Papers by Dr. Jeffrey G Mehring
The Word, 2013
When teachers use brain-based research to guide classroom teaching, they can provide their studen... more When teachers use brain-based research to guide classroom teaching, they can provide their students with the potential to expand the learning experience infinitely. Using brain-targeted research based on empirical evidence, incorporated with sound educational theories and teaching philosophies can become the foundation for new classroom methods and techniques.In this paper I introduce the importance of understanding how dopamine flow can improve learning outcomes, and then provide gaming techniques such as Teaching with ImmersiveGaming (TWIG) to help teachers create successful lifelong learners.
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M. Carrier, R. Damerow, & K. M. Bailey (Eds.), Digital Language Learning and Teaching: Research, Theory and Practice, 2017
Technology can play a role in the transition from a traditional teacher-centered to a more studen... more Technology can play a role in the transition from a traditional teacher-centered to a more student-centered, communicative English as a foreign language (EFL) classroom. Technology-enhanced language learning (TELL) looks at the impact technology has on teaching and learning a second language, a key part of the flipped classroom. Flipped Learning is an approach in which direct instruction moves from the group learning space to the individual learning space, usually via technology, and the resulting group space is transformed into a dynamic, interactive learning environment where the educator guides students as they apply concepts and engage creatively in the subject matter. This type of class not only allows students to develop their language abilities in-class, but further the learning experience through the TELL environment. Exploring the experiences of EFL students who have taken part in a course taught using the flipped classroom technique has helped in determining some benefits technology has to offer. This study used a qualitative approach with a case study design to focus on EFL students enrolled in a course taught using the flipped classroom model. The data described a learning experience that students found to be positive, engaging, and expanding compared to the traditional learning experience. The blend of insights into how students used technology to communicate and how instruction evolves in the flipped classroom suggests a complete transformation of the learning experience as witnessed by EFL students.
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The Language Teacher, 2016
The main study skills students presently rely on are massed practice, repetition, rereading, and ... more The main study skills students presently rely on are massed practice, repetition, rereading, and highlighting which cause a false sense of fluency (Bjork, R. & Bjork, E., 1992). Memory has two strengths, storage strength and retrieval strength with the theory of desirable difficulty stating the harder one has to work to retrieve a memory, the greater the subsequent spike in retrieval and storage strength (Bjork, R. & Bjork, E., 1992; Hattie, 2013). Spaced-repetition, pretesting, interleaving, and regular testing are a few study skills which can lead to deeper learning. Incorporating them into teaching as well as showing students how to use them could lead to deeper learning, stronger retrieval, and longer retention. This paper examines these study skills including examples of how to incorporate them into various classroom activities.
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Kwansei Gakuin University Humanities Review, 2016
Presently, the main study skills many Japanese EFL students rely on are massed practice, repetiti... more Presently, the main study skills many Japanese EFL students rely on are massed practice, repetition, and writing when it comes to vocabulary acquisition. McCarthy (as cited in Gu, 2003) stated, "the purpose of vocabulary learning should include both remembering words and the ability to use them automatically in a wide range of language contexts when the need arises." The theory of desirable difficulty (Bjork and Bjork, 1992) states that the harder one has to work to retrieve a memory, the greater the subsequent spike in retrieval and storage strength. Spaced-repetition and interleaving are two study skills which incorporate the desirable difficulty effect and could lead to stronger vocabulary acquisition; giving students the ability to recall words automatically when the need arises. Encouraging and teaching students how to use these skills will lead to deeper vocabulary acquisition and language improvement.
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Hawaii Pacific University TESOL Working Papers Series, 2006
This paper examines the theories behind vocabulary acquisition in second language learning in ord... more This paper examines the theories behind vocabulary acquisition in second language learning in order to put these theories into practice in a class. Learning vocabulary is an ongoing process which requires systematic repetition to help students learn, especially low context vocabulary. Students can retain the vocabulary they find useful and relevant to their subject matter by learning vocabulary through context, cooperative learning, and using technology. Results from an action research project will be reported.
