This paper focuses on how mobile technology helps in improving the language competencies of terti... more This paper focuses on how mobile technology helps in improving the language competencies of tertiary level students outside the classroom. It also focuses on how it motivates and encourages the students to learn the language better through digital media. A carefully selected and constructed teaching material available in digital media can give students an immediate multimedia experience which can trigger vocabulary learning, and thus making both teaching and learning experiences enjoyable. It is important that both students and teachers know how to access and use the technology to its best advantage. Classroom interaction and student involvement could be facilitated better with the help of mobile phones through the use of Mobile Assisted Language Learning (MALL). In the chosen study 15 students from B.A (PEP) (Psychology, English & Political Science) and 15 from B.A LLB of Hindustan Institute of Technology & Science (HITS) were considered. BA LLB comprised the experimental group and were allowed to use their mobile phones in the classroom incorporating technology enhanced language teaching and flipped classroom technique, whereas the BA (PEP) group was taught in the conventional way. Results after the experimental study indicated that the students who used MALL were able to perform better in the exams with desired learning outcomes.
English language learning text books are important media in providing base to acquire practical l... more English language learning text books are important media in providing base to acquire practical language skills. It was broadly noticed that the text books and the work books designed to be taught in B.Sc. nursing are not catering to the needs of the language learners as they fail to motivate the nurses to acquire the language because of the very content. The content of the text books and workbooks used in some institutes are of General English. As the role of ESP playing an important role, lot of researches have been undertaken to design and adapt the methods or the approaches of teaching and learning that are ESP related. Text book analysis was carried out to study the reason behind the ineffectiveness of the language text books used in two different nursing institutes. It was noted that there are number of reasons how the content of the text books couldn't be motivating and sufficient enough to acquire the language skills. Text book analysis helped the researchers that inclusion of discipline-based texts to teach reading skills, discipline-based listening scripts to teach listening skills, discipline-based topics and genres of writing to practice writing skills and discipline-based situational speaking contexts to enhance speaking skills which will probably reap the learning objectives of the course in successfully acquiring practical language skills.
Background/Objectives: In India, teaching English for learners in heterogeneous and overcrowded c... more Background/Objectives: In India, teaching English for learners in heterogeneous and overcrowded classrooms is a challengingtask.ThisstudyattemptstoinvestigatetheeffectofteachingBigWritingelementsattertiarylevel.Methods/ Statistical Analysis: The study is experimental and it involves a single group. The participants of the study were seventy, firstyearB.ComstudentsfromHindustanInstituteofTechnologyandScience,Chennai,SouthIndia.Pre-testandpost-test wereadministeredbeforeandaftertheinterventionandtheresultwasanalysedusingSPSSsoftware.Findings:Thefindingsofthestudysuggestthatthereisastatisticallysignificantimprovementinwritingabilitiesoftheparticipantsafterthe BigWritinginstruction.Applications/Improvements:TheBigWritingapproachcanbeusedtodevelopthewritingskills of the technical students belonging to polytechnic colleges and engineering students, especially the low achievers.
Knowing the performance and understanding where one stands and which areas one needs to improve i... more Knowing the performance and understanding where one stands and which areas one needs to improve is one of the major aspects of learning and assessment. Feedback surveys helps to achieve this and are useful for teachers, students as well as research scholars for their assessment as well as improvement. My research is based on the survey conducted on a group of research scholars during the period of complete digitisation as a result of lockdown. A feedback survey done on various parameters such as online lectures, webinars, online international and national conferences, online DC meetings, online viva voce, hands on training workshops and research work indicates that most of the scholars prefer to do experimental research in the campus, whereas webinars and conferences are preferred online. The research helped to identify the effects of online learning on LSRW skills. Feedback survey is essential for all stake holders whether its students, teachers or research scholars. It is a revolu...
