Research Article
Kate Tzu-Ching Chen
CONT ED TECHNOLOGY, Volume 16, Issue 2, Article No: ep506
ABSTRACT
This study assessed the readiness and perceptions of 215 secondary school teachers in Taiwan regarding distance English as a foreign language (EFL) learning. Data collection encompassed survey questionnaires, which were refined based on a pilot study. The responses underwent analysis using descriptive statistics, one-way ANOVA, and the Pearson correlation coefficient in the most recent iteration of SPSS. In addition, content analysis was conducted on follow-up interviews. The findings indicated a noteworthy degree of readiness among teachers for distance EFL learning, nonetheless the challenges arising from the abrupt transition to distance education during the COVID-19 pandemic. While teachers exhibited confidence in their ability to navigate EFL distance learning, they also accentuated the necessity for specialized training and institutional support to effectively manage its demands. Despite their preference for traditional in-person classes, teachers acknowledged the importance of ongoing support and training to enhance the quality of instruction in digital EFL learning contexts, emphasizing the need for continuous development in this newly developed teaching trend to align with evolving educational landscapes.
Keywords: distance education and online learning, K-12 education, computer-assisted language learning, English teaching
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
Katarina Zamborova, Blanka Klimova
CONT ED TECHNOLOGY, Volume 15, Issue 3, Article No: ep445
ABSTRACT
The article presents the research of empirical mixed methods on the use of a modern mobile reading app compared to traditional forms of teaching in English business classes in higher education in Slovakia. The research belongs to the theoretical frame of the mobile assisted language learning field that has generated an interest since the early 1990 thanks to the development of mobile technologies, their features, and their functions all over the world. The research sample consisted of 40 freshman students from the University of Economics in Bratislava who were equally divided into control and experimental groups. The experimental treatment lasted one semester and was based on analyzing books on a biweekly basis from Blinkist, the reading app based on the protocol the authors created, where three higher-level thinking domains of Bloom’s taxonomy (Anderson & Krathwohl, 2001) were identified. Students were also asked to read/listen to the books every week. Even though the current findings indicate no relationship between enhancing English reading skills and incorporating reading apps in a foreign language learning, SWOT analysis from focus group interviews shows different results. It is regarding the positive perception of working with the reading app in business English classes. Based on these findings, the authors make pedagogical implications about using reading apps as a part of the curriculum of blended learning in business English classes in higher education.
Keywords: mobile assisted language learning, reading apps, business English class, digital native students, mixed research methods, university setting, Slovakia
Research Article
Cristina Diordieva, Curtis J. Bonk
CONT ED TECHNOLOGY, Volume 15, Issue 3, Article No: ep425
ABSTRACT
This qualitative phenomenological study investigates international instructors’ perspectives and experiences in designing a successful language-based massive open online course (L-MOOC). Detailed information was gathered during Summer 2018 about the instructor’s challenges and strategies through semi-structured interviews with seven participants in six different countries: Ireland, Italy, Norway, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The findings indicated that curating and facilitating a learning environment with a design team helps create an efficient L-MOOC delivery. Additionally, having multiple moderators per course and using forums helps with monitoring learners’ progress. Moreover, according to these seven L-MOOC instructors, having a course platform with rigid structures prevents using multiple activities and assessment tools for language learning. Interviewees argued that it is important to implement a learner-centered approach in L-MOOC, where learners can interact with each other and construct their knowledge. Future research studies may include exploring L-MOOC to address the best instructional practices and contribute to expanding research in language education in massive open online course environment.
Keywords: language-based massive open online courses, online language learning, learner-centered approach, instructors’ perspectives, qualitative approach
Research Article
Yuxiong Zhang
CONT ED TECHNOLOGY, Volume 14, Issue 4, Article No: ep380
ABSTRACT
The present study aimed to investigate the ownership and usage of Tablets among Chinese foreign language students. Adopted a quantitative approach, this research was considered a case study with exploratory nature. The data were collected from a self-reported questionnaire between May 31st and June 6th, and 276 valid responses were analyzed utilizing SPSS. Independent samples t-test and Fisher’s exact tests were carried out to perform inferential and descriptive analyses. Findings revealed that augmented ownership of tablets did not result from the implementation of online courses after the outbreak of COVID-19. However, some students demonstrated preferences for paperless learning, whose learning style might have changed during the intensive distance learning process for more than one semester. Still, students’ opinions towards the introduction of tablets into pedagogical practice weren’t overall positive; those who did not have or were not willing to purchase tablet devices were more likely to be unsupportive.
