ELIMINATING MISTAKES IN LANGUAGE LEARNING BY USE OF ONLINE STUDENT RESPONSE SERVICES

This article reports on experiences achieved during an experiment performed in Language Training at Sør-Trøndelag University College. The aim for the experiment was to reduce the amount of mistakes made by students when writing texts in Norwegian. By utilizing an online service, Student Response System (SRS), developed through project EduMecca (2009-2010) (http://www.histproject.no/node/18), we used intensive and orientated repetition towards one specific problem during a period of the course. The online SRS is flexible, intuitive, easy and fast to use, making it an excellent service for this kind of methodology. SRS may be used together with any kind of software and on any student device connected to the internet.
The hypothesis behind the project is that using SRS has an effect on students learning outcome. SRS will be an effective service for repetitive methodology, aiming at reducing the amount of minor and elementary mistakes students often do when writing. Through repetitive training connected to typical mistakes, using SRS, the students will be focused on and more capable of eliminating these mistakes.

Throughout a period of three weeks we used two groups of students. One group used SRS as described above, and one did not. We searched for mistakes made in a pre-text and the same kind of mistakes made in a similar text after repetition was given. Then we compared the results in each group.
Throughout the work period of three weeks the SRS group was given four quizzes all together, all concerning rules on how to eliminate a common mistake in Norwegian language. The results on the quizzes showed as expected big problems in the group. The quizzes were given both as classical and peer learning quizzes, and explanation was given by the subject teacher after the quiz. The reference group were only given theoretical lecture about the mistake at hand. The essays delivered pre and post the work period were compatible, and the same tasks were given to both groups.
The total number of students involved in the experiment was 86; 49 in the SRS group and 37 in the reference group. The results of the experiment were positive, encouraging to further experimentation.

The article will show the methodology used and the results obtained. At the end we will also show how this methodology together with SRS can be used in learning other languages than Norwegian and other subjects than language training with the same aim.
The development of the SRS was funded by the EU-Commission, KA3, through the EduMecca project.