International Journal of Innovative Technology and Exploring Engineering, 2019
This paper a part of a larger study on the effects of blended learning, it describes classroom ex... more This paper a part of a larger study on the effects of blended learning, it describes classroom experiences from a teacher and learner and details the action research on 250 students who were administered a course on Communication Skills & Personality Development to the Third Year Engineering Students at HITS Chennai, India. The regular parameters of conducting a course such as {a} attendance, {b} performance based results {c} on time submission of tasks and {d}engaging them in class activities became more challenging to the researcher because of the attitude that the scholars presented towards language learning. This ranges from non-acceptance of any new format of teaching, unwillingness to put in extra effort, inhibition stemming from the perception of their peers. To that end the teaching method and assessment were developed that included constructivism, social constructivism and problem-based learning as pedagogy. The programme designed also integrated flipped learning, peer and ...
In every profession, soft skills play an important role to be effective and successful. Different... more In every profession, soft skills play an important role to be effective and successful. Different soft skills are needed in different professions. Nurses and nursing managers are the professionals who need both clinical skills as well as soft skills. If one wants to be reliable and professionally competitive they need to acquire the needed soft skills through effective communication skills. In the 21 st Century, the very question of getting a job as a nursing professional does not depend on mere certification with clinical skills but also in having the necessary soft skills. A study was conducted among a group of nurses and nursing managers to know whether they are aware of essential nursing soft skills and how far do they agree that communication skills play an important role in acquiring the needed soft skills. The results show that most of them are not aware of the needed soft skills and many of them do not agree that effective communication plays an important role in acquiring the other soft skills.
English language learning text books are important media in providing base to acquire practical l... more English language learning text books are important media in providing base to acquire practical language skills. It was broadly noticed that the text books and the work books designed to be taught in B.Sc. nursing are not catering to the needs of the language learners as they fail to motivate the nurses to acquire the language because of the very content. The content of the text books and workbooks used in some institutes are of General English. As the role of ESP playing an important role, lot of researches have been undertaken to design and adapt the methods or the approaches of teaching and learning that are ESP related. Text book analysis was carried out to study the reason behind the ineffectiveness of the language text books used in two different nursing institutes. It was noted that there are number of reasons how the content of the text books couldn't be motivating and sufficient enough to acquire the language skills. Text book analysis helped the researchers that inclusion of discipline-based texts to teach reading skills, discipline-based listening scripts to teach listening skills, discipline-based topics and genres of writing to practice writing skills and discipline-based situational speaking contexts to enhance speaking skills which will probably reap the learning objectives of the course in successfully acquiring practical language skills.
The imperative effect of people skills that enhances learning outcomes and peps up the job prospe... more The imperative effect of people skills that enhances learning outcomes and peps up the job prospects using Combined Overlap Block Fuzzy Cognitive Maps (COBFCMS) defined by W. B. Vasantha Kandasamy is analyzed in this paper. The combined overlap block FCM’s defined in this method become effective when the number of concepts can be grouped as they are in large numbers. This paper discusses the concept of people skills and the results obtained by incorporating the people skills through teaching strategies in the classroom that resulted in better learning outcomes of the students. This paper has six sections. The first section gives the information about the development of fuzzy cognitive maps. The second section gives preliminaries of fuzzy cognitive maps and combined overlap block fuzzy cognitive maps. In section three is an explanation of the people skills components. Section four discusses the method of determining the hidden pattern, in section five; the concept of the problem is e...
Mobile Assisted Language Learning (MALL) not only provides access to authentic learning resources... more Mobile Assisted Language Learning (MALL) not only provides access to authentic learning resources and facilitates second language (L2) learning anytime and anywhere but also offers scope for informal learning beyond the classroom. Social media with instant messaging and multi-modal communication and information sharing provide platforms for interaction with peers and collaborative learning to hone their L2 skills. There is little research on informal learning through WhatsApp in enhancing L2 speaking skills. This paper studies the impact of interaction and informal learning in a WhatsApp group on improving a) fluency and coherence, b) lexical resource, c) grammatical range and accuracy and d) pronunciation which form the criteria for assessing speaking skills in IELTS. It also studies how participants perceive the changes in their speaking skills based on the band descriptors of IELTS. Mixed methods approach was adopted to obtain data from the group consisting of mixed ability parti...
