Razi UnivesityTechnology Assisted Language Education2981-14651420231222Iraqi EFL Learners’ Perspectives on Using Flipped Classroom to Enhance Language Learning116295710.22126/tale.2023.2957ENFarahAbdulsada JeburCollege of Education for Human Sciences, Department of English, Babylon University, Iraq.AlrababSafaa AhmedAssistant Professor, College of Agriculture, Department of Field Crops, Al- Qasim Green University, Iraq.AhmedRawdhan SalmanApplied Linguistics, Al Mustaqbal University, Iraq.Journal Article20231023The flipped classroom model has not been extensively investigated in English language instruction, specifically in EFL education in Iraq. Despite the growing interest in flipped classrooms as an instructional approach to improve learning outcomes and learner engagement, empirical research on their implementation in these contexts is scarce. This study examined how the flexible classroom model impacted Iraqi EFL university students’ language proficiency and learning experiences. By conducting interviews with female Iraqi EFL students, this study investigated the efficacy of the flexible classroom methodology in enhancing language learning achievements and cultivating learner involvement. Over four weeks, a group of female students studying English reading at a university in Iraq participated in a reversed learning approach. After completing this approach, twenty students were interviewed to understand their experiences with flipped learning. The findings showed that flipped learning positively impacted language communication skills and vocabulary development and an independent study of female Iraqi EFL students. The availability of reliable technology, collaborative activities, and teacher support contributed to these positive outcomes. The research study has found that the flipped classroom model can potentially improve language learning outcomes. However, the study also identified certain obstacles and areas that require further investigation. The study also highlights the need for further investigation into the effectiveness of online flexible learning in TEFL contexts and the development of approaches to overcome the obstacles related to its execution.https://tale.razi.ac.ir/article_2957_329919d84b6348a042350f0d43dd371a.pdfRazi UnivesityTechnology Assisted Language Education2981-14651420231201Exploring the cognitions of Iranian university TEFL teachers and students of the efficacy of online assessment practices in the wake of Covid-191737290710.22126/tale.2023.9956.1021ENMajidFarahianDepartment of ELT, Kermanshah Branch, Islamic Azad University, Kermanshah, Iran0000-0002-5367-5138YusefRajabiDepartment of ELT, Kermanshah Branch, Islamic Azad University, Kermanshah, Iran0000-0002-9071-6269HamidGholamiDepartment of ELT, Kermanshah Branch, Islamic Azad University, Kermanshah, Iran0000-0001-7938-4112Journal Article20231107The coronavirus pandemic, a global crisis that presented public health challenges and disrupted education worldwide, has profoundly impacted educational systems. Despite considerable human and financial losses on a global scale, the pandemic unveiled an unprecedented opportunity for educational systems to embrace and incorporate online learning systems into their mainstream instructional agendas. Like many other countries, Iranian universities have converted their system into distance education to prevent the spread of the virus. Since the educational centers had already delivered two semesters of online education, there was a need to address the quality of online assessment to gauge the accountability of online pedagogical practices. Thus, the current study aimed to explore the perceptions of Iranian TEFL university teachers and students on implementing online assessment (OLA) during the pandemic. As such, 212 teachers and 325 postgraduate students completed the teachers’/students’ views towards implementing an online assessment survey developed by the researchers. The findings suggested that Iranian EFL teachers and students favor web-based assessment. There were similarities in perceptions of the teachers and students regarding familiarity with OLA, its feasibility and contribution to improving learning and feedback processes, and the value of implementing OLA. However, the findings highlight differences in the inadequacies of OLA.https://tale.razi.ac.ir/article_2907_dd9ce8e86f2f87c3f327afa8b00c6cf9.pdfRazi UnivesityTechnology Assisted Language Education2981-14651420231222Developing a Pedagogical Taste for Online Instruction with Teaching Projects through the Course of CALL Preparation3856291410.22126/tale.2024.10008.1027ENFatemahNamiAmirkabir University of Technology, Department of Foreign