英文單字學習網站與自主學習: 學生的投入時間、態度與動機

Abstract

電腦輔助語言學習﹙簡稱CALL﹚，已經在全球教室獲得採用，相關的議題也一直被學者研究及評估。CALL在台灣受到教育部的推廣，數年來藉各式研習及提供資源，期許教學者具備相當的能力與智識，可在課堂上將科技融入教學，以配合網路科技時代的來臨。另外，各界也提供年輕學習者網站資源，讓網路學習成為教室的延伸。然而，此項良好的立意，卻鮮少有成效評估或檢視，以供研究者及教學者參考；也少有研究確實指出，台灣的教學單位在網站上提供的學習資源是否有助學生的學習。

本研究的目的便是調查高職學生對字彙學習網站的學習投入程度與態度，以及評估字彙學習網站是否有助於高職學生成為一個自主的英文字彙學習者。緣此，本研究以一個名稱為《英文單字挖寶酷》的字彙學習網站為學習平台，受試者是英文學習時數偏少的某高職實用技能班學生。本研究的具體研究目的為：(1)了解學生使用《英文單字挖寶酷》時的學習投入、(2)調查學生對於使用《英文單字挖寶酷》來學習英文字彙的態度、(3)評估學生是否可因《英文單字挖寶酷》而成為自主學習者。

本研究使用多重研究方法，計有：英文字彙小考、投入學習時間的統計、態度問卷及訪談來探討研究問題。研究對象為一班共33名高職實用技能班學生，使用設備為學校內語言教室的個人電腦。研究結果發現：學生在網站上的小考成績及學習投入時間，比起在教室裡以傳統紙筆的學習方式，皆有顯著的差異。此結果顯示出學生使用網站學習時，皆有行為學習及認知學習的投入；惟在問卷及訪談上未反應對等的情緒學習投入。根據問卷顯示，學生認同該網站的網頁及使用功能之方便性、暨對學習之有效性且對整個網站有正面的態度；惟未對該網站顯出高度使用意願。另外，有將近三成的學生在問卷及訪談中顯示，可以藉由該網站成為自主學習者；而最能激發動機的是網頁上的「語音」功能。最後，本論文也討論本研究的限制、教學應用及對未來研究的可行方向。

The introduction of Computer-assisted Language Learning (CALL) has ushered in an era where leaners are just a few clicks away from a vast amount of learning material thanks to the instant access to the Internet. Therefore, various forms of CALL have been practiced, assessed, and studied in Taiwan, as well as worldwide. The Ministry of Education (MOE) has long promoted the use of CALL in the classroom, with recurring workshops and seminars, to prepare teachers for integrating the technology into teaching so that teachers can manage an online classroom in accordance with the cyber epoch.

Although many online learning resources may appear to be motivating, few of them are assessed, including the website Treasure Hunt for English Vocabulary. It has been accessible to teachers and students for many years in a vocational high school, and yet little attention has been paid to its application in the classroom and its possible impact on the time-on-task, attitudes, and motivation of vocational high school students, especially those frustrated or skilled-oriented students. Accordingly, three purposes of this study centered on Treasure Hunt for English Vocabulary: (1) to investigate students’ engagement in English vocabulary learning, (2) to explore their attitudes, and (3) to evaluate its possibility of developing self-directed English vocabulary learners.

The research questions of this study are: (1) Are students engaged more in English vocabulary learning on Treasure Hunt for English Vocabulary than in the paper-based environment? (2) What are students’ attitudes towards Treasure Hunt for English Vocabulary? (3) Are students motivated to become a self-directed English vocabulary learner by using Treasure Hunt for English Vocabulary?

Thirty-three vocational high school students took five Web-based quizzes and five paper-based quizzes to yield their quiz results and time-on-task recordings. After the quizzes were all completed, they were requested to fill in the attitude questionnaires. Moreover, three groups of three students were interviewed for better insight of their responses to the questionnaires.

The results indicated that students were behaviorally and cognitively engaged in the Web-based setting, based on the significant longer time-on-task and better quiz results in the Web-based setting. Furthermore, the results of the questionnaires and interviews showed that the students’ positive attitudes towards the website in terms of their perception of ease to use, perception of usefulness, and attitudes of use, although they did not show equally clear intention to use it. Finally, the results of the questionnaires and interviews revealed nearly 30% of the students were motivated to become a self-directed learner on this Website, and the most motivating factor was the “Pronunciation” function. The limitations, implications and suggestions of this study were also discussed in the thesis.