Liu Wei

(College of Foreign Languages　Lanzhou Institute of Technology,Lanzhou　Gansu　730050)



Mediational Effect of Multimodal PPT Presentation on Students’ Learning Achievements〔*〕

Liu Wei

(College of Foreign LanguagesLanzhou Institute of Technology,LanzhouGansu730050)

This study endeavored to explore the mediational effects of multimodal PPT presentation on students’ CET-4 scores and their self-efficacy by using tests,questionnaires and interviews.Two classes,namely the control class (50 students) and the experimental class (51 students) were randomly chosen from 24 freshman year classes.The statistical results showed that participants in the experimental class have improved a lot in their performances in CET-4 as well as their levels of self-efficacy.The purpose is to provide an empirical evidence for this teaching model and encourage teachers to adopt it in real teaching practice so as to help language learners to form a dynamic balance among factors of linguistic input,internalization,and output.

multi-modal PPT presentation;CET-4 scores;self-efficacy

Ⅰ.Research design

1.Research questions

Having taken three factors,namely,multimodal PPT presentation,CET-4 scores and self-efficacy into consideration,the present study was designed to investigate the mediational effects of multimodal PPT presentation on students’ CET-4 scores and the self-efficacy.

2.Participants

In the present study,two classes,the controlled class (50 participants) and the experimental class (51 participants) were randomly chosen from twenty-four freshman classes of a college in Lanzhou.Participants of the above two classes were tested with a standard CET-4 examination paper,which was designed to evaluate their comprehensive English competence. Papers were then scored according to the CET-4 scoring standard and procedures.Besides,participants’ levels of self-efficacy in foreign language learning were measured by a questionnaire.Pre-test data collected from the above two measures,were then put into SPSS 17.0 for analysis.The class variation in the above two measures was tested by an analysis of One-way ANOVA,the analysis result of CET-4 (F=1.231，P= 0.463 (>0.05)) suggested a statistical insignificance between two classes.That of the self-efficacy (P>0.05) showed participants of the two classes held weak-perceived competence,diligence,environment and control,that is to say,the class variation in self-efficacy was also proved to be statistically insignificant.

3.Instruments

Instruments like test,questionnaire as well as interview were adopted in the present study.To evaluate participants’ comprehensive English competence and gains in CET-4 scores,the national standard CET-4 examination paper of June,2014 was used as a pretest,and that of December,2014 as a posttest.

By referring to Bian Yufang’s (2003) categorization of the four dimensions put forward in Bandura’s self-efficacy theory,and Xie Youru’s scale of college students’ self-efficacy in online learning,the questionnaire adopted in the present study was developed on the basis of Wang Lei’s “The Structure and Measurement of Self-efficacy” (1999).It was verified to be reliable and valid by the analysis of principal component and internal consistency (Conbach α=0.859).

Both group and cross interview were adopted,in which students’ opinions on the effects and influences of multimodal PPT presentation on foreign language learning were collected.The five questions in the questionnaire were measured according to the 5-point Likert scale ranging from “absolute disagreement” to “absolute agreement”.

4.Research Procedure

(1) Pretest

As is described in 3.2,participants’ self-efficacy in language learning and their comprehensive English competence were evaluated in the pretest,so as to make sure the two classes were comparable in the above two aspects.

(2) The teaching experiment

In the present study,a 2+2 class instruction model (two periods of intensive reading plus two periods of listening & speaking) was adopted in the experimental class.While teaching reading,writing,listening and speaking,besides printed paper materials,a three-dimensional and sense-stimulated multimodal PPT presentation was used to enhance language input,in which such multimodal symbols as transcripts,sounds,videos,colors,graphs and so on are included..For the control class,the 2+2 class instruction model was carried out by the traditional verbal language-based instruction.

(3) Post-test

After the experimental phase,participants were again required to finish the questionnaire of self-efficacy in foreign language learning,and then take part in the CET-4 examination in December,2014,so as to find out whether participants’ performance in the two measures would be statistically significant after they were taught by two different instruction methods.

(4) Interview

According to the results of CET-4 exams and questionnaires gained in pretests and posttests,20 participants were chosen randomly from the experimental class and then allocated into two groups to take the interview.To ensure its objectivity and accuracy,the whole process of interview was conducted and recorded by two students at the absence of the teacher.

(5) Data collection and analysis

Research data about participants’ performances in CET-4 papers and questionnaires in pretest and posttest,were collected and quantified for the convenience of quantitative analysis by SPSS 17.0.The results of the interview were qualitatively analyzed.

Ⅱ.Results

1.Effects of multimodal PPT presentation on participants’ CET-4 scores and their self-efficacy

Table 1Independent sample t-test of two classes

Figures in Table 1 indicate that participants in the experimental class have made greater progress in their CET-4 scores after being taught with multimodal PPT presentation for one semester.The class differences turn out to be statistically significant (p=.033<.05),which suggests a positive effect of multimodal PPT presentation on students’ CET-4 scores.