Languages, Tehran, Iran0000-0003-4509-3485Journal Article20231116To prepare language teachers for technology-enhanced language instruction, relevant courses and programs should be designed. In practice, however, many of computer-assisted language learning (CALL) teacher education attempts fail to effectively prepare language teachers to integrate technology in the reality of their classrooms due to their purely theory-oriented lecture-based designs. Without an opportunity to put what is learned into practice prior to actual classroom instruction, teachers cannot be expected to acquire the knowledge for technology-assisted language instruction. Teaching practice projects have not received due attention in CALL teacher education research. To address this gap, a case study was conducted on a group of in-service English as a foreign language (EFL) teachers (N= 7) who were attending an online CALL course, to explore the extent to which practice can enhance their pedagogical knowledge of CALL. Each participant was required to take charge of an online session as the course instructor and practice defining the session, developing presentation materials, uploading the files, and directing and managing classroom discussions. Drawing on the data obtained from participants’ post-teaching-practice journals and CALL Pedagogical Knowledge Questionnaire responses, it was observed that teaching projects in an online classroom combined with peer observation helped participants enhance their knowledge of learning management systems, digital materials development, technology-related potentials and drawbacks, and strategies for managing online sessions. The findings of this study provide implications for online CALL teacher education research.https://tale.razi.ac.ir/article_2914_315c7f058128fa480cfa7bfb774f12d4.pdfRazi UnivesityTechnology Assisted Language Education2981-14651420231228The Deployment of Technology: A Strategy in Language Learning or an Intensification Tool of EFL Learners' Digital Literacy?5773291710.22126/tale.2023.9978.1024ENAfsanehBaharlooPh.D. in TEFL-Assistant Professor, Hafez Institute of Higher Education, Shiraz, Iran.MaryamKamaieMA in TEFL, Hafez Institute of Higher Education, Shiraz, IranJournal Article20231127Technology has modified education in many ways, and one of them is broadening access to education and eliminating the limitations. The current study assessed whether using technology as an educational tool for language learning can simultaneously augment the EFL learners’ digital literacy level. In other words, this study explored the impact of technology-based instruction on learners’ digital literacy. Chosen through convenient sampling, 56 Iranian female high school students (aged 13-14) of two intact classes participated in the study. One was considered the experimental group, and the other the control group. In order to check their homogeneity, the English language proficiency level of the participants was determined by the Oxford Quick Placement Test. Students were pre-tested and post-tested on their knowledge of digital literacy through the digital literacy questionnaire. The results revealed that students who enjoyed treatment through technology-based instruction received statistically significantly higher scores on digital literacy post-tests. The results of this research delineated the role and significance of technology-based instruction in language teaching and learning in Iran. The results also indicate that while technology-based instruction was a medium in language learning, it simultaneously increased learners’ digital literacy levels. The quality of teaching and learning will be improved by shifting concentration from merely conventional teaching to technology-based instruction.https://tale.razi.ac.ir/article_2917_e87ce9d35cc5afe005110f24535bc092.pdfRazi UnivesityTechnology Assisted Language Education2981-14651420231229The link between different types of smartphone use and Iranian EFL learners’ emotional-behavioral functioning7491291010.22126/tale.2023.9975.1023ENMohammad RezaVahdani AsadiAssistant Professor of Educational Technology, Educational Department, University of BojnordElyasBarabadiUniversity of Bojnord0000-0002-8457-3046MojtabaGhaderiFarhangiyan University of MashhadJournal Article20231127Although smartphones are commonly used as a tool for language learning and entertainment, there is a lack of research into how different types of smartphone use affect emotional and behavioral problems. To investigate this, a random sample of EFL (English as a foreign language) students in North Khorasan, Iran, was given four scales of the Achenbach questionnaire, including anxiety/depression, thought