Research Article
Blanka Klimova, Katarina Zamborova
CONT ED TECHNOLOGY, Volume 15, Issue 4, Article No: ep481
ABSTRACT
With the advancement of technologies, disabled students are being cared for to progress in their education through assistive technologies (AT). They ensure the inclusion of the target group to make them equal with their peers who do not suffer from disabilities. Unfortunately, there is only scarce research on this margin group in connection with technology. Therefore, the aim of the systematic review is to conduct research on the best practices, pedagogical implications, and limitations for the target group using AT. The results based on the review of empirical studies on the research topic conducted between 2013 and 2023 suggest that the best practices of AT are coming from recent years, specifically from 2017, and countries ranging from Europe to Indonesia and Thailand. Pedagogical implications suggest that the learners using AT are becoming more autonomous, independent and successful in academic achievements. Limitations within the study include the fact that AT needs to be more developed and accessible to learners along with more specialized training of specialists and teachers. Future research on the topic should be aimed at better equipment for these learners with AT.
Keywords: assistive technology, assistive technology, learning, English as a foreign language, systematic review
Research Article
Kate Tzu-Ching Chen
CONT ED TECHNOLOGY, Volume 15, Issue 4, Article No: ep467
ABSTRACT
The present study aimed to examine the barriers faced by Taiwanese university English as a foreign language (EFL) instructors when incorporating mobile-assisted language learning (MALL) into their teaching, and to explore how these barriers are influenced by the instructors’ background characteristics. To assess the variables, a survey questionnaire was developed and administered to a sample of 350 university instructors. Additionally, interviews were conducted with a subset of instructors to complement and clarify the quantitative data. The findings indicated that university EFL instructors encountered moderate barriers when integrating MALL into their teaching practices. Furthermore, the study identified significant differences in the barriers experienced based on the amount of time instructors dedicated to MALL on a daily basis. Both quantitative and qualitative data highlighted the importance of time as a critical factor for successful MALL integration. As a recommendation, it is advised that university administrators consider reducing instructors’ workload to facilitate the seamless integration of MALL.
Keywords: mobile-assisted language learning, English as a foreign language, barrier, technology integration
Research Article
Duygu Umutlu, Yavuz Akpinar
CONT ED TECHNOLOGY, Volume 12, Issue 2, Article No: ep270
ABSTRACT
This study investigated different modalities of videos in a flipped classroom for English writing classes in an intensive English program at a state university in Turkey. This quasi-experimental study was conducted with six experimental groups (n= 109) and one control group (n = 18). The dataset included the participants’ scores of an essay pretest and two posttests, namely, recall and essay posttests. The data analysis showed that the experimental group viewing the video lecture which includes simultaneous presentation of animation and on-screen text followed by a narration in a user-paced environment outperformed the control group on the recall posttest. The groups studying the video lecture including animation with simultaneous narration and sequential on-screen text in a whole presentation and in a part-by-part presentation outperformed the control group on the essay writing posttest. In the whole presentation, participants studied all the parts of a video in a system-paced design and answered the related questions whereas participants studied each part of a video and answered the related questions in a part-by-part presentation. The paper provides a discussion and a set of recommendations on how to design flipped classrooms.
Keywords: flipped learning, flipped classroom, multimedia learning, video modalities, English as a foreign language, academic essay writing
Research Article
Aras Bozkurt, Murat Ataizi
CONT ED TECHNOLOGY, Volume 6, Issue 2, pp. 155-168
ABSTRACT
English is one of the most spoken languages in the world and widely accepted as a foreign language in many parts of the world. However, though there has been a high demand for English as a foreign language in the 21st century, it has still been taught or learned through traditional methods and conventional pedagogical approaches. In the digital age, learner characteristics, learning environments, and learner needs have significantly changed and new pedagogical approaches or learning systems have emerged as a natural result of the paradigm shift. In this article, these changes were explained and suggestions were made for foreign language learning and acquisition based on the networked learning and the connectivist approach to learning.
Keywords: English as a foreign language, EFL, Web 2.0, Connectivism, Network based learning, New pedagogy