Keywords: tablets, COVID-19, individual learning, foreign language learning, paperless learning
Research Article
Talip Gonulal
CONT ED TECHNOLOGY, Volume 10, Issue 3, pp. 309-323
ABSTRACT
The present study sought to explore how English language learners (ELLs) used Instagram, a popular social networking site, for language learning purposes and to reveal their attitudes towards and experiences in using it as a mobile-assisted language learning (MALL) tool. Special interest was also placed on whether there were any distinct ELL profiles in using Instagram for independent and informal language learning. In this mixed-methods study, both quantitative and qualitative data were concurrently collected through an online comprehensive survey consisting of three sections. Ninety-seven Instagram using ELLs took part in this study. Basic descriptive statistics and a cluster analysis were conducted on the quantitative data, and a thematic analysis on the qualitative data. The results showed that Instagram has the potential to help ELLs to improve overall language skills in general, and vocabulary and communication skills in particular. Further, ELLs’ experiences in using Instagram as a MALL tool for informal language learning were largely positive. Additionally, two different language learner profiles (i.e., novice and experienced) emerged based on Instagram use habits and orientations. Overall, this study indicated that social networking platforms and MALL applications can be used as an effective mobile language learning tool.
Keywords: Social networking sites, Mobil assisted language learning, Instagram, English language learning
Research Article
Sayed Masood Haidari, Tugba Yanpar Yelken, Cenk Akay
CONT ED TECHNOLOGY, Volume 10, Issue 3, pp. 229-245
ABSTRACT
English as a Foreign Language (EFL) education not only requires students to receive in-class instruction but also necessitates them to engage in extra practices outside the classroom by using technological or non-technological resources. Hence, this study aimed to investigate the self-directed language learning behaviors of the EFL student teachers and their use of technology in the process by employing a mixed-methods study within an explanatory sequential research design. The quantitative data were collected from 110 EFL student teachers by using two distinct research instruments, whereas the qualitative data were collected through an open-ended questionnaire form, responded by 47 of these students. The results of the study indicated that technology utilization is a significant predictor of self-directed language learning. However, the findings show that the off-campus self-directed language learning abilities of the students, with or without the use of technology, do not significantly differ according to gender, age, and grade levels. The differences were only found in terms of unaided off-campus learning abilities of the students and their technology utilization frequency in language learning. The qualitative findings also show that students engage in a variety of self-directed language learning activities outside the classroom mostly by using technology.
Keywords: Technology enhanced learning, Self directed learning, EFL student teachers, Language learning
Research Article
Graham Howlett, Zainee Waemusa
CONT ED TECHNOLOGY, Volume 9, Issue 4, pp. 374-389
ABSTRACT
The purpose of this study was to examine how Thai EFL high-school teachers view and use mobile devices (such as smart phones) in educational settings, and if the age-based digital native/digital immigrant divide would highlight any differences in responses. The participants were 55 Thai EFL teachers in 8 schools of different sizes in Southern Thailand, who were split into digital-native and digital-immigrant subgroups during data analysis. Participants completed a 35-item Likert-type scale covering a range of topics related to mobile devices in the EFL setting including their ability, experience, school/personal policy, instructional utilization, and whether they supported mobile devices as a learning aid. The results showed that while digital native teachers consistently responded more positively towards the benefits/uses of mobile devices in EFL teaching/learning than the older digital immigrant teachers often at a significant level, all teachers -regardless of age- agreed on the benefits and promotion of mobile devices as EFL learning aids. Results of this study expand the knowledge base of EFL teachers’ mobile device experiences and practice while raising awareness of significant differences between digital natives and digital immigrants, and recommendations are made for policymakers, schools, and teachers.
