Introduction
1.Background of the Study
Educational communication is an information communication activity betweeneducators and educatees, in which, educators, based on specific target and requirement,choose proper information content and transmit knowledge and skills, thoughts，conceptions to specific educatees through effective media channels (Nan Guonong & LiYunlin, 2005). Based on educational communication theories, the process ofcommunication should be an interactive process of information communication betweenat least two persons (transmitter and receiver), and the two persons exert certaininfluence on each other during the communication process and make some changesbased on the influence (Gao Yunqi, et al., 1992).The process of college English teaching is just such an interactive process betweentransmitter and receiver. Through effective and open communication channels, theyactively exchange educational information, know and understand each other, predict thefeedback information from each other and think about how to further communicate witheach other. The effective and open communication channels are significant condition foreffective educational communication. However, in educational communication activities,obstructed transmission of educational information happens a lot.
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2.Purpose of the Study
According to educational communication theories，full and unobstructedcommunication is the aim of educational communication activities. Communicationchannels play a significant role during the communication process. Nowadays, problemsoccurring in the application of multimedia teaching in college English teaching processmake the author think that whether the use of multimedia in college English class，tosome extent, may hinder the common communication and interaction between teachersand students，leading to the blocking of effective educational communication channels,thus bringing about students' English learning demotivation.Therefore, it can be inferred that the undue application of classroom multimediateaching may be one of the factors causing students，English learning demotivation.According to the former researches on multimedia teaching and learners' learningdemotivation，and based on the educational communication theories，a hypothesis comesinto being. That is，the improper use of multimedia in college English class may hinderthe common and necessary communication and interaction between teachers andstudents. The effective and open communication channels between them may be blocked.Longtime study with machine and the lack of concern and care from teachers makesstudents feel dull and dry in learning English. As time passes, they may becomedemotivated in learning English.In this paper, by questionnaire survey and semi-structured interview，the authoraims to: (1) figure out whether the multimedia teaching in college English class exertsan influence on students' English learning demotivation; (2) if such an influence exists,how it exerts its influence.
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Chapter One Literature Review
1.1Educational Communication Theories
Education is a kind of communication phenomenon. No matter what kinds ofteaching methods and teaching means are adopted, the process of education isundoubtedly a communication process. Educational communication is an informationcommunication activity between educators and educatees, in which, educators，based onspecific target and requirement, choose proper information content and transmitknowledge and skills，thoughts, conceptions to specific educatees through effectivemedia channels (Nan Guonong & Li Yunlin, 2005). Gao Yimqi, et al. (1992) believesthat educational communication is a communication activity which aims to cultivate andtrain people.Multimedia teaching is just such a communication process, which speciallytransmits educational information by utilizing multimedia. It also adheres to the theoriesof educational communication studies. In this part, the basic elements and channels ofeducational communication, communication psychologies of teachers and students,types of interaction between teachers and students, functions of classroom teaching andinterferences in communication process are successively introduced, which are thetheoretical foundation and evidence for the later questionnaire design and resultsanalysis.
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1.2Multimedia Teaching
Along with the fast development of information technology, multimedia teachinghas been widely used in education and teaching field. Multimedia in teaching hasbecome a brand new teaching means, which makes educational technology integratedinto teaching process and teaching models，giving impetus to the development ofeducation reform.In order to explore whether multimedia teaching has an influence on students'learning demotivation, something about multimedia teaching should be known. In thispart, the definition and previous researches of multimedia teaching, some problemsexisting in multimedia teaching application will be introduced and explained. According to Beatty (2005)，multimedia refers to "feature several media typesincluding text, images, sound, video and/or animations". Multimedia teaching is a kindof teaching means or teaching method, which teachers use as an auxiliary tool in class,since it combines various media, e.g. figure, image, sound, text，animation, etc. togetherto display the teaching content intuitively and vividly via equipments like computer,video presenter, overhead projector, etc.(Zhu Zhiting，2002). It also refers to a process inwhich, based on teaching design, modem teaching media like computer and networktechniques are combined together to transmit teaching information in class with text,sound，image，etc., and also with proper blackboard-writing, to finally reach the teachingaims and demands (Nan Guonong & Li Yunlin, 2005). It can be easily seen thatmultimedia is just an auxiliary tool in classroom teaching. Its ftmction is to help teaching.The use of it cannot be a big distraction or a reversal of the order of host and guest.
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Chapter Three Results and Discussions...........31
3.1Results.........31
3.1.1Results of Questionnaire Two.........31
3.1.2Results of Semi-structured Interviews.........34
3.2Discussions.........41
3.2.1Relationship between Teachers and Students in Multimedia Teaching.........41
3.2.2Relationship between Students and Students in Multimedia Teaching.........44
3.2.3Interferences Caused by Multimedia Itself.........45
Conclusion.........48
1.Major Findings.........48
2.Implications.........49
3.Limitations and Recommendations for Further Study.........50
Chapter Three Results and Discussions
After investigating 139 subjects and semi-structured interviewing 6 of them，dataand materials needed have been collected. All the collected data are processed by SPSS18.0 (Software Statistical Package for Social Science, version 18.0). Descriptive analysishas been done. To find out whether multimedia teaching has an influence on students'English learning demotivation, students' choices towards Questionnaire Two，descriptive statistics like Minimum, Maximum, Mean and Mode，Kurtosis and Skewnessare employed. The answers of semi-structured interview are recorded and repetitivelylistened by the author to transcribe and put them in order. An integrated and deeperdiscussion on multimedia's influence on students' English learning demotivation is alsodone in this chapter. Questionnaire Two— the Questionnaire on the Influence of Multimedia Teachingon Students' Learning Demotivation，lists some familiar situations in college Englishclass. Students make their choices according to the actual situation and select the itemsthat have influence on their English leaning enthusiasm and desire. Five numbersranging from 1 (strongly not-influence) to 5 (strongly influence) on the 5-poiiit Likertscale are provided for the subjects to make ticks. Input the results of 139 students'choices into SPSS 18.0 and do the descriptive analysis. The result is showed in thefollowing table.
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Conclusion
Fully and unobstructed communication is the aim of any communication activities(Gao Yunqi, et al.，1992). Educational communication is no exception. However, ineducational communication activities, obstructed transmission of educationalinformation happens often. The undue use of multimedia in college English teachingmay obstruct the open and effective communication channels between teachers andstudents, students and students. The results of questionnaires and interview contents of students indicate that, multimedia teaching in college English class indeed havecertain influence on students' learning demotivation. On the whole, more than 50%students agree that this influence exists in student-teacher channel, student-mediachannel, student-student channel and other aspects including educational environment.In this chapter, the major findings of the present research，the implications andlimitations and recommendations will be given.
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References (omitted)