This article reports the findings of a study that sought to investigate whether computer-based vs. paper-based test-delivery mode has an impact on the reliability and validity of an achievement test for a pedagogical content knowledge... more
This article reports the findings of a study that sought to investigate whether computer-based vs. paper-based test-delivery mode has an impact on the reliability and validity of an achievement test for a pedagogical content knowledge course in an English teacher education program. A total of 97 university students enrolled in the English as a foreign language (EFL) teacher education program were randomly assigned to the experimental group that took the computer-based achievement test online and the control group that took the same test in paper-and-pencil based format. Results of Spearman Rank order and Mann-Whitney U tests indicated that test-delivery mode did not have any impact on the reliability and validity of the tests administered in either way. Findings also demonstrated that there was not any significant difference in test scores between participants who took the computer-based test and those who took the paper-based test. Findings were discussed in terms of the idea that computer technology could be integrated into the curriculum not only for instructional practices but also for assessment purposes.
Computer-assisted language testing (CALT) offers language teachers the opportunity to transform the work they do in the language classroom. Apart from saving teachers time to mark and manage the grading process, the immediate feedback... more
Computer-assisted language testing (CALT) offers language teachers the opportunity to transform the work they do in the language classroom. Apart from saving teachers time to mark and manage the grading process, the immediate feedback provided to students can have a powerful impact on their learning. In a review of Center for English as a Lingua Franca (CELF) teachers use of the Blackboard content management system (CMS), however, Milliner & Cote (2016) identified that very few CELF teachers are making use of CALT. This article attempts to make a case for CALT and introduces two formats that teachers can adopt: (1) the Blackboard® CMS, and (2) Google Forms and Google Sheets with some helpful add-on applications.
Mobile devices have sweeping repercussions in education and suggest shifting content-engagement paradigms. Extensive reading (ER) is not unaffected by the many evolving aspects of mobile technology in second language classrooms. This... more
Mobile devices have sweeping repercussions in education and suggest shifting content-engagement paradigms. Extensive reading (ER) is not unaffected by the many evolving aspects of mobile technology in second language classrooms. This paper reflects on Xreading®, an online graded reader (GR) and learning management system (LMS) designed for digital ER. Students at a private university in Tokyo had access to this online library using mobile devices. While overall reflections were positive, actual engagement with GR's and the software, was significantly lower for a surprising number of participants. Focusing on those reluctant readers (RRs) this study investigates the basis for disengagement, both with ER and perhaps with mobile technology. Using a post-pilot questionnaire and focus group discussion, the authors attempted to understand reasons behind the disconnect. Key findings for why students neglected this system included: insufficient software training, misconceptions about reading extensively and ineffective exploitation of intrinsic and extrinsic motivators.
Dr. Pasch completed his doctorate in Communication at the University of Washington, Seattle, in December 2008. For his dissertation fieldwork he was awarded Government of Canada and US Department of Education grants to live with an... more
Dr. Pasch completed his doctorate in Communication at the University of Washington, Seattle, in December 2008.
For his dissertation fieldwork he was awarded Government of Canada and US Department of Education grants to live with an Inuit community in Nunavik, (Arctic Quebec), where he studied online social networks in the North.
He is fluent in French and Japanese, and has a working knowledge of the Inuit language.
His research focuses on developing linguistic and cultural enhancement technologies (focused on the Canadian Arctic) in the forms of social networking, audio production, digital imaging, instructional screencasts, mobile applications and website development.
Since his arrival at UND in 2009, Dr. Pasch has published both sole-author and collaborative peer-reviewed publications in the areas of Canadian Arctic and Borderland studies, New Media and Communication, and Computer-Mediated Data Analysis.
Dr. Pasch’s presentation today relates to his research into developing Computer-Mediated Communicative and Mobile Application Strategies for Endangered Language Learning in Children.