Keywords: Mobile devices in EFL context, Mobile assisted language learning, Digital native, Digital immigrant, Bring your own device, Mobile learning
Research Article
Cigdem Ozbek, Irem Comoglu, Bahar Baran
CONT ED TECHNOLOGY, Volume 8, Issue 3, pp. 280-302
ABSTRACT
This study aims to design of the two activities “introducing an innovation” and “role playing” in Second Life (SL) and to evaluate qualitatively Turkish foreign language learner’s roles and outputs before, while, and after the implementation of the activities. The study used community of inquiry model consisting of cognitive presence and social presence as a theoretical frame to discuss the roles and outputs. The participants were twelve students and two English teachers from two different high schools. Teaching and learning in SL took six weeks. The first activity “introducing an innovation” let students develop an innovation and introduce it in English at a congress hall. The second activity “role playing” had four different scenarios in which students would be involved in; travel agency, get permission from family to go out, restaurant, and renting a car. It was found that the two activities in Second Life had various requirements in terms of the teacher, the student and the social environment and that they differed in pre-activity, while-activity and post-activity phases in terms of outputs. When the learning contexts created in this study are considered in terms of cognitive presence, the outcomes of the interaction effect between the teacher, the student, and the social environment were higher in the role-playing activity than in the second activity. Written preparations done before the activity in both teaching activities had positive effects on students’ performance during the activity. The fact that students responded to the questions spontaneously without following the scenario and that they found the correct answer through discussion affected their cognitive presence positively. For social presence, the role-play activity resulted in highersocial presence than introducing an innovation since the students studied individually in the introduction of an innovation.
Keywords: Language education, Technology in foreign language learning, Community of inquiry, Second Life, Role playing
Research Article
Omer Eren
CONT ED TECHNOLOGY, Volume 6, Issue 4, pp. 281-300
ABSTRACT
The present research examined the use of Web 2.0 tools to improve students’ vocabulary knowledge at the School of Foreign Languages, Gaziantep University. Current studies in literature mostly deal with descriptions of students’ attitudes towards the reasons for the use of web-based platforms. However, integrating usual classroom environment with Web 2.0 tools for specific sub-skills has not been examined much. It is aimed to contribute by investigating the feasibility of those tools as a supplement for vocabulary learning. This is an experimental research supported with semi-structured interviews and field notes. A pre-test and a post-test were administered to an experimental and a control group, and results were analyzed with the independent samples t-test. Following the post-test, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 18 students in the experimental group. The analyses of the test results demonstrated that both groups had gains but the mean of the experimental group was higher, and this difference was statistically significant. Findings suggest that almost all students have positive attitudes towards the educational use of Web 2.0 tools.
Keywords: Web 2.0, Social networking, Learner created content, Vocabulary learning, Computer-assisted language learning
Research Article
Ismail Cakir
CONT ED TECHNOLOGY, Volume 6, Issue 3, pp. 239-255
ABSTRACT
The aim of this study is to explore the current use of mobile phones in a foreign language teaching context where Engish is used as the medium of instruction by prospective teachers. To this end, it presents the views of prospective English teachers on utilizing the mobile phone as an instructional tool for foreign language learning purposes in the educational and instructional setting of foreign language teaching classrooms. The study utilized a quantitative methodology. In this context, a questionnaire was developed and administered to a sample of 193 participants in an English Language Teaching (ELT) department. The data gathered through the questionnaire were processed and analyzed descriptively. Results indicate that most of the participants would prefer to use mobile phones as instructional tools in foreign language learning. The results also provided some insights as to how foreign language teachers could employ suitable approaches to make learning and teaching English meaningful and communicative. The results suggested that the participants would like to make use of mobile phones for educational purposes when they become teachers of English. It is recommended that some of technology-based language teaching activities can be implemented using mobile phones and they can be integrated into foreign language teaching curriculum.
Keywords: Foreign language learning, Learner autonomy, m-learning, Mobile assisted learning, Prospective teachers