The Effect of Data Driven Learning (DDL)on Students’ Learning Outcomes

Merve Güzel, Turkey

Merve Güzel received her B.A. in American Studies from Ege University, Izmir. She is currently an English instructor at the English preparatory program at Gediz University. Her main research area of interest is Corpus Linguistics and Data Driven Learning. E-mail: merve.guzel@gediz.edu.tr

Menu

Introduction
Data Driven Learning (DDL) in the classroom
Students’ experience with Data Driven Learning
Final remarks
References

Introduction

Technology has been integrated to the EFL classes for many years as it provides the learners and teachers with many opportunities. Such technologies as radio, television, video, DVD player, computers and the internet are exploited by teachers and they lead to effective teaching & learning. As EFL teachers, we can use technology in our classes in various ways and the most recent way among them is Data-Driven Learning. In order to understand this recent and innovative approach, first it is essential to clarify such basic concepts involved in Data Driven Learning as corpus linguistics, corpora and concordancer.

Corpus linguistics

“Corpus linguistics can best be defined as a linguistic methodology which is founded on the use of electronic collections of naturally occurring texts” (Granger, 2002). In other words, it is the study of language based on examples of real life language use through a corpus. As for corpus, Jonathan Lewis defines it as “a database of authentic texts held in electronic form on a computer or on the web in order to carry out acts of linguistic research” (Lewis, J.).

Corpora

‘Corpora’ is a term which refers to the plural form of corpus. According to Li-yi (2000), “corpora serve as an abundant source of the authentic target language being used in real life by native speakers in different situations which the majority of EFL textbooks have failed to deal with.” We can access to this “abundant source of the authentic target language” through a concordancer.

Concordancer

A concordancer is an electronic tool which enables users to access to a corpus of texts. For EFL teachers it is a difficult, time-consuming and boring task to collect and analyse large databases of language. However, online concordancers and concordancing software programs such as Laurence Anthony’s AntConc (2008), Wordsmith Concordancer and BYU (Brigham Young University) online concordancer (Corpus of Contemporary American English) have been of great importance for classroom practice. It is possible to produce concordance in various formats; however, the widely used one is the Key Word in Context (KWIC) concordance.By using this format, learners can easily focus on the language item they are supposed to learn. Moreover, their attention is drawn to other language items that are often used with the main item. Accordingly, in this format, when a keyword or phrase is typed, the system of the concordancer searches for it and displays occurrences of the typed item in its immediate context, often with the keyword in the middle, as shown in the screenshot below.

Data Driven Learning (DDL) in the classroom

Data-Driven Learning (DDL) is an innovative approach originated by Johns who maintains that “every learner is a Sherlock Holmes” and “the language learner is also, essentially, a research worker whose learning needs to be driven by access to linguistic data” (Johns, 1988). The DDL approach provides the students with opportunity of being explorers and examining authentic examples from corpora (plural form of corpus) which shows them the true use of language. The approach expects the students to analyse the examples on their own and discover the language patterns and rules rather than being taught directly by the teacher. Accordingly, Johns holds that “What is distinctive about the DDL approach to inductive language teaching is the principle that the data is primary, and the teacher does not know in advance exactly what rules or patterns the learners will discover: indeed, they will often notice things that are unknown not only to the teacher, but also to the standard works of reference on the language. It is this element of challenge and of discovery that gives DDL its special flavour and stimulus.” (Johns, 1988). In parallel with this quotation, in DDL the teacher takes on the role of facilitator instead of being the controller. “Essentially, there are two ways to directly engage second language learners in corpus work in the classroom: 1) they can be given direct access to a corpus and concordancing program on a computer; or 2) they can be given print-outs containing the raw data, or concordance output, from a corpus” (Balunda, 2009).

The use of concordance-based activities may have a noticeable influence on students’ learning. That’s to say, these activities encourage student research and enable the learners work autonomously on examples, which results in self-discovery and more effective learning. Concordance-based materials help students notice different forms, meanings, and uses of the words and keep them in mind more easily. Furthermore, these materials enable the students to guess the meanings of unknown words from the context and they also have an effect on their grammar learning. Accordingly, the use of text-based, concordance exercises while teaching vocabulary and grammar may be an alternative approach for teachers who are in search of innovative practices in the classroom.

Teaching with DDL might result in more effective results if the learners are above intermediate level since some concordance lines are way too advanced for most of the students. However, by modifying and simplifying, teachers can create countless and various tasks that may facilitate the learning process of students and improve their critical thinking skills. If teachers are well aware of the needs and the levels of their students, they can easily decide on what type of corpora, which concordancer and what concordance lines they should utilize.

Below are two of the concordance-based tasks that I prepared in order to teach some vocabulary and grammar items in my classes.

Task 1

In this unit, we will focus on the words arrogant and self-confident. Both words can be used to describe the sense of self-importance and self-respect or a good feeling about yourself. However, there is a big difference between the two words. Discuss the difference with your partner.

First, look at the concordance lines for ‘arrogant’, and try to answer the questions. -Does the word ‘arrogant’ have a positive or negative meaning? Underline the clue words that help you find the answer.

Does the word ‘self-confident’ have a positive or negative meaning? Underline the clue words that help you find the answer. Exercise: Fill in the blanks with either arrogant or self-confident.

