Exploring the affordances of WeChat for facilitating teaching, social and cognitive presence in semi-synchronous language exchange

Loading...
Thumbnail Image
File version

Version of Record (VoR)

Author(s)
Wang, Yuping
Fang, Wei-Chieh
Han, Julia
Chen, Nian-Shing
Primary Supervisor
Other Supervisors
Editor(s)
Date
2016
Size
File type(s)
Location
License
Abstract

This research is an exploratory study that evaluates the affordances of WeChat for the development of a community of inquiry (CoI) in semi-synchronous language exchange supported by WeChat.WeChat is an instant messenger that facilitates a multimodal environment in which interaction can happen synchronously, semi-synchronously and asynchronously through text, audio, video conferencing and a variety of pedagogically facilitating affordances. Differing from most existing studies in CoI, this research investigates all three presences in the CoI framework, that is, teaching, social, and cognitive presence, as they emerged in the language exchange between students of Mandarin Chinese and students of English. The findings from this research confirm the establishment of the three presences in CoI, but with features specific to WeChat-supported semi-synchronous language exchange. Recommendations for future research into CoI facilitated by WeChat are also put forward.

Journal Title

Australasian Journal Of Educational Technology

Conference Title
Book Title
Edition
Volume

32

Issue

4

Thesis Type
Degree Program
School
Publisher link
Patent number
Funder(s)
Grant identifier(s)
Rights Statement
Rights Statement

© 2016 Australasian Society for Computers in Learning in Tertiary Education (ASCILITE). The attached file is reproduced here in accordance with the copyright policy of the publisher. Please refer to the journal's website for access to the definitive, published version.

Item Access Status
Note
Access the data
Related item(s)
Subject

Curriculum and pedagogy

Specialist studies in education

Communication technology and digital media studies

Chinese languages

Persistent link to this record
Citation
Collections