Action Research Project

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Action Research Project

• By Benjamin R. Post

Instant Messaging and Writing Proficiency Is
There a Connection?
Presented byGrant Chawheed
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Research Question?

• Primary QuestionExamine the influence of
  peer-to-peer Computer Mediated Communications
  (CMC) on secondary school students expository
  writing assignments.
• Secondary QuestionsDoes the increased use of
  peer-to-peer written language correlate to
  improved essay grades? Weaker grades? Is there
  no correlation? Could other factors account for
  a correlation?

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What is CMC?

• Computer Mediated Communications (CMC)
• Laymens terms instant communication between two
  or more people using a computer as a
  intermediary.
• Examples from life chatting in Second Life,
  Instant Messenger, Club Penguin, etc.

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Literature Review

• What do we already know about Computer Mediated
  Communications (CMC) and its impact on student
  learning?
• A search of Google reveals that while there are
  hundreds of studies examining peer-to-peer
  computer networking, few, if any, have examined
  the connection between writing proficiency and
  casual Instant Messaging.

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Classroom led CMC has been examined extensively
in relation to acquisition of a second language.

• Kawase, Ayako (2006). Second Language
  Acquisition and Synchronous Computer Mediated
  Communications.
• Research showed that ESL students showed great
  improvement in language acquisition through CMC
  (like IM).
• Blake, Robert (2004). Language Learning at a
  Distance Spanish Without Walls.
• Peer-to-peer online discussions appear to be a
  benefit, but more research is needed.
• Kern, Richard (2004). Crossing Frontiers New
  Directions in Online Pedagogy and Research.
• There is no single effect of using online
  communication, but rather that processes and
  results vary widely depending on a range of
  logistical, pedagogical, and social factor.

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More on CMC and language acquisition skills.

• Payne and Whitney (2002). Developing L2 Oral
  Proficiency through Synchronous CMC Output,
  Working Memory, and Interlanguage Development.
• Students in a study who used peer-to-peer chats
  improved their second language proficiency more
  dramatically than students who did not.
• Abrams, Zsuzsanna Ittzes (2003). The Effect of
  Synchronous and Asynchronous CMC on Oral
  Performance in German.
• Students in a study who used peer-to-peer chats
  did not necessarily improve their second language
  proficiency more dramatically than students who
  did not.
• Final Thought Although studies vary, most show
  at least some positive impact on student oral
  learning in relation to CMC technology.

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Some research examines the impact of CMC on
general Language Arts skills.

• Ocker and Yaverbaum (1999). Asynchronous
  Computer-mediated Communication versus
  Face-to-face Collaboration Results on Student
  Learning, Quality and Satisfaction.
• CMC can be equal to face-to-face collaboration as
  far as student learning, but students greatly
  prefer face-to-face collaboration.
• Berman, Isabel (2006). E-Mail inspired changes
  in non-native legal discourse.
• Students who regularly use informal e-mail wrote
  inappropriate professionals letters.
• Herring, Susan (2004). Computer-Mediated
  Discourse.
• While CMC users may use an incorrect language,
  the mistakes they make are purposeful and exhibit
  an awareness of proper language.

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Researchers are just beginning to examine the
impact of casual CMC use on student learning

• Baron, Naomi (2005). Instant Messaging and the
  Future of Language.
• Students are not necessarily negatively effected
  by IM, as long as they are also taught proper
  grammar.
• Newman, Johnson, Webb, and Cochrane (1998).
  Evaluating the quality of learning in Computer
  Supported Co-Operative Learning.
• Found that CMC can assist critical thinking, but
  only if it is focused. Also said that more
  research was needed.
• OConnor, Amanda (2005). Instant Messaging
  Friend or Foe of Student Writing?
• Teachers are just beginning to look at the
  potential of Instant Messaging in student
  writing, but no studies have yet examined it.

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Lit Review Conclusions

• What I realized
• While there has been extensive research on the
  benefits of using CMC in an educational setting,
  there are still a lot of questions.
• There seems to be evidence that CMC can assist in
  second language acquisition.
• There is mixed evidence on whether or not CMC can
  improve critical thinking or higher order
  learning.
• However, there is no definitive research on
  whether or not the casual use of CMC (in the form
  of instant messaging) actually influences writing
  skills.
• It is the goal of my research to look for a
  correlation between writing skills and CMC
  technology.

