Abstract Summary/Description
This study investigates the comparative effects of computer-based and paper-based data-driven learning (DDL) on learning new vocabulary. In both of these methods, learners engage with real-world examples of language use in corpora to discover patterns, rules, and meanings through exploration and analysis of the language. The participants in the current study are 52 university prep students who are randomly assigned to one of the experimental conditions as computer-based DDL and paper-based DDL. Participants in the computer-based DDL group study the twenty target words inductively using online corpora, whereas the participants in the paper-based DDL group study the same target words inductively on paper-based concordances pre-selected from corpora by teachers. Adopting a quasi-experimental mixed methods design, the study utilizes pre-tests and post-tests, individual think-aloud protocol, and focus group interviews to collect data. The collected data is analyzed to explore how paper-based DDL compares to computer-based DDL on (1) vocabulary recall and recognition, (2) students’ constructing vocabulary knowledge behaviors using corpus data, (3) pair work and individual work, and (4) students’ attitudes. The study fills in the gap in the literature by concluding that there is no significant difference between paper-based DDL and computer-based DDL on students’ vocabulary gains according to pre-test and post-test results. Qualitative data obtained from think-aloud protocols and focus group interviews reveals notable differences and similarities between the two groups regarding the challenges they encountered with the two types of DDL tasks, the advantages they derived from these experiences, and their expectations.
