Shenglan Zhang
Iowa State University, USA
Abstract
Flipped learning/blended has become popular in foreign language teaching. Learning grammar and
vocabulary can take place outside of classrooms to save Face-to-Face (FTF) time for more interactive
practice. However, good materials to aid students for this purpose are not often available online.
This study used an exploratory approach in combination of the Design-Based research method
to investigate whether vocabulary and grammar videos and micro-movies designed according to
instructional and multimedia design principles helped students learn and how students used these
pre-recorded materials for their learning outside of class. Thirty-nine beginning- and intermediate-
level Chinese-as-a-Foreign-Language (CFL) learners in a university in the United States participated
in the study. Data were collected through questionnaires, reflections, interviews, and verbal protocol.
The findings show that these materials enforced students’ learning of both vocabulary and grammar.
The students enjoyed and benefited from using these materials in terms of learning how to use new
grammar points and new vocabulary, practicing listening and writing skills, and acquiring cultural
and pragmatic language skills. The students also pointed out what improvements should be made to
the materials such as anticipating questions from the students and clarify those questions, using the
break-down method more extensively in explaining the grammatical structures, providing a more
extensive explanation of the grammar and using more complicated examples, and so on. The findings
shed light on how to design online pre-recorded materials to maximize CFL learners’ learning. The
paper concludes with three design principles drawn from this study.
