Project-based learning in a technologically enhanced learning environment for second language learners: Students' perceptions

Abstract

This article presents a new approach to English for Academic Purposes (EAP) course design. Situated in the context of an English-medium university in Hong Kong, the article describes an undergraduate course in English for science, which focused not only on traditional academic genres but also engaged students in the creation of a multimodal scientific documentary via a digital video project. As part of this project, students carried out a simple scientific experiment, documenting procedures, results and interpretation in the form of a digital video uploaded and shared through YouTube. This method of presenting scientific information not only engaged students in novel, multimodal forms of representation, but also involved them in an online learning community consisting of their tutor, classmates, other peers as well a wider Internet audience. This use of multimodal scientific documentaries as a pedagogical tool in EAP is reported with reference to data drawn from a student questionnaire, interviews with students, and students' comments in a course weblog. The findings show that the students perceived both linguistic and technical value in the construction and sharing of their multimodal documentaries.