Online language learning in times of crisis: Hindrance or opportunity?

Year 2021, , 448 - 463, 30.09.2021

Seher Balbay , Gokce Erkan

https://doi.org/10.31681/jetol.936827

Cited By: 7

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought many changes to the way teachers teach and students learn. Although there is a surplus of research on online education, the transition period to online education is also worth investigating. This study set out to explore language learners’ perceptions of how they were impacted by emergency remote teaching (ERT). All the participants were students attending an English medium university in Turkey. The mode of teaching, changes in teacher-student and student-student interaction, online tools and materials used in the courses were investigated by a comprehensive self-developed online survey and the data were triangulated later by semi-structured interviews conducted with the volunteering participants. Most found the transition to ERT demanding, particularly the loss of face-to-face interaction; however, some students benefited from being able to better regulate their own learning process thanks to the recorded lectures and online materials. Students also appreciated receiving regular feedback from instructors about their progress.

Keywords

emergency remote teaching, online education, distance education, pandemic period language learning

References

• Akbana, Y, Rathert, S. & Ağçam, R. (2021). Emergency remote education in foreign and second language teaching. Turkish Journal of Education, 10 (2), 97-124. https://doi.org/ 10.19128/turje.865344
• Aksal, F. A. (2011). Action Plan on Communication Practices: Roles of Tutors at EMU Distance Education Institute to Overcome Social Barriers in Constructing Knowledge. The Turkish Online Journal of Educational Technology, 8(2), 33–47.
• Al-Azawi̇, M. A. (2021). Transferring to emergency remote teaching: opportunity, challenges, and risks. IJASOS- International E-Journal of Advances in Social Sciences. https://doi.org/10.18769/ijasos.876866
• Baker, C. (2010). The Impact of instructor immediacy and presence for online students affective learning, cognition, and motivation. Journal of Educators Online, 7(1), 1-30.
• Baloran, E. T. (2020). Knowledge, attitudes, anxiety, and coping strategies of students during covid-19 pandemic. Journal of Loss and Trauma, 25(8), 635-642. https://doi.org/10.1080/15325024.2020.1769300
• Bond, C.S., Fevyer, D. & Pitt, C. (2004). Student reactions to online tools for learning to use the Internet as a study tool: Outside the comfort zone? In R. Atkinson, C. McBeath, D. Jonas-Dwyer & R. Phillips (Eds), Beyond the comfort zone: Proceedings of the 21st ASCILITE Conference. Perth, 5-8 December.
• Bozkurt, A. (2020). Koronavirüs (Covid-19) pandemi süreci ve pandemi sonrası dünyada eğitime yönelik değerlendirmeler: Yeni normal ve yeni eğitim paradigması. Açıköğretim Uygulamaları ve Araştırmaları Dergisi, 6(3), 112-142. https://dergipark.org.tr/tr/pub/auad/issue/56247/773769
• Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77-101. http://doi.org/10.1191/1478088706qp063oa
• Creswell, J. W., & Creswell, J. W. (2013). Qualitative inquiry & research design: Choosing among five approaches. SAGE Publications Inc.
• Delaney, J., Johnson, A. N., Johnson, T. D., & Treslan, D. L. (2010). Students’ perceptions of effective teaching in higher education. St. John’s, NL: Distance Education and Learning Technologies.
• Diebel, P. L., & Gow, L. R. (2009). A comparative study of traditional instruction and distance education formats: student characteristics and preferences. NACTA Journal, 53(2), 8-14
• Driscoll, A., Jicha, K., Hunt, A. N., Tichovsky, L.P., & Thompson, G. (2012). Can online courses deliver in-class results? A comparison of student performance and satisfaction in an online versus face-to-face introductory sociology course. Teaching Sociology, 40(4): 312-331.
• Garrison, D. R. (2009). Implications of online and blended learning for the conceptual development and practice of distance education. International Journal of E-Learning & Distance Education, 23(2), 93-104.
• Garrison, D. R., Anderson, T., & Archer, W. (2000). Critical inquiry in a text-based environment: Computer conferencing in higher education. The Internet and Higher Education, 2(2-3), 1-19
• Harasim, L. (2000). Shift happens: Online education as a new paradigm in learning. The Internet and Higher Education, 3, 41-61.
• Hartshorn, K. J., & McMurry, B. L. (2020). The effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on ESL learners and TESOL practitioners in the United States. International Journal of TESOL Studies, 2(2), 140-156. https://doi.org/10.46451/ijts.2020.09.11
• Kim, K.-J., Liu, S., & Bonk, C. J. (2005). Online MBA students’ perceptions of online learning: Benefits, challenges, and suggestions. The Internet and Higher Education, 8(4), 335-344. https://doi.org/ 10.1016/j.iheduc.2005.09.005
• Paechter, M., & Maier, B. (2010). Online or face-to-face? Students’ experiences and preferences in e-learning. The Internet and Higher Education, 13(4), 292-297. https://doi.org/ 10.1016/j.iheduc.2010.09.004
• Pu, H. (2020). ‘Implementing online ELT in the time of crisis: ordeal or opportunity?’. ELT Journal, 1(4), 345-348.
• Rahmadı, I. (2021). Teachers’ technology integration and distance learning adoption amidst the covid-19 crisis: a reflection for the optimistic future. Turkish Online Journal of Distance Education, 22 (2), 26-41. https://doi.org/ 10.17718/tojde.906472
• Seçkin, Z., Elçin, A. & Doğan, O. (2020). A Quantitative Investigation of University Students’ Perceptions Concerning the Learning Processes amid the Pandemic of COVID-19. Karamanoğlu Mehmetbey Üniversitesi Sosyal ve Ekonomik Araştırmalar Dergisi, 22 (39), 187-205. https://dergipark.org.tr/tr/pub/kmusekad/issue/58846/799301
• Song, L., Singleton, E. S., Hill, J. R., & Koh, M. H. (2004). Improving online learning: Student perceptions of useful and challenging characteristics. The Internet and Higher Education, 7(1), 59-70. https://doi.org/ 10.1016/j.iheduc.2003.11.003
• Sumardı, S , Nugrahanı, D . (2021). Adaptation to emergency remote teaching: pedagogical strategy for pre-service language teachers amid covid-19 pandemic. Turkish Online Journal of Distance Education, 22(2), 81-93. https://doi.org/10.17718/tojde.906553
• Tichavsky, L. P., Hunt, A., Driscoll, A., & Jicha, K. (2015). “It’s just nice having a real teacher”: Student perceptions of online versus face-to-face instruction. International Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, 9(2). https://doi.org/10.20429/ijsotl.2015.090202
• Wang, C., Pan, R., Wan, X., Tan, Y., Xu, L., Ho, C. S., & Ho, R. C. (2020). Immediate psychological responses and associated factors during the initial stage of the 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) epidemic among the general population in China. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(5), 17-29.
• Young, S. (2006). Student views of effective online teaching in higher education. American Journal of Distance Education, 20(2), 65-77. https://doi.org/10.1207/s1538928