KKU Students' Perceptions Towards Blended Learning Environment and its Impact on English Language Learning 25/11/1436Teaching English in KSA: Reality and

KKU Students' Perceptions Towards Blended Learning Environment and its Impact on

English Language Learning

١٤٤٤/٠٩/٢٩ Teaching English in KSA: Reality and Challenges (Imam University 1433)

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E-learning in the Kingdom

• Using technology in language teaching and learning has witnessed a quantum leap at some universities in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Goal1 of the Saudi National Center for E-learning and Distance Learning, an affiliate of Ministry of Higher Education, is “to spread e-learning applications and solutions in all higher education institutions in accordance with the best quality standards.”


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E-learning at KKU

• Some universities have realized the importance of

blending face-to-face with online instruction in language

pedagogy. King Khalid University is one of the leading

Saudi universities that have recently adopted this new

mode of teaching/learning with much of zeal and

enthusiasm at the training, support, design and delivery

levels.


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E-learning at KKU

• The experience is young; however it is expected to revolutionize pedagogy in the university.

• This study focuses on the impact of this new mode of learning on language learning with particular reference to the influence of Blackboard Learning Management System on the development of English language learning. It is a fact that adopting such technology in language learning opens up exciting vistas of effective learning, promoting interactivity, collaboration, portability, creativity and innovation.


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E-Learning at KKU

Levels of introducing e-learning:

1.Supportive (optional)

2.Blended (compulsory)

3.Full (compulsory)

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Semester I, 1433 ( Active Tools)


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Instructors and students’ Using E-learning Tools

Note : Just these are calculated to an Extreme level (That anyone who does simple 20 page view is considered in active list but this is not the true measure , since after these statistics there are many operations performed in the evaluations.)

Research Questions

• To what extent does this abundance of input

influence the students' abilities to produce output

in the language they are learning?

• Do learners of English feel that their progress in

English language learning is enhanced by e-

learning systems provided by the university?

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To answer these crucial questions, the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) (Davis, 1989) serves as the theoretical basis for this study. TAM proposes that perceived

ease of use and perceived

usefulness of technology are predictors of user attitude towards using technology, subsequent behavioral intentions and actual usage.

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Participants (100)

• An open-ended questionnaire designed by the researcher was used in this study. It consisted of three parts:

• Personal details, computer and internet skills and their experience with blended learning.

• students’ perceptions regarding the influence of using technology on their English skills development, interactivity and peer learning.

• problems they face

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Teaching English in KSA: Reality and Challenges (Imam University 1433)

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Number of participants per level


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Do you have a personal computer?


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Do you have internet connection at home ?


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Do you support taking blended learning ?


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How many hours per week do you spend on Blackboard?


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Do you feel comfortable with the e-learning experience?


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Do you think e-learning helps in developing your listening skills?

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Do you think e-learning provides conducive contexts for vocabulary building?


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Do you think e-learning helps in developing your writing skills ?


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Do you think e-learning helps in developing your reading skills?


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Do you think e-learning helps in developing speaking skills?


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Do you prefer grammar courses to be taught partly online or completely face-to-face?


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Do you send course emails to your instructors ?


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Do you participate in discussion boards?


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Do you feel e-learning tools help you get to know and learn from your classmates?


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Do you prefer exams to be electronic or on paper?


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Do you feel that e-learning provides learners with more freedom to express their reflections on learning?


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Are there any cultural apprehensions in employing e-learning ?


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Problems faced by students using e-learning


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No.ProblemFreq.1Internet connection problems /huge no. of users522No internet connection at home203Restricted deadline for assignment submission194No personal computer 185Crowded e-learning labs136A lot of assignments and online work (many courses)127Number of attempts for assignment submission limited (one): marks loss 108Noise and crowd in internet cafes cause loss of concentration (in the

countryside)9

9Time of online classes (synchronous) may not be possible (prayer times)710Cost (owning a computer, connection, cafes)611Computer illiteracy 612Tegrity does not open 513Some instructors are not active/serious enough/have no enough knowledge514Assignments during vacations, breaks, and weekends, or exams415No instructional lessons or awareness campaigns targeting freshers. 4

Problems faced by students using e-learning


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16Lengthy and difficult assignments317Essay questions in e-tests (slow typing) 318No replies from instructors to students' queries or comments on their posts319No time to use university labs because of lectures. 320Technical problems during e-tests321Censorship in labs/only Blackboard website access available in labs322No internet or cafes in villages323No replies from instructors to students' queries or comments on their posts324No announcements for assignments225Lack of motivation126No relaxation in university as at home 127Timer during e-tests is a distracter 128No correction of our assignment errors129Boring material 130Students feel distracted because of different modes of learning. 131Parents resent spending much time at computer by their sons. 132Comprehension problems in online classes 1

Problem Types

1. Technical

2. Management by instructors

3. Economic

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Conclusions-Students highly value the importance of blended learning in listening and vocabulary courses .- Writing and reading skills take the second position in benefitting from e-learning tools. - Using e-learning does not help students in speaking skills development and grammar as with other skills. -Degree of the students’ acceptance of the online environment is generally promising. -Interactivity and communication among students and interactivity and communication between learners and instructors; and learners’ interaction with the content need further efforts by both parties at KKU. percentages show weakness in these aspects.


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Conclusions -The three types of problems need to be immediately tackled at three levels:

- Institutional

- Service provider and supervisor

- Pedagogical (Instructors)

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Teaching English in KSA: Reality and Challenges (Imam University 1433)


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‘To E or not to E, that is the question’


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Documents

KKU Students' Perceptions Towards Blended Learning Environment and its Impact on English Language Learning 25/11/1436Teaching English in KSA: Reality and