Investigating How EFL students in Korea
Learn Using Cyber Home Learning System
Ji Hye Shin, Doctoral Student
Georgia State University
INTRODUCTION:
CHLS Background
 Education in South Korea presently faces a number of pressing
educational issues around language learning.
 South Korea’s educational issues
- increased household private tutoring expenses
- deteriorating quality of public education
- fierce competition surrounding the Korean Scholastic Aptitude Test
(KSAT)
 Policy makers have integrated Internet communication technologies
(ICT) to expand educational opportunity and improve satisfaction with
public education in Korea.
INTRODUCTION:
ICT Chronicles at a glance
 (KERIS, 2012, p.2-3)
INTRODUCTION
Birth of CHLS & its status
 The government developed and implemented an open-access elearning system known as the Cyber Home Learning System (CHLS)
throughout South Korea to support self-directed home-based
language learning, and offer partial solution to the aforementioned
educational challenges.
 The cyber home learning system (CHLS) is launched as a nationally
implemented e-learning service in which 1.6 million students, online
teachers and parent tutors participate.
 The total number of CHLS student members has steadily risen with a
total 4,477,108 as of 2012. (Lim, 2012).
INTRODUCTION:
CHLS statistics
 (KERIS, 2012, p.6)
INTRODUCTION:
Objectives of CHLS
1. to the close educational access divide
2. to reduce private tutoring expenses;
3. to improve the quality of public education.
 The feature of CHLS
- individualized study management services:
- customized learning using content for self-motivated study
- a Q & A page with direct access to cyber teachers
- formative and summative assessment of academic performance
through an online assessment tools
- a career counseling service for college applications
INTRODUCTION: What is CHLS?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CF8XdvA4ajk
(KERIS, 2004, p.6)
RESEARCH QUESTIONS
Kwon (2006), the findings showed that only approximately 50% of the
respondents indicated they were satisfied with learning with the CHLS.
- common subjects (e.g., social studies, science, mathematics,
Korean literature)
- little is known about how CHLS impacts students’ English language
learning, and their perceptions about the CHLS as helpful in their
learning of English.
1.
Is the CHLS effective for grade 9 English as a foreign language
students as an English-language learning tool?
2.
How does grade 9 English as a foreign language students
perceive CHLS as an effective and helpful English-language
learning tool?
CONSTRUCTIONISM,
E-LEARNING & EFL learners
 E-learning is an innovative approach for delivering well-designed,
learner-centered, interactive, and facilitated learning environment to
anyone, anyplace, anytime by utilizing the attributes and resources of
various digital technologies along with other forms of learning
materials suited for open, flexible, and distributed learning
environment (Kahn, 2005, p.42).
 Constructivism is thought to be particularly well suited for explaining
e-learning because of its focus on learners’ knowledge construction
based on their previous experience (Jang, 2006)
CONSTRUCTIONISM,
E-LEARNING & EFL learners
1. Learner-oriented knowledge construction
“knowledge [is] directly experienced, constructed, acted upon, tested,
or revised by the learner”
(Thompson & Jorgensen, 1989)
2. Interactive learning
Learner-centered and technology-based approaches promote effective
online learning
(Hallas, 2008)
3. Ample prior knowledge emphasizes use of authentic activities that
encourage learners to engage in active learning.
(Brown Collins, & Duguid, 1989)
4. Relevant and authentic contents
learning environments, skills, content and tasks are expected to be
relevant and authentic and represent “the natural complexities of the
'real world'” (p.35).
(Jonassen,1994)
METHODS
Research Design
1. Research Participants
- 147 subjects (N=77 M, 70 F) : Grade 9 middle school students in
Seoul, South Korea
- a brief questionnaire about computer usage and online learning
experiences
Questionnaire about computer usage and online learning experiences
Questionnaire
N (%)
Do you own computer at home?
133 (90.2%)
Do you have a basic knowledge of using Internet?
147 (100%)
Have you ever used Internet for online learning?
147 (100%)
METHODS
Research Design
1. Research Participants
- A pre-test to determined equivalence of the group was
administered. (25 multiple-choice questions)
- The experimental class (N=73) and the control group (N=74) were
randomly assigned, and there was no significant difference in
English proficiency between the two classes.
Pretest comparison between two groups
Group
N
M
SD
Experimental
73
67.1
19.53
Group A
Control
Group B
74
66.7
20.01
T
df
p
.22
457
.83
METHODS
Research Design
2. Quasi-Experimental Design
- After one month of using CHLS, a post-test on chapter 3 of the
course book was administered to both groups to determine any
shift in English proficiency (May)
3. Survey
- After the posttest, a six-item survey was conducted to determine
perceptions of learning through the CHLS at the end of the month.