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Computers in the Schools, 2016
The flipped classroom can support the implementation of a communicative, student-centered learnin... more The flipped classroom can support the implementation of a communicative, student-centered learning environment in the English as a foreign language classroom. Unfortunately, there is little research which supports the incorporation of flipped learning in the English as a foreign language classroom. Numerous studies have focused on flipped learning and other subject areas, but more research needs to be done on the English as a foreign language classroom. With this in mind, there are many effective tools available to enable teachers to create a communicative, English as a foreign language learning environment. Even though technology is constantly changing, the tools presented here will give teachers an idea of how to incorporate and use technology when developing an active, communicative learning environment.
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The Language Teacher, 2016
This article explores the different uses of the Web 2.0 tool, zondle <http://www.zondle.com>, in ... more This article explores the different uses of the Web 2.0 tool, zondle <http://www.zondle.com>, in the K-12 and higher education classroom, as well as its pros and cons. Zondle is a game-based learning platform designed to help students study, review, and remember information. It also allows students to produce their own topics to create
a personal learning environment.
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The Language Teacher, 2006
Just-in-Time-Teaching (JiTT) describes a process in which students produce work on or respond to ... more Just-in-Time-Teaching (JiTT) describes a process in which students produce work on or respond to a topic, usually on a web platform, that teachers can read just before the next class. Since teachers read the students’ work just in time before teaching the class, they can teach to the students’ needs and interests. The authors review the literature on JiTT, describe some personal uses and experiments with JiTT, and suggest how teachers might use it. JiTT’s strong points are that it allows teachers to efficiently address students needs and interests while encouraging collaborative learning and modeling. JiTT takes a lot of the guessing out of teaching by showing teachers what students know and think about a certain topic.
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F. Helm, L. Bradley, M. Guarda, & S. Thouësny (Eds), Critical CALL – Proceedings of the 2015 EUROCALL Conference, Padova, Italy, 2015
Studies suggest that simulations and games not only improve target language skills, but they can ... more Studies suggest that simulations and games not only improve target language skills, but they can also support knowledge creation regarding a broader variety of topics. Thus, we wanted to explore how playing an online simulation game affected knowledge of energy supply and its relationship to environmental and economic factors among learners of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) in Japan. This particular topic was selected due to its immediate relevancy in Japan which faces energy supply and environmental issues in the wake of the Fukushima nuclear accident. The presentation will report on a qualitative exploration of debriefing reports produced by Japanese university students after playing Energy City, an online simulation game. The game models various urban scenarios in which the objective is to supply sufficient energy to power a city with electricity while minimizing environmental impacts, addressing stakeholder concerns and balancing a budget. Students used the game in small groups, after which they completed debriefing reports designed to foster reflection on the game playing experience. We performed a content analysis on the reports to identify major trends and themes which could offer insights regarding the learning outcomes. The results indicate the possibility that gameplay may influence attitudes toward nuclear power production and personal behavior with regard to energy consumption. The principal investigator intends to use these results to author a quantitative survey instrument for the purpose of investigating whether attitude and/or behavior change occurs at a statistically significant level.
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Perspectives, 2015
Much research has been done on learning styles and strategies, but less has been done on learners... more Much research has been done on learning styles and strategies, but less has been done on learners’ assumptions and beliefs about language learning. Learners’ assumptions and beliefs can affect the learning process, including motivation and attention. In order to design activities to build attention and motivation, this action research discusses how technology and knowledge surveys can be incorporated into a first-year communicative English course for Japanese university students.
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Selected Papers from the Fourth International Conference on Communications and Information Technology. Abu Dhabi: ICCIT, 2015
Recently, Japanese higher education has decided to transition from a traditional teacher-centered... more Recently, Japanese higher education has decided to transition from a traditional teacher-centered to a more studentcentered, communicative classroom. One promising possibility that could help in the transition is the flipped classroom technique. Examining the lived experiences English as a foreign language (EFL) students who have taken part in a course taught using the flipped classroom technique has helped in determining some benefits of the flipped classroom. The data described a learning experience to which Japanese students were unaccustomed, but that they found to be a positive learning experience nonetheless. The blend of insights into both the motivations and opportunities to communicate using authentic language in the flipped classroom suggests a complete transformation of the learning experience for university EFL students.
