Publication Date

2015

Document Type

Dissertation/Thesis

First Advisor

Cooke-Plagwitz, Jessamine (Jessamine Penrose), 1965-

Degree Name

M.A. (Master of Arts)

Legacy Department

Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures

LCSH

Foreign language education; Curriculum development; Educational technology; Computer-assisted instruction--Foreign students--Research; Students; Foreign--Computer-assisted instruction--Research; Tablet computers--Study and teaching--Foreign speakers; iPad (Computer)--Study and teaching--Foreign speakers; Internet in education--Research

Abstract

Since students of this generation are being raised with technology at their fingertips, it is becoming more essential to find ways to implement tablet-based learning into classroom instruction. With new apps and websites appearing each day for use in the foreign language classroom, the purpose of this action research paper was to investigate the resources already available. In this action research project, I implemented different iPad applications and websites accessible on an iPad into my own classroom instruction in order to increase student communicative responses in terms of vocabulary usage, detail expansion, and fluidity. Results showed that extra practice utilizing the iPad outside of the classroom as well as instruction and practice of speaking skills benefited students' skills and they showed improvement and confidence.;In this study, I used multiple data collection strategies such as a teacher diary with reflections, student audio recordings and video journals, and data analysis through a modified rubric on Schoology, our district's course management system, to best reflect and analyze whether the integration of iPad resources can serve as an effective instructional tool. I then developed an action plan for how to improve teaching practices using tablet-based activities for future classes and language levels. This study showed that tablet-based instruction did improve the students' ability to elaborate in their responses and increase their fluidity during oral communication.

Comments

Advisors: Jessamine Cooke-Plagwitz.||Committee members: Karen Lichtman; Linda Saborio.

Extent

68 pages

Language

eng

Publisher

Northern Illinois University

Rights Statement

In Copyright

Rights Statement 2

NIU theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from Huskie Commons for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without the written permission of the authors.

Media Type

Text

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