problems, delinquent behaviors, and aggressive behavior, as well as a newly developed scale for assessing the type of smartphone use, namely academic and entertainment. The results of descriptive statistics, ANOVA, and Regression showed that the more time foreign language learners spent using smartphones, the more likely they were to experience emotional and behavioral problems. Additionally, using smartphones primarily for entertainment was a positive predictor of emotional and behavioral problems, while academic use was negatively associated with these issues. The study suggests that the best way to use smartphones for language learning depends on various individual, classroom, and contextual factors that need to be considered. Students should be informed of the benefits of using smartphones as a language learning tool and be aware of the potential risks that may arise from excessive and addictive use without a learning objective.https://tale.razi.ac.ir/article_2910_8865c325769c1c02e60513a4b5b67c55.pdfRazi UnivesityTechnology Assisted Language Education2981-14651420231230A Review of the Affordances and Challenges of Artificial Intelligence Technologies in Second Language Learning92111291910.22126/tale.2024.10104.1028ENZahraFakher AjabshirUniversity of Bonab, East Azarbaijan, IranJournal Article20231204Second language (L2) learning has witnessed a significant surge in the utilization of artificial intelligence (AI), offering a wide range of advantages that can significantly enhance language acquisition. AI technology encompasses various applications such as chatbots, virtual tutors, speech recognition systems, language learning apps, and adaptive learning platforms. These advantages of AI in L2 learning provide learners with personalized and interactive experiences, real-time feedback, authentic language input, and the opportunity to practice language skills in a secure and supportive environment. By harnessing the potential of AI, language learners can benefit from tailored instruction, effective assessment, and engaging learning activities, ultimately expediting their proficiency in L2. This study aims to provide a review of AI in the English as a foreign language (EFL) context by summarizing the affordances and challenges associated with six prevailing types of AI technologies, including natural language processing (NLP), automatic writing evaluation (AWE), computerized dynamic assessment, automatic speech recognition (ASR), chatbots, gamification, and virtual reality. Some potential avenues for future research were also recommended to provide fresh perspectives for forthcoming studies.https://tale.razi.ac.ir/article_2919_62c4ea5b3800a8c212ca2db5d68b8a9c.pdfRazi UnivesityTechnology Assisted Language Education2981-14651420231230An Exploration into Iraqi EFL Teachers' and Learners' Perspectives on the Google Classroom Platform under the COVID-19 Pandemic112139344110.22126/tale.2024.11298.1069ENAhmedRawdhan SalmanAssist. Prof in Applied Linguistics
Al Mustaqbal UniversitySamanEbadiProfessor of Applied Linguistics, Razi University0000-0001-8623-7751Fatima WahbiBarbanMA of applied linguistics
Razi University, Kermanshah, IranJournal Article20231130This study explores the global influence of COVID-19 on education, particularly in Iraq, where a shift from traditional classrooms to online learning, notably Google Classroom, occurred. Iraqi English as a Foreign Language (EFL) instructors and students' perspectives were investigated using mixed methods design. Integration of the qualitative data corroborated the quantitative findings and enhanced the study's validity. Online learning, facilitated by technology, enables education without direct teacher-student interaction and engagement. Using the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) to gauge factors influencing platform adoption is prevalent accordingly. Employing the TAM, attitudes toward Google Classroom were examined through surveys (21 teachers, 70 students) and interviews (10 teachers, 10 students). Results highlighted the platform's value for EFL education, noting benefits like collaborative learning and improved satisfaction, while technical issues emerged as a challenge. Namely, advantages encompassed accessibility, organization, collaboration, and eco-friendliness, while challenges included technical hurdles, reduced interaction, security fears, and limitations in the classroom experience. Despite pandemic hurdles, teachers and students embraced Google Classroom, suggesting its integration into teaching warrants careful consideration of Iraqi EFL learners' context and needs.https://tale.razi.ac.ir/article_3441_42cbb1395830e9d922db88a1dbaa8ba5.pdf