The Impact of Wikis and Discussion Boards on Learning English as a Second Language. A Mixed Methods Research
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1344/der.2017.32.35-59Keywords:
B-learning environment, Mixed Methods Research, Discussion Boards, Wiki-Based Tasks, English as L2Abstract
In the field of teaching a second language (L2), technology has always occupied a relevant position. The development of new technological tools has allowed the convergence of two learning environments, traditional face-to-face learning and virtual learning. This convergence has fostered the advantages of both types of instructions and the possibilities to learn a L2. In this study, researchers tried to explore pre-service teachers’ perspectives towards the use of wikis and discussion boards to improve writing skills in English and promote autonomous and collaborative learning in a B-learning environment. 358 pre-service teachers participated in the study in which a mixed methods research approach was adopted to integrate results and have a broader vision of the phenomenon. The results suggested pre-service teachers’ positive perception of the e-activities developed to improve the quality of their English, feeling more confidence in that language. They highlighted the opportunities afforded by wikis to create collective texts based on their agreements and individual contributions that promoted individual and cooperative learning, and by discussion boards to communicate, solve problems, get consensus or support a dynamic process. The fact of using a mixed methods research approach enhanced the validity and reliability of data, and added rigor to the study.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
The authors who publish in this journal agree to the following terms:
- Authors retain copyright and grant the journal the right of first publication.
- The texts published in Digital Education Review, DER, are under a license Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4,0 Spain, of Creative Commons. All the conditions of use in: Creative Commons,
- In order to mention the works, you must give credit to the authors and to this Journal.
- Digital Education Review, DER, does not accept any responsibility for the points of view and statements made by the authors in their work.