A Case Study Of Good College English Learners’ Learning Modes Based On Information Technology

In this research, the writer employs case follow-up study which isqualitative-oriented. Basing on the cyclic design model of constructivism, with datumcollected from classroom observations, case interviews, questionnaires and someother methods, the author structures a good language learner’s (GLL’s) CollegeEnglish learning modes based on information technology so as to divide it into fourcategories, and then makes a further investigation of his performances andeffectiveness under these four modes.Taking “good college English learner based on information technology” as thecriterion, the author chooses purposive criterion sampling to select the proper subjectfor the study. Therefore, one GLL is selected from54subjects as the studying case ofthe research, according to his tutored performances, analyzing datum of his exercises,teachers’ evaluation of his learning behaves and abilities and the English learningresults of the first semester.After that, a case follow-up study is carried out on this GLL subject for morethan one and a half years, aiming at researching into his specific performances interms of learning modes based on information technology.As for the collection of datum, the researcher gives priority to gather qualitativedatum, complementary with collection of quantitative datum for the purpose ofcrosschecking the analytical results from both qualitative and quantitative datum andfor a further investigation of the classroom observations and interviews as well.The author initially takes “organizational form for learning” as the basic variableof defining mode types and divides learning modes based on information technologyinto four categories, such as the traditional mode, the autonomous mode, theinteractive collaborative mode, as well as the inquiry mode, according to the datumfrom participatory classroom observations, non-participatory classroom observations,case interviews, learning diaries, self-assessments, data analysis and some other research methods. Afterwards, she evaluates these four modes from the aspects ofknowledge application, operational skills, emotional motivations, and auxiliaryevaluation as well.Survey results of the learning mode effectiveness evaluation indicates that:1) theinteractive scopes and contents of these four modes extend one after the other,therefore, the interactive collaborative mode and the inquiry mode that have apropensity for metacognitive capacity-building, are in more favor of the GLL’scomprehensive development of knowledge application;2) on the other hand, learnershad to be more skilled from one mode to the other, hence, the interactive collaborativemode and the inquiry mode that involve a lager information scope, more professionaloperation, more efficient for the information internalization and strategies’amelioration, are benefit for the enhancement of the operational skills and theinformation enquiring and indexing skills;3) the English learning motivation underthese four modes manifests that it has the internalizational tendency from reality toconnotation, thus, the latter3modes are better for motivating learning interests，exciting learning initiatives and promoting self-confidences and self-controls;4) theinteractive collaborative mode and the inquiry mode require more informationtechnology investment and teachers’ learning and cultivation, hence, theirgeneralization and implementation need to be strengthened.Based on the conclusions above, the writer finally suggests increasinginformation technology investment and teachers’ learning and cultivation, andproceeding to promote the generalization of the interactive collaborative mode and theinquiry mode. Hopefully, these suggestions based on the results from the researchhave some guiding significances for the effectiveness of foreign language teaching.