English language learning
Arezou Shahmoradi; Behzad Ghonsooly; Omid Mazandarani; Ghasem Barani
Abstract
This study aimed at identifying the ethical challenges encountered when developing a language education virtual environment that acts as a smart platform for managing reading comprehension instruction for EFL/ESL learners. Since Reading Instruction Management System (RIMS) is going to observe, monitor, ...
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This study aimed at identifying the ethical challenges encountered when developing a language education virtual environment that acts as a smart platform for managing reading comprehension instruction for EFL/ESL learners. Since Reading Instruction Management System (RIMS) is going to observe, monitor, and supervise the learners' out-of-class activities and help teachers improve their teaching quality, it has to seriously handle humane elements which have not been seriously debated in the related literature on language education software development so far. To this end, this study has devised a qualitative study to further explore the aspects of ethical considerations that have to be considered when developing technological aid. Accordingly, 14 teachers and 14 students were selected based on the purposive sampling method concerning the condition that they will be among the teachers and learners who will use RIMS when it is officially launched in the institution. They were asked to take part in interviews which were held on a one-on-one basis and in Persian, the participants' mother tongue. The data were codded and the emerged ones were then classified under four themes including the challenges related to the teachers, learners, and institutions. Each of these has several aspects which are discussed, accordingly.
English language learning
farzaneh khodabndeh
Abstract
Collaborative technologies provide opportunities for English foreign language learners (EFL) to have interactive learning and access to online interactive environments. Interactions that take place between teachers and their students in a classroom context affect learners’ language learning. As ...
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Collaborative technologies provide opportunities for English foreign language learners (EFL) to have interactive learning and access to online interactive environments. Interactions that take place between teachers and their students in a classroom context affect learners’ language learning. As such, this research compared interactions between the instructor and her students and between students themselves that took place in conventional and Learning Management Systems (LMS) classes. Second, two different approaches of teaching grammar (implicit and explicit) in conventional and LMS classes were examined. The participants of this study were selected from 94 students of EFL freshmen at two groups of different teaching classes namely, virtual and conventional classes. Having administered a test of homogeneity, the researcher selected 60 learners. They were assigned into four groups, two experimental and two comparative groups. After the treatment, the results of the pre-and post-tests confirmed the positive effect of teaching grammar both explicitly and implicitly in LMS classes. In addition, examination of interaction patterns revealed that teaching through LMS was student-centered and dynamic in contradiction with the comparative groups. The study can help instructors understand the prospective benefits of teaching on LMS and also improve social interactions among uncommunicative students.
