Example Of Essay On “Conceptions And Responses To E-Learning: The Case Of Efl Teachers And Students In A Saudi Arabian University”.

Summary for the article

The article for summarizing is “Conceptions and Responses to E-Learning: the Case of EFL Teachers and Students in a Saudi Arabian University” by Khalid Alshahrani and Salen Al-Shehri. In the article the teachers’ and students’ perceptions towards e-learning is under analysis. They show that teachers’ and students’ opinions towards e-learning implementation are rather critical and at the same time delightful but the study gives some recommendations for them to place e-learning into practice.
The government of Saudi Arabia aimed at introduction technologies into higher education, specifically e-learning. E-learning is a broad notion in this investigation which includes a number of different applications such as computers, video clips, internet and many others. The government of Saudi Arabia had a plan for it and formed necessary institutions for e-learning performance. Nowadays almost every university in Saudi Arabia has its own lab for e-learning because the Saudi Arabia government invested this sector of education greatly. Thus, the question on the effectiveness, results and, what is the most important in the research, e-learning obtainment by teachers and students is still open.
As a widespread and important way of communication all over the world is English language Saudi Arabian higher education is concentrated on the successful acquisition of this language. In Saudi Arabia as in many other countries English teaching is traditional and represents teacher’s main role, in-class activities and neglecting student’s preferences. This tendency causes criticism and thus the government of Saudi Arabia decided to develop learning process concentrated on students. This approach bears out that students are more involved into learning and that computer technologies will enforce this effect.
In this way, e-learning has modified the process of language acquisition because students feel free to use technologies in their learning that make them have a positive attitude towards learning process. One more benefit is that students are active in their learning through the absence of stress in the web environment. It is also significant that students have access to authentic materials to improve their language skills.
E-learning presupposes students-centered approach in teaching and this way turned to be very effective among students. Besides students’ involvement into learning process student-centered approach stimulates the rise of other more precise approaches such as self-regulated or self-directed learning approach. Moreover, students can create their own learning strategies under certain conditions. From now, the teachers’ function is transformed. Teachers act as instructors or organizers of the learning process and the learning environment is not restricted to a classroom but can be conducted out-of-class.
The investigation was held in two different universities in Australia but at the same time. The researches were gathered in a university of Saudi Arabia. They both viewed the background and comprehension of e-learning but from different angles. The first research was based on teachers’ comprehension and the second one – on students’ comprehension. The central instruments in conducting experiments were interviews, classroom work and Facebook concern. The research was based on the two teachers’ and five students’ data. The group of teachers was observed during face-to-face conversation and the group of students was interviewed via Facebook. This last group was encouraged to interact with others outside the class. Based on the information that students shared in Facebook the research took place.
The results were based on two experiences: experiences with EFL education and experiences with e-learning. In the context of the experiences with EFL the students were asked to comment on their EFL progress: what difficulties they had, what successes and what was the effect of e-learning. The students told about their difficulties such as problems with practicing English in-class and out-of-class, incorrect order of the courses on English, and insufficient number of textbooks and the inability of teachers to tell and explain the information. To talk about experiences with e-learning, the students preferred to use informal programs, for instance Facebook, because they were easier and more interesting. The participants reported that social media sites helped them to make acquaintances with their colleagues what was impossible using formal programs for learning. However, some students worried about their privacy in those informal interfaces. To avoid problems, they suggested creating special accounts or groups for learning purposes. They also thought that sometimes social media-based learning could lead to a contrary effect: the learners could isolate themselves in computers. On the whole, the students used informal medium with pleasure. It stimulated them to practice their skills while communicating with peers and teachers at easy circumstances.
The university where the experiments took place realized e-learning in different ways: as an additional tool, as a combination of traditional and modern approach, and as a main teaching approach. The teachers that participated in the experiment admitted that they used e-learning resources as an additional tool though they were trained in using technologies and had access to necessary materials and tools. The most important finding that the participant teachers made is that e-learning should be based not only in labs but outside the university.