Exploring the Affordances of WeChat for Reflective Purposes on a CLIL Module Whilst Assessing Chinese University Students’ Participation and Interaction

This comparative action research study explores the affordances of WeChat, an instant messaging app, as a means of reflection for Chinese third year undergraduates studying an elective Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) module at a university in Shanghai, China. Although WeChat is multifaceted, students in the experimental group were assessed on their ability to reflect on lesson content – by writing weekly synchronous messages in English to a communal group chat – with their final exam scores later compared to an unknowing control group. Student participation was analysed quantitatively via content analysis, with the majority of students sending at least one message on a weekly basis. Learner interaction patterns were examined by qualitatively determining whether any of the student exchanges included High Level Messages – defined as posts that were sufficiently critical and/or personally reflective – however only three comments could be classed as such. Thus, several factors to increase the amount of High Level Messages including WeChat Reflection buddies, teacher intervention and pedagogical administration are considered. Findings showed that the experimental group unequivocally outperformed the control group in the final exam, and questionnaire data implied that student perceptions of the WeChat group were generally very positive. Finally, limitations and implications of the study are also discussed.