situation, provide them withconstructive feedback and offer necessary help. When learners are found to waste theirautonomy, certain rigid instructions from teachers to help them develop learner autonomystep by step is essential.Finally, interaction between learners or learners and teachers should be encouraged.Although various communication tools are available online, learners reports extremelylow frequency of use. Anyway, second language acquisition has discovered that theinteraction or cooperation between learners or between learners and teachers benefitslanguage acquisition. As a result, teachers should promote learners to take part inelectronic cooperating experiences, to expose to the use of computer technology andenjoy the happiness of tackling problems with collaborative efforts.


5.3 Limitation and Suggestions局限性和建议
Although the paper has worked out several positive findings and has uncovered afew alarming problems existing in learner’s affect towards WBALL, there are, admittedly,certain limitations in this study, which are supposed to be avoided in future study.As to the sample, it is not large enough, only 140 subjects participating in theinvestigation. What is more, all of them are from the same university of NUAA, whomight not be the proper representatives of average learners in our country. Enlarging thesample and including students from different universities are necessary, so that thefindings will be more reliable and convincing.With regard to questionnaire, it also needs refinement, because it is not easy tomeasure every detail of affective factors and it is probably not enough to examine themonly through questionnaire and interview. In case that some subjects do not take thequestionnaire seriously and answer dishonestly, the reliability and validity will beendangered.In view of data analysis, when comparison is made between freshmen andsophomores, we applied cross-sectional study. The advantage of such study is that itsaves time. However, a longitudinal study here is more scientific, so that we can gain amore realistic report about the change of learner’s affective factors in web-based learningover the one-year time span.As far as the measures taken to enhance learner’s affect in WBALL are concerned,larger efforts should be made and more practical methods should be brainstormed toimprove learner’s behaviors in web-based learning process collaboratively.In spite of these limitations, this study does shed some light for futher research. Itsuggests that there are different degrees of correlations between affective factors likemotivation, anxiety and self-esteem and web-based learning behaviors. Concerning thedisappointing WBALL situation in the college, emphasis can be channeled to the study ofcertain affective factor (s) to improve the current situation.  #p#分页标题#e#http://ukthesis.org/   alarms or the oxymoronderived from the study of the relationship between affect and behaviors may arouseEnglish teachers’ attention so that they may work further to tackle these disagreements.In the end, the frame constructed to enhance affective factors in WBALL is hoped tooffer reference for web-based autonomous learning and teaching.