Schedule: 2009-09-12 (15:45 - 16:30)
Parallel Session 3 (Room A-32)

Title: How technological innovation can change pedagogical environments: Two empirical studies on the use of handheld electronic dictionaries
Authors: Toshiko Koyama
Abstract: Technology has diversified the types of learners’ dictionaries over the past two decades. While digitized dictionaries such as those on CD-ROM and the Web have been using all over the world (e.g., Knight, 1994; Laufer, 2000), a new type of learners’ dictionary, namely, a handheld electronic dictionary (E-dictionary) has become popular among EFL learners in Japan, Korea, and China. Although the advent of the E-dictionary has brought about pedagogical changes, particularly in Japan, the effect of such a technological innovation on EFL learning has not been sufficiently examined (e.g., Koyama & Takeuchi, 2003). The E-dictionary only provides learners with fragmentary information about the target words due to the limitations of the screen display. This is in contrast with a traditional printed dictionary (P-dictionary) that can offer ample information “on the same page”.
The present paper proposes two research questions to clarify how technology can have a beneficial effect on EFL learning: 1) Does an E-dictionary actually change learners’ look-up behavior? and 2) Does an E-dictionary have a beneficial influence on EFL learning? The first study explored the differences in learners’ look-up behavior and the retention of looked-up words between use of the E- and P-dictionaries. Two experiments were conducted under different conditions. Participants were 18 undergraduate university students and performed two tasks in the first session: comprehending texts without a dictionary and answering vocabulary tests including the words from the text with a dictionary. In the second session, which was held on seven days after the first session, recall and recognition tasks were assigned. The vocabulary test scores and the number of the words retained were statistically compared. The results that the words looked up under the P-dictionary condition were well-retained, while no difference in vocabulary test scores was observed. The second series of experiments was conducted with 72 undergraduate students, and were also divided into two groups. Each group was assigned two tasks; to read texts using designated dictionaries and answer quizzes. Immediately after the second task, a vocabulary list, composed of words in the texts, was administered. The numbers of the looked-up words and retained words were examined. The E-dictionary group looked up more words to comprehend the texts than the P-dictionary group. However, no significant difference was found in the number of the words retained.
The second study investigated the relation between learners’ look-up frequency and degree of reading comprehension of the text. 31 undergraduate students were divided into two groups (E- and P-dictionary Groups), and . each group was assigned two tasks; to read texts by using designated dictionaries and to answer quizzes related to the texts they had read. The number of looked-up words, the time they needed for the tasks, and the quiz scores for each group were statistically examined. The results showed that although the E-dictionary group looked up more words to comprehend the texts than the P-dictionary group in a shorter period of time, no significant difference was found in the quiz scores.
Pedagogical suggestions will be made based on these findings.
Keywords: Handheld electronic dictionary, Reading comprehension, Retention, EFL learning

Main topic: Research in new language learning environments

Biodata: Toshiko Koyama (Ph.D. in Foreign Language Education) is currently Associate Professor of English at Osaka Ohtani University, Osaka, Japan. She also teaches the basic computer skills to college students. Her research focuses on the application of new technologies to foreign language education.
Type of presentation Paper presentation

Paper category Research

Target educational sector Higher education

Language of delivery English

EU-funded project No

Schedule:	2009-09-12 (15:45 - 16:30) Parallel Session 3 (Room A-32)
Title:	How technological innovation can change pedagogical environments: Two empirical studies on the use of handheld electronic dictionaries
Authors:	Toshiko Koyama
Abstract:	Technology has diversified the types of learners’ dictionaries over the past two decades. While digitized dictionaries such as those on CD-ROM and the Web have been using all over the world (e.g., Knight, 1994; Laufer, 2000), a new type of learners’ dictionary, namely, a handheld electronic dictionary (E-dictionary) has become popular among EFL learners in Japan, Korea, and China. Although the advent of the E-dictionary has brought about pedagogical changes, particularly in Japan, the effect of such a technological innovation on EFL learning has not been sufficiently examined (e.g., Koyama & Takeuchi, 2003). The E-dictionary only provides learners with fragmentary information about the target words due to the limitations of the screen display. This is in contrast with a traditional printed dictionary (P-dictionary) that can offer ample information “on the same page”. The present paper proposes two research questions to clarify how technology can have a beneficial effect on EFL learning: 1) Does an E-dictionary actually change learners’ look-up behavior? and 2) Does an E-dictionary have a beneficial influence on EFL learning? The first study explored the differences in learners’ look-up behavior and the retention of looked-up words between use of the E- and P-dictionaries. Two experiments were conducted under different conditions. Participants were 18 undergraduate university students and performed two tasks in the first session: comprehending texts without a dictionary and answering vocabulary tests including the words from the text with a dictionary. In the second session, which was held on seven days after the first session, recall and recognition tasks were assigned. The vocabulary test scores and the number of the words retained were statistically compared. The results that the words looked up under the P-dictionary condition were well-retained, while no difference in vocabulary test scores was observed. The second series of experiments was conducted with 72 undergraduate students, and were also divided into two groups. Each group was assigned two tasks; to read texts using designated dictionaries and answer quizzes. Immediately after the second task, a vocabulary list, composed of words in the texts, was administered. The numbers of the looked-up words and retained words were examined. The E-dictionary group looked up more words to comprehend the texts than the P-dictionary group. However, no significant difference was found in the number of the words retained. The second study investigated the relation between learners’ look-up frequency and degree of reading comprehension of the text. 31 undergraduate students were divided into two groups (E- and P-dictionary Groups), and . each group was assigned two tasks; to read texts by using designated dictionaries and to answer quizzes related to the texts they had read. The number of looked-up words, the time they needed for the tasks, and the quiz scores for each group were statistically examined. The results showed that although the E-dictionary group looked up more words to comprehend the texts than the P-dictionary group in a shorter period of time, no significant difference was found in the quiz scores. Pedagogical suggestions will be made based on these findings.
Keywords:	Handheld electronic dictionary, Reading comprehension, Retention, EFL learning
Main topic:	Research in new language learning environments
Biodata:	Toshiko Koyama (Ph.D. in Foreign Language Education) is currently Associate Professor of English at Osaka Ohtani University, Osaka, Japan. She also teaches the basic computer skills to college students. Her research focuses on the application of new technologies to foreign language education.
Type of presentation	Paper presentation
Paper category	Research
Target educational sector	Higher education
Language of delivery	English
EU-funded project	No