Hypothesis
1) Students in the experimental group who regularly used the Cyber
Home Learning system for a month would attain higher English
proficiency than those in the control group.
2) The experimental group would perceive CHLS as a positive tool
for learning English.
METHODS
Research Instrument
1. Cyber Home Learning System (CHLS) learning service
- the classroom option
: the service model that provides individualized learning
management by a cyber-teacher.
- the self-study option
: students study themselves without any assistance from cyber
teachers
-
In this study, self-study option was used in the experimental
condition
METHODS
Research Instrument
Overview of the Cyber Home Learning System English Lesson
METHODS
Research Instrument
Screenshot of a Sample CHLS English Task
ANALYSIS OF CHLS
EFFECTIVENESS
- the experimental group A (regular classroom instruction + CHLS)
- the control group B (regular classroom instruction only)
Posttest comparison between two groups
Group
Experimental
group A
Control group B
N
M
SD
73
59.1
22.38
74
61.6
T
Df
p
-1.16
450
.25
20.76
These results demonstrate that practice with CHLS did not
significantly improve participants’ course performance. However…,
ANALYSIS OF
CHLS EFFECTIVENESS
Group
N
Experimental
Advanced
group A-1
25
M
81.4
SD
Experimental
Intermediate
group A -2
25
81.1
10.86
24
57.9
12.74
Level
Control group B-2
Experimental
Beginner Level group A -3
Control group B-3
25
59.1
11.63
24
37.9
12.90
24
36.4
df
P
.20
160
.84
-.55 156
.58
.70
.49
12.22
Level
Control group B-1
t
139
11.63
Analysis on the pre-test on advanced, intermediate and lower groups
ANALYSIS OF
CHLS EFFECTIVENESS
Group
Experimental group
Advanced
A-1
N
M
SD
25
83.4
10.46
Experimental group
Intermediate
A-2
25
78.1
8.66
24
57.8
13.66
Level
Control group B-2
Experimental group
Beginner
A-3
25
59.9
11.27
24
34.8
11.14
Level
Control group B-3
df
P
.50 160 .04*
Level
Control group B-1
t
24
33.9
-1.05 156
.30
.46 139
.65
10.66
Analysis on the post-test on advanced, intermediate and lower groups
SURVEYS OF
STUDENT PERCEPTIONS
Interest in Learning through CHLS
14%
11%
25%
Very interesting
Interesting
Neutral
Not interesting
Not interesting at all
22%
28%
Difficulty level of CHLS
30%
19%
11%
18%
22%
Very easy
Slightly easy
Neutral
Slightly difficult
Very difficult
SURVEYS OF
STUDENT PERCEPTIONS
Continuous use
12%
Daily
16%
15%
5 Times/wk
30%
2-3Times/wk
27%
Rarely
Never
Possibility to use CHLS as a
substitute
Daily
28%
22%
11%
14%
25%
Usually
Sometimes
Rarely
Never
FINDINGS
 The effectiveness of this tool may depend on the ability level of the
user.
- CHLS system seems to benefit advanced learners of English for their
self-study.
 Students would continue to use CHLS but not as a replacement for
private tutoring.
- CHLS as a supplementary learning tool rather than as a substitute for
private tutoring.
 50% of the students found value in the CHLS suggests that it is
valuable, and with further development based upon students’
interests, engagement, and construction in decision-making, there
may be a less need for private tutors.
IMPLICATION
 Online systems of learning like the CHLS may decrease the costs
associated with private tutoring, especially for advanced learners.
- Yet, with more research, students who are not advanced may benefit.
 For CHLS to work, schools need parent commitment. (Jang, 2006)
- The effect of replacing private tutoring was greatest among students
with lower grades, and in cases where parents participated in CHLS
together with children.
 Continued improvements in infrastructure and policies will facilitate
the effective integration of CHLS and encourage its widespread use
in Korea
LIMITATION
 The follow-up post-test coincided with the school midterm period.
 A stronger random assignment to groups to the experimental and
control groups may be necessary to avoid “internal validity
problems such as interaction between such factors as selection
and maturation, selection and history, and selection and pretesting”
(Dimitrov & Rumrill, 2003, p. 160).
FURTHER QUESTIONS
TO INVESTIGATE
 Whether there is a relationship between student interest in online
learning tools or motivation to use them and their ability to benefit
from using them.
 Whether more fine-grained learner needs analysis that ensures a
closer alignment between content and student ability level impacts
their interest level and performance.
 Future research might further explore in greater depth learner
perceptions of the advantages and disadvantages of the CHLS
system. (Qualitative interview with focal group participants)
Q&A
Ji Hye Shin, Georgia State University
jshin17@studnet.gsu.edu