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Article published In:
Chinese as a Second Language (漢語教學研究—美國中文教師學會學報)
Vol. 52:3 (2017) ► pp.255–289

Applying research-based multimedia design principles in designing and teaching beginning CFL learners the ba construction online

A pilot study

| Iowa State University

Teaching grammar online is an increasingly necessary practice, but the process is resource-heavy, requiring online tools such as grammar videos. Studies show that current online grammar modules have mixed effectiveness, and none of the studies have examined the effects of the design of these modules. This study investigated whether an online module, designed according to basic multi-media design principles, is effective in helping learners understand the use of the ba construction. The study also asked how the students respond to the use of the online module. The findings show that the online module improved learners’ understanding and use of the ba construction. It also found that the students enjoyed using the online module and would like to have similar opportunities to learn grammar via multimedia online modules.

Keywords: multimedia, multimedia learning, grammar learning, ba construction, online module, flipped classroom, online grammar module
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Literature review
    • 2.1 The benefits of using multimedia in teaching
    • 2.2 The role of explicit grammar instruction in teaching
    • 2.3 Design of grammar teaching in studies of online learning
    • 2.4 The ba construction: An important but challenging grammar concept in Mandarin Chinese
  • 3.Theoretical framework
    • 3.1 The cognitive load theory
    • 3.2 The cognitive theory of multimedia learning
      • 3.2.1Reducing extraneous processing
      • 3.2.2Managing essential processing
      • 3.2.3Fostering generative processing
      • 3.2.4Advanced principles
    • 3.3 Task appropriateness
  • 4.The design of the ba construction grammar module
    • 4.1 Selecting what to teach about the ba construction
    • 4.2 The design of the procedure
    • 4.3 Narration in the multimedia presentation
    • 4.4 Selection of images, animations, and videos used in the multimedia presentation
    • 4.5 Presence of voice, text, images, and animations
    • 4.6Preparing the learners
    • 4.7 Applying task appropriateness criteria in designing review tasks
  • 5.Research design
    • 5.1 Procedure
    • 5.2 Data collection
    • 5.3 Data analysis
  • 6.Results and discussion
    • 6.1 The online module’s effectiveness in improving beginning CFL learners’ understanding and use of the ba construction
    • 6.2 The post-test reveals two challenges
    • 6.3 Students’ perception of the instruction in the online module
  • 7.Conclusion
  • 8.Limitations
  • Acknowledgements
  • References
Published online: 14 December 2017
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/csl.52.3.03zha
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