Abstract
In the past years, technology enhanced language learning has gained much attention in elementary education. This study aimed to compare the effects of integrating paper-based and computer-based learning technologies in elementary school students’ English learning. With the Talking Teddy Books (TTB) - a kind of optical identification (OID) coded books which support children’s English learning, this study design an Online Reading System (ORS), digitalizing the learning materials of TTB while providing more accessorial functions including bilingual translations, vocabulary animation, assisting text on exercise and record of learning process. Twenty-seven elementary students in the fourth grades in an elementary school of central Taiwan participated in this study. The participants were divided into two experiment group. Group A learned and practiced English with TTB while group B learned and practiced English with ORS on computers. The research findings indicated that adopting TTB or ORS could both improve students’ learning outcome of English Vocabulary. Students of both group showed positive feedback in motivation, perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness. Students in ORS group agreed that additional functions such as animation or exercise scores were helpful to their learning. Students’ ways of operation and expectations towards TTB were strongly affected by their past experience of printed books and pens while students’ expectations towards ORS were affected by their past experience of computers and internet. In addition, higher-achievement students showed higher vocabulary progress scores when using ORS than using TTB. Among those who use ORS, boys showed higher perceived ease of use and higher motivation than girls. When using ORS, lower-achievement students have more active clicks on the content, while higher-achievement students have more active clicks on exercise. In summary, both TTB and ORS on computer have positive effects in elementary students’ English learning while differences between gender and achievement of students were found.