Discussion of the Challenges from Learner Variable
The study was conducted to examine the effectiveness of applying blogs to teaching an
EFL college writing class. With a body of survey and questionnaire types of
studiesclaiming the benefits of blogs, the researcher expected that the treatment of blogs
would benefit the experimental class a lot. Though a variety of variables were controlled
in advance to make the comparison fair, the findings still surprised the researcher,
especially the part of writing self-efficacy (self-confidence). Regardless of the benefit of
blogs to the studen
ts’ metalinguistic performance, blogs did not impressively help boost
their other performances. Along the way of study, in fact, it was the control class who
impressed the researcher in a lot of ways so as to inspire her to examine the effect of
learner variable on learning outcome in her future study.
By way of the observation data of student learning behaviors, it was found that there was
an obvious difference in the two classes’ personalities and classroom dynamics, which
was confirmed by the researche
r’s colleague who was invited to observe the two classes
twice and noticed by the rater who helped code the data for metalingusitic performance.
As the colleague and rater described, overall, the control class was relatively a more out-
going, livelier and concentrated class while the experimental class was a quieter, more
reserved, and less devoted one. By the researcher’s observation, the two classes differed
in the frequency of eye-
contact and laughter, their responses to the teacher’s class
inquiry, learning atmosphere as well as classroom participation. By and large, the control
class was recalled as a vivid class and the experimental class a passive and more reticent
one.
If we match the observation date with the learning outcome of the students’ self
-
confidence in writing, then the findings would not surprise us. It seems that the positive
learning atmosphere of the control class infected the whole class and made them
engaged in learning and feels confident about in writing regardless of not having the aid
of technology. The control class’ learning behavior impressed the researcher in that
learner’s exercise of agency within a particular community can tip the balance of two
classes and even surmount an allegedly beneficial treatment. The results direct the
researcher to re-visit the theory of second/foreign language acquisition, which confirms
its importance again. Notice that a variety of variables were controlled to make the
comparison fair, including the age, gender, major, language proficiency level, syllabus
design, and instruction. What we did not know in advance is the students’ personalities
and what they could contribute to the classroom dynamics and learning atmosphere.
Though we could measure learners’ personalities by way of
the Myers-Briggs type
indicator (1998),
the study did not carry out the measurement in advance since the focus
of the study was not about the correlation between personality and learning outcome.
The results, nevertheless, showed us that learner contribution resulted from a unique
learning community plays a significant role in learning outcome.
The interesting findings from learner variable in this study suggest a future agenda: a
study conducting in the classroom should incorporate more qualitative data into its
quantitative ones even though the primary focus is on the quantitative data for analysis.
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2014 CALL Conference
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