This chapter has reviewed literature on the theoretical background of the study, including 21st century learning, the role of technology in education and Computer Assisted Language Learning. An attempt has also been made to summarize empirical evidence on key issues related to the integration of technology in education, such as students’ and teachers’ use of technology in and out of the classroom, their perceptions towards its use and barriers that
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can prevent its successful application. Finally, empirical research on specific tools that will be investigated in the study, i.e. Virtual Learning Environments, Personal Learning Environments, web 2.0 tools and wikis have been presented and discussed. In reviewing the literature, an abundance of empirical data investigating the issues related to my research has been found. However, certain limitations of previous research and the necessity for collecting more data in particular situations have also been identified, which will be detailed below together with the main findings of previous research.
The evidence presented in this chapter suggests that today’s digital native generation of students form a heterogeneous group, with a universal access to core technologies and a frequent use of communication tools and social media. Nevertheless, they have been found to use more advanced technologies very rarely, while their technological skills have also been observed to show considerable variation. Accordingly, most of them seem to prefer traditional ways of teaching and would prefer moderate use of technology in the classroom, although their perceptions towards the use of ICT tools seemed to be overall positive in retrospection after attending a course. Similarly, great diversity has been reported in the teachers’ use of technology, as well as their technological skills. Although the conditions are generally present in schools in the developed world, only a low number of teachers use high-level applications in the classroom and traditional teaching methods still seem to prevail. The considerable diversity in students’ and teachers’ use of technology demonstrated by empirical research also carries implications for the present research project. As a consequence, the integration of technology into teaching must be done after careful planning that considers all these aspects, including the collection of data about students and teachers in a particular context.
As for the implementation of VLEs, PLEs, web 2.0 tools and wikis in teaching, the results of previous research reviewed in this chapter revealed considerable differences between the tools. Similarly to technology in general, the use of VLEs seems to be mainly
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confined to administration and the provision of course material and resources, which support traditional teaching practices. However, PLEs, web 2.0 tools and wikis have been observed to serve more innovative purposes, such as collaboration, knowledge building and sharing, as well as personalized learning. A possible explanation for this might be the difference in teachers’ motivations for using the tools. While VLEs are implemented by institutions and a large number of teachers use them as an obligatory tool in teaching; PLEs, web 2.0 tools and wikis are mostly selected voluntarily by teachers who seek innovation. Furthermore, the diversity of web 2.0 tools, the scarcity of empirical research on PLEs and the importance of context for the integration of technology in the classroom necessitate case studies conducted in specific settings. My investigation of the integration of a VLE and web 2.0 tools into language teaching at a Hungarian college not only aims at providing the background for the successful implementation of technology, but also attempts to contribute to the research area by examining the relatively under-researched Hungarian higher education context.
Based on the review of literature it can also be concluded that the integration of technology into teaching is a highly complex issue, whose success depends on several factors.
Considering the literature on the theoretical background and the results of empirical research, a set of principles can be formulated:
The implementation of new tools in language teaching needs 1. to be grounded theoretically and pedagogically
a. following constructivist guidelines
b. preparing students for 21st century life and employment c. encouraging lifelong learning
2. to consider students’ skills and needs including their a. learning style
b. digital skills
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3. to be perceived useful by teachers 4. to be carefully planned including
a. the selection of appropriate tools, tasks and resources b. decisions about assessment and feedback
c. time management for the teacher and the students
5. to be accompanied by training and support based on the students’ needs including a. technical training
b. training in group work and peer review c. evaluating resources
d. helping them understand the objectives of the project 6. to be reviewed and revised continuously.
In the next Chapter the design and methodology of the present research will be discussed. First the research questions will be presented, followed by the design, participants, instruments and procedures for each of the four phases of the research described in Chapter 1.2 will be provided.
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3 Research design
This chapter provides an overview of the design of the four phases of the research that I conducted in order to investigate the possibility of integrating a virtual classroom and web 2.0 tools in language teaching at a higher education college in Budapest. A mixed-methods design with a development function (Dörnyei, 2007) was applied to explore the different components of the issue. Thus, the results of the first three phases helped to develop the design of the fourth phase. In Phase 1 first-year students’ use of technology was explored, as well as their dispositions towards the use of computers and the internet and towards attending a blended language course at a college in Budapest. The results were expected to provide information about the feasibility of integrating technology into a course at the same institution and about the preparation needed to introduce new methods. Phase 2 and 3 focused on teachers’ use, investigating language teachers’ use of a VLE at the same college (Phase 2), and technological expert language teachers’ use of technology at different tertiary education institutes in Budapest (Phase 3). The results of these two phases were intended to inform the researcher about the problems concerning the use of the VLE and reasons for its limited exploitation, also shedding light on some best practices of using technology in the Hungarian context in tertiary education. This information was used to design the framework and the activities in the last phase. The aim of Phase 4 was to gain in-depth experience about the use of VLEs and web 2.0 tools in language teaching at a higher education college in Budapest by conducting a longitudinal case study of a three-term blended English language course for two groups of first-year students. In the following section the research questions will be presented, while the description of the four phases of the research will be discussed in Chapters 4 to 7.
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