The document describes a study that integrated the voice-based online forum Voxopop to enhance language learning among students. The study hypothesized that using Voxopop would increase students' confidence, develop their oral and grammatical skills, and promote collaboration. Students participated in structured collaborative storytelling activities on Voxopop. Feedback indicated that students enjoyed the activities and felt more confident speaking, though some wanted more time to think and choice in topics. The analysis noted areas for improvement like better data collection and allowing more practice time.

1. «ΜΟΥΣΑΙΣ ΧΑΡΙΣΙ ΘΥΕ»
Sacrifice your being to knowledge and
to your soul; to science and to art.
…
Integrating Voxopop to enhance pupils’ learning:
A qualitative approach.
MA in Education
Applying Learning Technologies
Tutor: Charl Fregona, Co-tutor: Janet
Rafaela Athanasiadou13013051
Semester: Autumn 2013

2. Description of the Technological Tool and its
suitability for the intervention
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‘Voxopop’: Voice-based e-learning tool
Used by educators, who create talk groups for their pupils
Online forum - uses voice instead of text
Asynchronous communication
Language learning
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Enhances confidence and self-determination
Develops oral skills
Language practice
Promotes diversity and inclusivity

3. Why do teenagers lack selfesteem?
After having a brief discussion with the participating students
of the intervention, I received the following answers.
Some feel:
• Inferior due to their accent.
• They make grammatical or syntactical mistakes when
speaking.
• Afraid to convey their thoughts, believing that they be looked
down on.
• Embarrassed when having differing opinions.
Can you think of anything else?

4. Hypothesis
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I hypothesised that the pupils will:
Feel more confident
Develop their grammatical skills and pronunciation
Critical and creative thinking
Promotes collaboration
Provision of effective peer-assessment
Entertaining activities

5. What is social constructivism and how will
theory be intertwined with practice?
“Social constructivism has as a central precept
that knowledge is created by learners in the
context of, and as a result of social interaction”
(Harmelen, 2008, cited in Pritchard and Woolard,
2010, p.34).
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Social Constructivism within the intervention:
Cognitive development via social interaction
Collaborating to create a story by exchanging
ideas and thoughts.
Active engagement-knowledge actively built
Promotes polyvocality
Equality
Develops team spirit and friendships

6. RESEARCH CONSENT FORM
Name of Researcher(s): Rafaela Athanasiadou
Title of study: Applying Learning Technologies
Institution: London Metropolitan University
Please read and complete this form carefully. If you are willing to provide permission for
the research intervention, ring the appropriate responses and sign and date the
declaration at the end. If you do not understand anything and would like more
information, please ask.
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I have had the research satisfactorily explained to me in verbal and / or written form by
the researcher. YES / NO
I understand that the research will involve: the participation of the students for the
utilisation of a voice-based online-forum for one hour and their interactions will be
recorded as part of the research (confidentiality and anonymity will be provided). YES /
NO
I understand that I may withdraw my permission from this research at any time without
having to give an explanation. This will not affect my future care or treatment. YES / NO
I understand that all information about the students will be treated in strict confidence
and that they will not be named in any written work arising from this study. YES / NO
I understand that any audiotape material will be used solely for research purposes and
will be destroyed on completion of the research. YES / NO
I understand that you will be discussing the progress of your research with others at
London Metropolitan University. YES / NO
I freely give my consent to allow the participation of the students to take part in this
research study and have been given a copy of this form for my own information.
Signature: …………………………………………………………………….………….
Date: ………………………………………………………………………………………

7. Implementation
First attempt
Adverb = 1st student
Pronoun = 2nd student
Adjective = 3rd student
Conjunction = 4th student
Second attempt
Verb = 1st student
Noun = 2nd student
Interjection = 3rd student
Preposition = 4th student

8. Example
Mary: Once upon a time there was a man called Harry, who
decided to go to the magical kingdom of Wisdom and find
his destiny.
George: He traveled with few of his friends on this journey…
Michael: On the way, they found some werewolf men.
Jason: They stopped at a tavern called Wizard’s Creek and they
ate “Dragon Legs”.

9. Feedback
Learner-teacher feedback
They enjoyed: sharing ideas, using their imagination freely to create stories, having the
enjoyed
opportunity to tell a story orally rather than write it. They also felt more confident because
they were enjoying themselves and did not feel inferior if mistakes were made.
They disliked: not having ample time to think about what to say. Everyone was not able to
initiate their own story and a few of the students wanted to choose their own topics.
In the future or in another attempt they would like: to have their own laptops in front of them to
take part, they would like to choose on their own the grammatical phenomenon they would
like to use and they would like to set up their account, in order for all the students to
communicate asynchronously and keep in touch with each other and their teacher.

10. Feedback
Teacher-Learner
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Cooperation: Cooperating effectively and linking ideas
efficiently.
• Sensibility: Patient and waiting quietly for their turn inappropriate details.
Confidence: More confident than when reading their work.
Autonomy: No assistance from teacher apart from the images.
Effort: Lack of sophisticated language (lack of time).
Utilising required aspects of the language: Utilising grammatical phenomena
within their sentences; verbs, pronouns, interjections, adverbs, adjective,
conjunctions, nouns and prepositions.
Correct intonation and pauses: Rarely used remarks of emphasis or surprise,
they tended to pause at times to think.

11. Critical Analysis
Aspects that require improvement
- Data collection process required further processing and should have been
recorded appropriately to be utilised for future amendments.
- The pupils’ understanding of each grammatical phenomenon in future
attempts ought to be explained in detail and with elaborate examples (each
individual learns differently and at their own pace – key elements may
forgotten).
- This intervention is only suitable for a small group of students and may not
be effective in larger mixed ability classes.
- Students ought to be given time for practise before the actual intervention.
- Students should be allowed to keep notes.
- The intervention ought to be planned according to the participants’ age
and knowledge of technology (in my initial action plan I stated that KS2 pupils
had to be replaced with KS3 pupils due to inadequate grammatical and
technological knowledge) .
- Dates and times should be to changed without affecting the overall
intervention (initial dates had to be changed due to absences).

12. References
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Chickering, A., Gamson, Z. (1987) Seven Principles for Good Practice in
Undergraduate Education, The Wingspread Journal, 9 (2), pp217-232.
Cohen, L., Manion, L., Morrison, K. (2011) Research Methods in Education: 7th
Edition. New York: Routledge.
Fox, R. and Henri, J.(2005)Understanding Teacher Mindsets: IT and Change in
Hong Kong Schools, Educational Technology and Society, volume 8 (2), 161169 [Online]. Available at: http://www.ifets.info/journals/16_2/ets_16_2.pdf
(Accessed: 23 December 2013).
Fregona, C. (2013) Theoretical Perspectives [Applying Learning Technologies].
17 November.
Kear, K. (2011) Online and Social Networking Communities: A Best Practice
Guide for Educators. New York: Routledge.
Katsionis, G., Manos, K. and Virvou, M. (2005) Combining Software Games with
Education: Evaluation of its Effectiveness, Educational Technology and
Society, volume 8 (2), 161-169 [Online]. Available at:
http://www.ifets.info/journals/16_2/ets_16_2.pdf (Accessed: 23 December
2013).
Loveless, A., Williamson, B. (2013) Learning Identities in a Digital Age:
Rethinking Creativity, Education and Technology. New York: Routledge.
Pritchard, A., Woolard, J. (2010) Psychology for the Classroom: Constructivism
and Social Learning. New York: Routledge.

13. Thank you
for your
time and
consideration.