Computer Assisted Language Learning Social Networks: What Are They Talking about?

• 作者: Andrew Laghos Efi Nisiforou
• 来源期刊: 社交网络(英文)
• 学科: 医学
• 关键词: Computer ASSISTED Language Learning SOCIAL Networks Students’ Discussion TOPICS
• 年，卷（期）: 2018,（3）
• 页码范围: 170-180
• 页数: 11页
• 分类号: R73

摘要

There are many reasons that motivate people to build online communities. The purpose of this study was to identify the topics that learners discuss when they are part of a computer assisted language learning course in order to answer the question “What are they talking about?”. We have examined an e-community of 618 students who were learning the Modern Greek language online. We analyzed their conversation topics directly from the discussion boards of the web-based course and sorted them into the pre-defined topic categories. The results of the study showed that during the first lessons of the course the students contributed more to social discussions which were unrelated to the course material. The reason of this outcome is that the students want to introduce themselves and meet their peers. As they progressed through the course’s lessons, however, their discussion topics became more course material related. The study ends with implications of the results and future research directions.