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PeerSpectives, 2015
English has become the international language of communication in today’s globalized society. In ... more English has become the international language of communication in today’s globalized society. In order for the Japanese to become effective communicators in English there needs to be changes to how the language is taught and used in the classroom. The flipped classroom technique offers a way for teachers to provide students with a lecture, but use face-to-face class time for more authentic, communicative uses of the language. This type of class will allow students to construct and develop their language abilities through collaborative activities. This paper examines how the flipped technique, in conjunction with social-constructivism can create a classroom where students negotiate meaning through constructive, collaborative activities using authentic, communicative language.
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The Selected Papers from the Twenty-third International Symposium on English Teaching. Taipei: ETA-ROC, 2014
Interactive learning environments and games usually provide a rapid schedule of uncertain rewards... more Interactive learning environments and games usually provide a rapid schedule of uncertain rewards and this may explain their unusual ability to engage their players. However, stimulation of the brain's reward system also supports learning (Adcock, 2006) with recent research showing it predicts memory performance (Howard-Jones, 2011). zondle is a game that incorporates this brain-based research technology and used in combination with peer instruction, a learning method where conceptual questions are mixed into lectures, the researcher shows how this method of instruction can improve learners’ outcomes and increase interaction in an English as a foreign language (EFL) content-based course for Japanese university students. In this action-based study, the researcher used student interviews to determine the effectiveness that peer instruction and zondle had on EFL student’s increased interaction in the target language during a context-based course.
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JALT2010 Conference Proceedings, 2010
Thinking. We all understand the importance of getting students to think and use what they have le... more Thinking. We all understand the importance of getting students to think and use what they have learned to form new ideas, or build on old ones, but how do you motivate students or teach them to pay attention? When a teacher tells a student to “pay attention”, do students really understand what the teacher means? What happens in the brain as teachers lecture, hoping the students will remember what is being taught? Motivation, novelty, and memory are all tied together with how the brain functions. Many of the techniques mentioned in this paper to increase motivation, novelty, and memory are already used by teachers. However, understanding the connection between these techniques, how they affect the brain, and what the potential outcomes are, is an exciting result of brain-based research in education. Understanding how to use these techniques while keeping the potential of the brain in mind in a classroom setting will help create a more learner-centered environment. This is where building an understanding of how the brain works and incorporating brain-based techniques such as time, music, visuals, and group work can ignite a renewed curiosity in learning for students.
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Just-in-Time-Teaching (JiTT) describes a process in which students produce work on or respond to ... more Just-in-Time-Teaching (JiTT) describes a process in which students produce work on or respond to a topic, usually on a web platform, that teachers can read just before the next class. Since teachers read the students’ work just in time before teaching the class, they can teach to the students’ needs and interests. The authors review the literature on JiTT, describe some personal uses and experiments with JiTT, and suggest how teachers might use it. JiTT’s strong points are that it allows teachers to efficiently address students needs and interests while encouraging collaborative learning and modeling. JiTT takes a lot of the guessing out of teaching by showing teachers what students know and think about a certain topic.
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Books by Dr. Jeffrey G Mehring
Springer, 2018
The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc. in this p... more The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc. in this publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specific statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use. The publisher, the authors and the editors are safe to assume that the advice and information in this book are believed to be true and accurate at the date of publication. Neither the publisher nor the authors or the editors give a warranty, express or implied, with respect to the material contained herein or for any errors or omissions that may have been made. The publisher remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
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Papers by Dr. Jeffrey G Mehring
a personal learning environment.
Books by Dr. Jeffrey G Mehring
a personal learning environment.