Table 2The Independent Sample T-test of Students’ Self-efficacy

Figures in Table 2 show that during the pretest,class differences in the four aspects,namely the perceived competence,diligence,environment and control were not significant.However,during the posttest,participants in the experimental class acquired higher values in the four aspects of their self-efficacy,among which the P values of their perceived competence and control reached.009 and.004(<0.01).It can be inferred that participants in this class have significantly improved their levels of self-efficacy,which thus indicates a robust role of the multimodal PPT presentation in improving students’ levels of self-efficacy.

2.The mediational effects of multimodal PPT presentation on students’ CET-4 scores and their self-efficacy

For further analysis of the mediational effects of multimodal PPT presentation on students’ CET-4 scores and their self-efficacy,a correlation test was conducted by adopting the difference between participants’ two CET-4 scores and that of their corresponding self-efficacy.The results of the correlation between the two factors are displayed in Table 3.

Table 3Correlation between self-efficacy and CET-4 scores

Correlation is significant at the 0.01 level (2-tailed)

As is shown in table 3,after being instructed by the multimodal PPT presentation,students’ levels of self-efficacy correlate significantly (r=.578;sig.=.000) with their CET-4 scores,which indicates a positive correlation between students’ gain in CET-4 scores and their levels of self-efficacy.It also helps to illustrate a significant mediational effect of the multimodal PPT presentation on students’ CET-4 scores and their self-efficacy,that is to say,the adoption of multimodal PPT presentation in class can have a direct effect on students’ CET-4 scores and their self-efficacy,which in turn can exert an influence on CET-4 scores indirectly.

3.Result of interview

Interview involved in the present study concerned about students’ opinions and reflections on the multimodal PPT presentation.Its result was line with that of the questionnaire,most participants were highly approved of this new instruction method.It was found in the interview that participants in the experimental class have improved a lot both in their academic performances and levels of self-efficacy after being taught by the multimodal PPT presentation.However,participants in the controlled class made little progress in the above two aspects.

Ⅲ.Major findings

Based on the above results,the major findings of the present study can be summarized as the following:most students tended to be in favor of the multimodal PPT presentation.By comparing with students in controlled class,students in experimental class have made more progress in their CET-4 scores and self-efficacy.In this case,by taking the current teaching situation of College English into consideration,the multimodal PPT presentation was proved to be more effective than the traditional instruction modal in improving students’ comprehensive English competence and learning self-efficacy.The reasons are listed as the following five points:

(1) In the multimodal PPT presentation,students’ learning scope can be expanded via Internet,which makes it possible for students to acquire more knowledge and do more linguistic practice in class.(2) The multimodal PPT presentation caters for students’ personal learning needs and interests.(3) Contents for compulsoriness and extension can be effectively integrated with each other in the multimodal PPT presentation.(4) In comparison with traditional instruction modal,multimodal PPT presentation can provide teachers and students with more opportunities of language input and output.(5) In comparison with traditional instruction modal,the multimodal PPT presentation helps to create a friendlier learning environment,in which students are offered a wealth of learning resources and chances to be exposed to language in a real and multi-linguistic context.

The results of the present study have revealed,by comparing with traditional instruction modal,a positive effect of the multimodal PPT presentation on students’ comprehensive English competence and their self-efficacy.Moreover,its mediational effects on students’ CET-4 scores and self-efficacy were also proved to be significant.

The significant effect of the multimodal PPT presentation demonstrated in the present study makes it worthy of trying in teaching practice.In English teaching practice,teachers are supposed to accept the idea of the multimodal PPT presentation and defeat all the fences around the traditional linguistic-centered teaching instruction,so as to cultivate students’ comprehensive English competence and self-efficacy.More attention should be attached to developing students’ literacy ability,semantic construction ability by choosing different modalities,ability of acquiring information selectively via multimedia technology,as well as their culture evaluating and criticizing ability.In the meantime,teachers should make every effort to construct the multimodal English class by integrating elements like words,images,animations and colors together,in which students’ senses of mind,brain,mouth and ears can be stimulated and thus coordinate well with each other so as to create a dynamic balance among factors of linguistic input,internalization,and output.

〔1〕Bandura,A.,Self-efficacy:The Exercise of Control,New York:Freeman,1997.

〔2〕Hampel,R.,M.Hauck,Computer-mediated language learning:Making meaning in multimodal virtual learning spaces,The JALT CALL Journal,2006,2(2),pp.3-18.

〔3〕McQuiggan,S.W.,B.W.Mott & J.C.Lester,Modeling self-efficacy in intelligent tutoring systems:An inductive approach,User Modeling and User-Adapted Interaction,2008,18(1-2),pp.81-123.

About the author：Liu Wei,associate professor at College of Foreign Languages,Lanzhou Institute of Technology.

〔*〕This paper is supported by the key project of Research on the Reform of English Teaching in Colleges and Universities in Gansu province.