International Journal of Interactive Mobile Technologies (iJIM), 2020
The ability to speak English fluently and confidently plays a vital role in enhancing employment ... more The ability to speak English fluently and confidently plays a vital role in enhancing employment opportunities of graduate students of India. Though English has been a second language for over decades in the country, teaching speaking skills with intelligible pronunciation to the first generation of learners remains a major challenge. The limited number of classes allotted for English speaking and pronunciation and lack of resources make it more challenging. Previous research suggests that Mobile Assisted Language Learning (MALL) offers anywhere and anytime learning opportunities for second language learners. However, there is little research on how mobile learning enhances speaking skills and pronunciation of tertiary level students from rural areas who lack exposure to English outside the classroom. The present paper aims at studying the impact of MALL in improving a) speaking skills b) segmental and suprasegmental features of pronunciation and c) the viability of bring your own d...
The imperative effect of people skills that enhances learning outcomes and peps up the job prospe... more The imperative effect of people skills that enhances learning outcomes and peps up the job prospects using Combined Overlap Block Fuzzy Cognitive Maps (COBFCMS) defined by W. B. Vasantha Kandasamy is analyzed in this paper. The combined overlap block FCM's defined in this method become effective when the number of concepts can be grouped as they are in large numbers. This paper discusses the concept of people skills and the results obtained by incorporating the people skills through teaching strategies in the classroom that resulted in better learning outcomes of the students. This paper has six sections. The first section gives the information about the development of fuzzy cognitive maps. The second section gives preliminaries of fuzzy cognitive maps and combined overlap block fuzzy cognitive maps. In section three is an explanation of the people skills components. Section four discusses the method of determining the hidden pattern, in section five; the concept of the problem is explained. The final section is dealt with the conclusion based on the research study.
This paper focuses on how mobile technology helps in improving the language competencies of terti... more This paper focuses on how mobile technology helps in improving the language competencies of tertiary level students outside the classroom. It also focuses on how it motivates and encourages the students to learn the language better through digital media. A carefully selected and constructed teaching material available in digital media can give students an immediate multimedia experience which can trigger vocabulary learning, and thus making both teaching and learning experiences enjoyable. It is important that both students and teachers know how to access and use the technology to its best advantage. Classroom interaction and student involvement could be facilitated better with the help of mobile phones through the use of Mobile Assisted Language Learning (MALL). In the chosen study 15 students from B.A (PEP) (Psychology, English & Political Science) and 15 from B.A LLB of Hindustan Institute of Technology & Science (HITS) were considered. BA LLB comprised the experimental group and were allowed to use their mobile phones in the classroom incorporating technology enhanced language teaching and flipped classroom technique, whereas the BA (PEP) group was taught in the conventional way. Results after the experimental study indicated that the students who used MALL were able to perform better in the exams with desired learning outcomes.
English language learning text books are important media in providing base to acquire practical l... more English language learning text books are important media in providing base to acquire practical language skills. It was broadly noticed that the text books and the work books designed to be taught in B.Sc. nursing are not catering to the needs of the language learners as they fail to motivate the nurses to acquire the language because of the very content. The content of the text books and workbooks used in some institutes are of General English. As the role of ESP playing an important role, lot of researches have been undertaken to design and adapt the methods or the approaches of teaching and learning that are ESP related. Text book analysis was carried out to study the reason behind the ineffectiveness of the language text books used in two different nursing institutes. It was noted that there are number of reasons how the content of the text books couldn't be motivating and sufficient enough to acquire the language skills. Text book analysis helped the researchers that inclusion of discipline-based texts to teach reading skills, discipline-based listening scripts to teach listening skills, discipline-based topics and genres of writing to practice writing skills and discipline-based situational speaking contexts to enhance speaking skills which will probably reap the learning objectives of the course in successfully acquiring practical language skills.
