An Examination of the use of Emojis in Online Education Grounded in the Community of Inquiry Framework
Start
10-1-2020 2:00 PM
End
10-1-2020 3:00 PM
Short Description
In the midst of the current global pandemic, distance learning is becoming the norm rather than the exception. Many students and educators are using mobile devices more than ever, and the need for social presence has never been greater. As a result, a new language is emerging in education. Emojis have the rare capability to transform simple text into a social experience. This presentation will focus on the use of emojis in an 8-week continuing education course focused on the use of mobile devices in language learning contexts using WhatsApp.
Abstract
With the emerging additions of Web technologies, we are changing the way we communicate, which has resulted in the emergence of a new language phenomenon. With the ever-growing interest in WhatsApp as a social medium to accommodate pedagogical initiatives, the role of emojis as an emergent Internet language in communication channels needs to be better understood as we integrate mobile technologies in the educational context.
In this mixed methods study, 61 teachers participated in an 8-week continuing education course focused on the use of mobile devices in language learning contexts. The course was taught entirely via WhatsApp for an authentic experience. Participants completed a pre- and post survey, as well as participated in weekly activities. Naturally, emojis were frequently used as a means to communicate in WhatsApp. Therefore, the following research questions guided this study: a) What types of emojis are used to support cognitive, teaching, and social presences in an 8-week continuing education course on the use of mobile devices and applications via WhatsApp? b) How do participants’ attitudes relate to the use of emoji for cognitive, teaching, and social presences in the 8-week continuing education course via WhatsApp? c) How does age relate to emoji use in the 8-week continuing education course via WhatsApp? and d) How does gender affect the use of emojis in the 8-week continuing education course via WhatsApp? These questions will be discussed in the context of the Community of Inquiry (CoI) framework by Garrison, Anderson, and Archer (2000). The CoI framework identifies elements that are crucial for success in online educational experiences and assumes that learning occurs through the interaction of three core elements: social presence, cognitive presence, and teaching presence. The interactions of the participants were coded based on the CoI framework.
The presentation will focus on the findings from the 8-week course on the use of mobile devices via WhatsApp application, and the emergence of emojis as a new language phenomenon in distance education. Implications for K20 educators will be discussed.
Garrison, D. R., Anderson, T., & Archer, W. (2000). Critical inquiry in a text-based environment: Computer conferencing in higher education. The Internet and Higher Education, 2 (2/3), p. 87-105.
Format
Concurrent Session
An Examination of the use of Emojis in Online Education Grounded in the Community of Inquiry Framework
With the emerging additions of Web technologies, we are changing the way we communicate, which has resulted in the emergence of a new language phenomenon. With the ever-growing interest in WhatsApp as a social medium to accommodate pedagogical initiatives, the role of emojis as an emergent Internet language in communication channels needs to be better understood as we integrate mobile technologies in the educational context.
In this mixed methods study, 61 teachers participated in an 8-week continuing education course focused on the use of mobile devices in language learning contexts. The course was taught entirely via WhatsApp for an authentic experience. Participants completed a pre- and post survey, as well as participated in weekly activities. Naturally, emojis were frequently used as a means to communicate in WhatsApp. Therefore, the following research questions guided this study: a) What types of emojis are used to support cognitive, teaching, and social presences in an 8-week continuing education course on the use of mobile devices and applications via WhatsApp? b) How do participants’ attitudes relate to the use of emoji for cognitive, teaching, and social presences in the 8-week continuing education course via WhatsApp? c) How does age relate to emoji use in the 8-week continuing education course via WhatsApp? and d) How does gender affect the use of emojis in the 8-week continuing education course via WhatsApp? These questions will be discussed in the context of the Community of Inquiry (CoI) framework by Garrison, Anderson, and Archer (2000). The CoI framework identifies elements that are crucial for success in online educational experiences and assumes that learning occurs through the interaction of three core elements: social presence, cognitive presence, and teaching presence. The interactions of the participants were coded based on the CoI framework.
The presentation will focus on the findings from the 8-week course on the use of mobile devices via WhatsApp application, and the emergence of emojis as a new language phenomenon in distance education. Implications for K20 educators will be discussed.
Garrison, D. R., Anderson, T., & Archer, W. (2000). Critical inquiry in a text-based environment: Computer conferencing in higher education. The Internet and Higher Education, 2 (2/3), p. 87-105.