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Techniques

• Study Population
• Glen Lake Community School 10th graders (approx.
  65 total students).
• K-12 school building (810 total students), 20
  free or reduced lunch.
• Rural public school in Northern Michigan.
• Population is predominately white Caucasian (less
  than 10 percent classify themselves of a
  different race).
• Population ranges in socioeconomic status from
  poor to wealthy (skewing towards middle class).
• Approx. 80 percent of students have internet
  access at home.
• Glen Lake has 1-4 computers with internet access
  in each classroom and 4 available computer labs
  (with over 30 computers in each lab).

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Techniques (cont.)

• Study Guidelines
• Study will incorporate qualitative and
  quantitative data.
• Will use human subjects required form from MSU
  will be filled out and approval from the
  University Committee on Research Involving Human
  Subjects will be sought.
• Timeline student survey distributed in
  September, examined essays (4) assessed once per
  quarter, final write-up completed in June.
• Data processing software and money will not be
  required.

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Techniques (cont.)

• Study Design (Qualitative Data)
• Begin the year with survey of students.
• Sample topics to be covered in survey name,
  average English grades in the past, computer
  access at home, familiarity with peer-to-peer
  Computer Mediated Communications (like Instant
  Messenger), time spent using CMC per week (in
  hours).
• The survey information will be used to chart
  familiarity and use of CMC of my class
  population. It will be used to make general
  assumptions of my students computer familiarity
  and use.

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Techniques (cont.)

• Study Design (Quantitative Data).
• After collecting background information from my
  students, I will select 4 formal expository
  essays to compare CMC usage to the grades
  students received on those rubric-based
  assignments.
• At the top of each rubric, students will be asked
  to write the number of hours they spent
  conversing online during the week the assignment
  was due.
• The information gathered will be used to create
  graphs that will chart number of hours spent with
  CMC on the X-axis and essay grade on the Y-axis.
• I will create a graph for each essay included in
  the study and a final graph that will average
  students CMC use on the X-axis and their average
  essay grades on the Y-Axis.
• From those graphs, I hope to be able to make a
  recommendation on whether or not CMC technology
  improves or decreases student performance on
  writing assignments.

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Limitations

• Concerns with the potential study
• Small study population.
• Positive correlations data may skew towards
  wealthier students who have more access to the
  Internet.
• Positive correlation data may also skew towards
  students of families that value education and
  promote the use of the Internet access at home.
• I will be comparing only a few variables, which
  may not provide the complex data the study may
  demand to provide a full understanding of the
  project.

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Objectivity (Examining Bias)

• As a person who uses typing to put ideas on
  paper, I believe that typing skills can be very
  beneficial to higher order thinking, an overall
  objectivity concern that could skew the
  qualitative data towards a potentially desired
  positive result.
• I will be creating the rubrics and survey used to
  examine student performance, which could make the
  desired quantitative data qualitative,
  reinforcing potential bias.
• Overall, however, the goal of the research is to
  examine how factors outside of the classroom
  influence writing skills, which intrinsically
  should not overtly bias the research. It has no
  immediate or direct connection to my professional
  standards or goals.

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Selling It!

• Depending on the results of this research, it
  could be beneficial to many different interests
• Education and Technology Magazines might be
  interested in publishing the results.
• Educators and Administrators could use the
  results to add additional (or fewer) CMC
  opportunities in the classroom or through the
  school community.
• CMC-based companies might be interested in the
  results of the research to promote their product,
  or use the results to alter their product to
  better enhance learning opportunities.
• Government agencies (like the Department of
  Education) may use the results of the study to
  enact legislation to promote learning
  opportunities that promote the use (or disuse) of
  CMC technology.

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Selling It! (cont.)

• Publishing the Report
• Multifaceted publishing PowerPoint presentations
  (to school board, colleagues, parents), essay
  published on my blog.
• Depending on the results of my research, it may
  lead to further questions on how to change,
  enhance, or merely promote casual CMC activities
  in students.
• Because it has not been studied, it could have a
  large impact on how educators, parents and
  researchers view the technological revolution.

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The End
Benjamin Post and his avatar Grant Chawheed. Ben
spends 130 hours a week on the The Simpsons
Movie website. Hes seen each Simpsons preview
1200 times. Theres not much else to do on the
website, sadly.