Background/Objectives: In India, teaching English for learners in heterogeneous and overcrowded c... more Background/Objectives: In India, teaching English for learners in heterogeneous and overcrowded classrooms is a challengingtask.ThisstudyattemptstoinvestigatetheeffectofteachingBigWritingelementsattertiarylevel.Methods/ Statistical Analysis: The study is experimental and it involves a single group. The participants of the study were seventy, firstyearB.ComstudentsfromHindustanInstituteofTechnologyandScience,Chennai,SouthIndia.Pre-testandpost-test wereadministeredbeforeandaftertheinterventionandtheresultwasanalysedusingSPSSsoftware.Findings:Thefindingsofthestudysuggestthatthereisastatisticallysignificantimprovementinwritingabilitiesoftheparticipantsafterthe BigWritinginstruction.Applications/Improvements:TheBigWritingapproachcanbeusedtodevelopthewritingskills of the technical students belonging to polytechnic colleges and engineering students, especially the low achievers.
Knowing the performance and understanding where one stands and which areas one needs to improve i... more Knowing the performance and understanding where one stands and which areas one needs to improve is one of the major aspects of learning and assessment. Feedback surveys helps to achieve this and are useful for teachers, students as well as research scholars for their assessment as well as improvement. My research is based on the survey conducted on a group of research scholars during the period of complete digitisation as a result of lockdown. A feedback survey done on various parameters such as online lectures, webinars, online international and national conferences, online DC meetings, online viva voce, hands on training workshops and research work indicates that most of the scholars prefer to do experimental research in the campus, whereas webinars and conferences are preferred online. The research helped to identify the effects of online learning on LSRW skills. Feedback survey is essential for all stake holders whether its students, teachers or research scholars. It is a revolu...
International Journal of Innovative Technology and Exploring Engineering, 2019
This paper a part of a larger study on the effects of blended learning, it describes classroom ex... more This paper a part of a larger study on the effects of blended learning, it describes classroom experiences from a teacher and learner and details the action research on 250 students who were administered a course on Communication Skills & Personality Development to the Third Year Engineering Students at HITS Chennai, India. The regular parameters of conducting a course such as {a} attendance, {b} performance based results {c} on time submission of tasks and {d}engaging them in class activities became more challenging to the researcher because of the attitude that the scholars presented towards language learning. This ranges from non-acceptance of any new format of teaching, unwillingness to put in extra effort, inhibition stemming from the perception of their peers. To that end the teaching method and assessment were developed that included constructivism, social constructivism and problem-based learning as pedagogy. The programme designed also integrated flipped learning, peer and ...
In every profession, soft skills play an important role to be effective and successful. Different... more In every profession, soft skills play an important role to be effective and successful. Different soft skills are needed in different professions. Nurses and nursing managers are the professionals who need both clinical skills as well as soft skills. If one wants to be reliable and professionally competitive they need to acquire the needed soft skills through effective communication skills. In the 21 st Century, the very question of getting a job as a nursing professional does not depend on mere certification with clinical skills but also in having the necessary soft skills. A study was conducted among a group of nurses and nursing managers to know whether they are aware of essential nursing soft skills and how far do they agree that communication skills play an important role in acquiring the needed soft skills. The results show that most of them are not aware of the needed soft skills and many of them do not agree that effective communication plays an important role in acquiring the other soft skills.
English language learning text books are important media in providing base to acquire practical l... more English language learning text books are important media in providing base to acquire practical language skills. It was broadly noticed that the text books and the work books designed to be taught in B.Sc. nursing are not catering to the needs of the language learners as they fail to motivate the nurses to acquire the language because of the very content. The content of the text books and workbooks used in some institutes are of General English. As the role of ESP playing an important role, lot of researches have been undertaken to design and adapt the methods or the approaches of teaching and learning that are ESP related. Text book analysis was carried out to study the reason behind the ineffectiveness of the language text books used in two different nursing institutes. It was noted that there are number of reasons how the content of the text books couldn't be motivating and sufficient enough to acquire the language skills. Text book analysis helped the researchers that inclusion of discipline-based texts to teach reading skills, discipline-based listening scripts to teach listening skills, discipline-based topics and genres of writing to practice writing skills and discipline-based situational speaking contexts to enhance speaking skills which will probably reap the learning objectives of the course in successfully acquiring practical language skills.