Task 2

Work in groups. Study the dictionary definitions of these phrasal verbs, discuss and decide on the missing word in each set of concordance lines. look after
If you look after someone or something, you do what is necessary to keep them healthy, safe, or in good condition.
look ahead
If you look ahead, you think about what is going to happen in the future and perhaps make plans for the future.
look for If you look for something that you have lost, or for something that you want or need, you try to find it.
look forward to
If you look forward to something that is going to happen, you want it to happen because you think you will enjoy it.
look into If a person or organisation looks into something, they examine the facts relating to it before deciding what to do.

Set A: The missing word is_______________.

Set B: The missing word is________________.

Set C: The missing word is_______________.

Set D: The missing word is _________________________.

Set F: The missing word is___________________________.

Students’ experience with Data Driven Learning

In order to reveal students’ views on concordance-based tasks, I interview my students after using each task and below is the data obtained from these interviews.

Strengths of Data Driven Learning

The students comment positively on the effects of DDL tasks and the following themes are obtained from their responses.

Longer Retention

Most of the students make a comparison between the traditional learning methods and DDL. Accordingly, they report that DDL provides them with longer retention than the traditional methods. In other words, they state that DDL enables them to focus on the lesson better and gives them the opportunity to explore the given examples autonomously, which results in permanent learning. Here are some student comments on DDL and longer retention:

*I manage to understand what is aimed to be taught by looking at the examples on my own. Therefore I learn better and don’t forget them easily.
*This approach makes me work on the examples autonomously and this leads to longer retention.
*As I examine the given examples on my own, it is easier to keep the new words in mind.
*This approach leads us to learn the words better and reinforce them.

Guessing From the Context

The students are of the opinion that DDL teaches them to guess the meanings of the unknown words from the context. The students learn how to examine the immediate context and understand the overall meaning as the concordance lines are in the KWIC format. Here are some student comments regarding this theme:

This approach has earned me the ability to guess the meanings of the unknown words from the context.
*While I’m doing the fill-in-the blanks exercises, I can decide which word to choose by looking at the immediate context.
*This approach has taught me to examine the clue words in a sentence in order to understand the overall meaning.

Word Usage

The students state that DDL helped them in terms of word usage. As is known, concordance lines are in the KWIC format and this enables the students to see which words go with some other words and learn how to use the new words. In other words, DDL activities help them to notice the different forms, meanings, and uses of the word.

*I’ve learned how, where and when to use the words through examples.
*I’ve learned which words go with some specific words.(ex: do and make)

Shortcomings of Data Driven Learning

Despite the positive student comments on DDL, there are some other comments which reveal the shortcomings of the approach.

Complexity of the Examples

Some students state that the words in the immediate context are too advanced for them and they are unable to guess the meanings of the unknown words. This may be associated with the texts’ being authentic and the students’ being pre-intermediate learners. Here are some student comments regarding the shortcomings of DDL: *Sometimes it is difficult to understand the words in the immediate context. *I’ve found some exercises boring as the words were too advanced for us. *I’m unable to guess the meanings of the unknown words.

Final remarks

DDL is a promising learner-centred approach which might be utilized to teach vocabulary and grammar in EFL classes. Moreover, it is better to emphasize that teaching with DDL might result in more effective results if the teachers modify, simplify and adapt the concordance lines in accordance with their students’ level. As a final remark, DDL might have a great potential for teaching English and if other various kinds of DDL materials are suggested and provided by EFL teachers, learners may benefit more from the approach.

References

Balunda, S. A (2009) Teaching Academic Vocabulary with Corpora : Student Perceptions of Data-Driven Learning, Master’s Thesis, Indiana University.

Cobb, T. M. (1997). Is There a Measurable Learning from Hands-On Concordances? System, 25, 301-315.

Gan, S., Low, F., & Yaakub, N. F. (1996). Modeling teaching with a computer-based concordancer in a TESL preservice teacher education program. Journal of Computing in Teacher Education, 12(4), 28 – 32.

Granger, S., Hung, J. & Petch-Tyson, S. (eds.) (2002). Computer learner corpora,second language acquisition and foreign language teaching. Amsterdam: John Benjamins

Johns, T. (1988). Whence and whither classroom concordancing? In T. Bongaerts, P. de Haan, S. Lobbe & H. Wekker (eds.) Computer Applications in Language Learning. Dordrecht, The Netherlands: Foris.

Johns, T.F. (1991a). 'Should you be persuaded: Two examples of data-driven learning'. in Johns, T.F. and King, P. (Eds.) Classroom Concordancing. (Pp. 1-13). Birmingham: ELR.

Kaur, Jagdish, Hegelheimer, Volker (2005). ‘ESL students’ use of concordance in the transfer of academic word knowledge: an exploratory study’. Computer Assisted Language Learning 18, 4: 287-310

Lee, H. C. (2010). Using Children’s Literature in an EFL classroom in Taiwan: An application of concordancing. Unpublished Ph.D. Thesis. The University of Birmingham.

Sripicharn P. (2002). Evaluating Data-driven Learning: the use of classroom concordancing by Thai learners of English. Unpublished Ph.D. Thesis. The University of Birmingham.

Turnbull, J., & Burston, J. (1998). Towards independent concordance work for students: Lessons from a case study. ON-CALL, 129(2), 1 – 15.

Please check the Creative Methodology for the Classroom course at Pilgrims website.
Please check the Teaching Languages Using Technologies course at Pilgrims website.
Please check the English Language Improvement for Teachers course at Pilgrims website.
Please check the Methodology & Language for Secondary Teachers course at Pilgrims website.
Please check the Teaching Advanced Students course at Pilgrims website.