This Annotated Bibliography provides an overview on Stockwell's (2012) reply to Ballance's (2012) critical insights

Annotated Bibliography: A Thorough Reply to Ballance’s Critical Pespective

Source: Stockwell, G. (2012). Working with constraints in mobile learning: A response to Ballance Language Learning & Technology, 16(3): 24-31. Retrieved on October, 2012 from http://llt.msu.edu/issues/october2012/ballance.pdf

       Stockwell (2012) aims to reply thoroughly to Ballance’s (2012) critical view on his research project findings obtained in 2010. Stockwell (2012) supports his ideas by means of supplying some responding insights regarding the following claims posed by Ballance (2012): the pen-and-paper nature of Stockwell’s activities designed for MALL (Mobile assisted language learning) and the obsolete essence of Stockwell’s findings research. With the aim of explaining in detail the nature of MALL activities, Stockwell (2012) states that “Perhaps the most important point to clarify is that the vocabulary selected for the activities were taken from authentic videos of human interest stories from a US news program” (p. 24). Besides, he highlights that during the research, students presented learning difficulties with some vocabulary. Consequently, those demanding vocabulary items were used in the activities. Stockwell (2012), finally reflects upon the idea that technological evolution is part of learners’ lives; subsequently, it is also part of the learning and researching environment.

References

Ballance, J. O. (2012). Mobile language learning: More than just “the platform”. Language Learning & Technology, 16(3): 21-23. Retrieved on October, 2012 from http://llt.msu.edu/issues/october2012/ballance.pdf 

Stockwell, G. (2012). Working with constraints in mobile learning: A response to Ballance. Language Learning & Technology, 16(3): 24-31. Retrieved on October, 2012 from http://llt.msu.edu/issues/october2012/ballance.pdf

Outline. This outline intends to depict how Ballance (2012) critically focusses on Stockwell's (2010) research findings on MALL

Outline: A Critical View on Mobile Assisted Language Learning

Purpose: this outline aims to provide an overview on Ballance’s (2012) technological-educational article, by means describing how the ideas throughout the article are organized so as to convey the author’s critical view on Stockwell’s (2010) research.

Audience: educational and technological fields’ readers.

Thesis statement: According to Ballance’s (2012), Stockwell’s (2010) findings are not only limited by the fast pace of technological development, but also by the scope of the research itself.

I.                   Ballance (2012) explains that he will focus critically on Stockwell’s (2010) research on MALL.

II.                Background information is provided.

A.    CALL origins and description.

B.      The importance of the internet emergence for CALL and MALL.

C.     MALL emergence

III.             Ballance (2012) explores some negative aspects of Stockwell’s (2010) research.

A.    Research findings become obsolete because of the speed of the technological development.

B.     The difference posed by the existence of different kinds of platforms.

C.     Technological devices present physical differences.

IV.             Ballance (2012) criticizes the nature of the activities used throughout Stockwell’s (2010) project.

A.    Ballance (2012) provides reasons for which he considers Stockwell’s project activities to be designed for pen-and-paper completion.

B.     Ballance (2012) expresses his point of view by means of suggesting the use of apps.

V.                Ballance’s (2012) final conclusion

A.    Stockwell’s (2010) research findings are obsolete because of the existence of two main limitations:

a)      Technology develops at a fast pace.

b)      The research itself presents a limited scope.

A Subtle Introduction to Academic Writing

Academic Summary: " Providing a Real Purpose to Learn"

      “Writing For the World: Wikipedia as an Introduction to Academic Writing” is an educational article, which aims to show how novel academic writers “gain a real sense of audience and enjoy the satisfaction of seeing their work published on a high-traffic global website” (p. 18). In order to have the article published, students will have to fulfil the necessary academic requirements of the task by means of focusing on the following eight steps.

      This project provides students with easy scope steps to guide them and help them to fulfil the academic requirements of the already mentioned assignment. The first step within the composing process consists on examining Wikipedia while searching for different articles as examples. Then, “after students have gained some familiarity with Wikipedia and its conventional forms, they can begin to identify potential topics for their own articles” (Tardy, 2010, p. 5).

      The upcoming stage involves outlining and paraphrasing. Tardy (2010) reflects upon the idea that producing specific outlines will foster an easier move to the subsequent drafting stage. Drafting implies making a coherent text respecting the Wikipedia style for writing the article. The previously mentioned draft should be revised considering content, organization and style. In the following formatting stage, students are expected to deal with citations accordingly to what Wikipedia's demands. At this instance, students have to polish their productions and do a final proofreading.

      Then,“After registering as Wikipedia users, students can publish their articles in just a few steps. While articles are published immediately, some are quickly flagged for problems (such as missing references or insufficient content) and authors are asked by Wikipedia editors to make further revisions” (Tardy, 2010, p.18).

      To sum up, and in the light of Tardy's words:

The Wikipedia-writing project described here introduces students to many skills of academic research writing in a manageable and interesting way. While the assignment may be best suited to undergraduate or graduate-level writing, even secondary students could engage with stages of the assignment, perhaps contributing to existing Wikipedia articles rather than producing their own original articles (2010, p.18).

      Rounding up, this article aims to depict how students can be purposefully and practically introduced to the academic writing world. In order to have their articles published, students managed to fulfil the academic requirements of the task taking into account Tardy’s step-by-step guide.

References

Tardy, C. M. (2010). Writing for the world: Wikipedia as an introduction to Academic Writing. English Teaching Forum, 1, pp. 12-19, 27. Retrieved from

http://exchanges.state.gov/englishteaching/forum/archives/docs/10-48-1-c.pdf