The imperative effect of people skills that enhances learning outcomes and peps up the job prospe... more The imperative effect of people skills that enhances learning outcomes and peps up the job prospects using Combined Overlap Block Fuzzy Cognitive Maps (COBFCMS) defined by W. B. Vasantha Kandasamy is analyzed in this paper. The combined overlap block FCM’s defined in this method become effective when the number of concepts can be grouped as they are in large numbers. This paper discusses the concept of people skills and the results obtained by incorporating the people skills through teaching strategies in the classroom that resulted in better learning outcomes of the students. This paper has six sections. The first section gives the information about the development of fuzzy cognitive maps. The second section gives preliminaries of fuzzy cognitive maps and combined overlap block fuzzy cognitive maps. In section three is an explanation of the people skills components. Section four discusses the method of determining the hidden pattern, in section five; the concept of the problem is e...
Mobile Assisted Language Learning (MALL) not only provides access to authentic learning resources... more Mobile Assisted Language Learning (MALL) not only provides access to authentic learning resources and facilitates second language (L2) learning anytime and anywhere but also offers scope for informal learning beyond the classroom. Social media with instant messaging and multi-modal communication and information sharing provide platforms for interaction with peers and collaborative learning to hone their L2 skills. There is little research on informal learning through WhatsApp in enhancing L2 speaking skills. This paper studies the impact of interaction and informal learning in a WhatsApp group on improving a) fluency and coherence, b) lexical resource, c) grammatical range and accuracy and d) pronunciation which form the criteria for assessing speaking skills in IELTS. It also studies how participants perceive the changes in their speaking skills based on the band descriptors of IELTS. Mixed methods approach was adopted to obtain data from the group consisting of mixed ability parti...
International Journal of Interactive Mobile Technologies (iJIM), 2020
The ability to speak English fluently and confidently plays a vital role in enhancing employment ... more The ability to speak English fluently and confidently plays a vital role in enhancing employment opportunities of graduate students of India. Though English has been a second language for over decades in the country, teaching speaking skills with intelligible pronunciation to the first generation of learners remains a major challenge. The limited number of classes allotted for English speaking and pronunciation and lack of resources make it more challenging. Previous research suggests that Mobile Assisted Language Learning (MALL) offers anywhere and anytime learning opportunities for second language learners. However, there is little research on how mobile learning enhances speaking skills and pronunciation of tertiary level students from rural areas who lack exposure to English outside the classroom. The present paper aims at studying the impact of MALL in improving a) speaking skills b) segmental and suprasegmental features of pronunciation and c) the viability of bring your own d...
The imperative effect of people skills that enhances learning outcomes and peps up the job prospe... more The imperative effect of people skills that enhances learning outcomes and peps up the job prospects using Combined Overlap Block Fuzzy Cognitive Maps (COBFCMS) defined by W. B. Vasantha Kandasamy is analyzed in this paper. The combined overlap block FCM's defined in this method become effective when the number of concepts can be grouped as they are in large numbers. This paper discusses the concept of people skills and the results obtained by incorporating the people skills through teaching strategies in the classroom that resulted in better learning outcomes of the students. This paper has six sections. The first section gives the information about the development of fuzzy cognitive maps. The second section gives preliminaries of fuzzy cognitive maps and combined overlap block fuzzy cognitive maps. In section three is an explanation of the people skills components. Section four discusses the method of determining the hidden pattern, in section five; the concept of the problem is explained. The final section is dealt with the conclusion based on the research study.
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