| Pub. Date | : June, 2022 |
|---|---|
| Product Name | : The IUP Journal of English Studies |
| Product Type | : Article |
| Product Code | : IJES070622 |
| Author Name | :Hsiao-I Hou and Wei-Chih Lien |
| Availability | : YES |
| Subject/Domain | : Arts & Humanities |
| Download Format | : PDF Format |
| No. of Pages | : 13 |
This research project combined Rogers and Freiberg's (1994) experiential learning theory with Schon's (in Visser, 2010) reflective practice to construct an interactive curriculum design and apply it to a cross-cultural communication course, in which English was used as a medium of instruction (EMI), at a vocational university in Taiwan. Qualitative and quantitative research methods were combined to collect student data (including online and written responses) at different stages to explore whether the instructional design model improved students' critical thinking skills. Furthermore, the students' English proficiency and knowledge construction were assessed. The results of the students' written and online reflective feedback indicated that despite some students demonstrating improved critical thinking skills, the improvement was nonsignificant. This was related to the method with which the instructor led the reflective activities and the types of topics that dominated the discussion. Furthermore, a comparison of the pretest and posttest data revealed that this experiential learning-based teaching model effectively enhanced students' English proficiency and content knowledge acquisition.