ERIC Number: EJ1177696
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2018
Pages: 18
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: EISSN-1642-1027
EISSN: N/A
Collaborative Academic Projects on Social Network Sites to Socialize EAP Students into Academic Communities of Practice
Dashtestani, Reza
Teaching English with Technology, v18 n2 p3-20 2018
Learning English for academic purposes (EAP) can help university students promote their academic literacy through socializing them into academic communities of practice. This study examined the impact of the use of collaborative projects on three social network sites on EAP students' attitudes towards EAP and academic content learning. Three groups of students from three disciplines, i.e. engineering (n = 54), social sciences (n = 57), and basic sciences (n = 62) participated in the study. The students participated in collaborative projects on three social network sites, i.e. "Facebook," "LinkedIn," and "ResearchGate," for a period of four months with the help of their teachers. Questionnaires and semi-structured interviews were utilized as the instruments of the study. The results suggested that the students from the three disciplines had positive attitudes towards carrying out collaborative projects on three social network sites. No significant difference was identified regarding students' attitudes. The perceived benefits of the project work included opportunities for having international communication, learning academic vocabulary, peer collaboration, teacher support, and opportunities for improving academic English and academic literacy. The study further explored students' attitudes towards factors which affected students' project work and the limitations of the use of collaborative projects on three social network sites. The students showed a preference for using "Facebook"; however they did not agree on their interest in the use of "ResearchGate" and "LinkedIn." The findings can have implications for integrating the three social network sites in EAP instruction.
Descriptors: Communities of Practice, Social Networks, English for Academic Purposes, Student Attitudes, Cooperative Learning, Student Projects, Social Media, Questionnaires, Semi Structured Interviews, Mixed Methods Research, Barriers, Preferences, College Second Language Programs, Teaching Methods, Instructional Effectiveness, Foreign Countries
IATEFL Poland Computer Special Interest Group / University of Nicosia / Maria Curie-Sklodowska University. Ul. J. Sowinskiego 17, 20-041 Lublin, Poland. Web site: http://tewtjournal.org
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Iran (Tehran)
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A