Exploring the significance of ICT in EFL Teaching Methodologies: Case of the Department of English at Batna University

HADJIRA Cherif
University of Batna

ملخص:

تستعرض هذه الدراسة التي أجريت في سياق جامعي جزائري مجموعة مفاهيم وتصورات لأساتذة وطلبة في اللغة الإنجليزية كلغة أجنبية وهدا فيما يتعلق بالدراية العلمية حول أدوات التعلم المتطورة و الحديثة القائمة على التعلم الإلكتروني. وتهدف هده المحاولة أيضا إلى معرفة أساليب التدريس العملية التي يمكن ان توضح اهمية استخدام الوسائل الإلكترونية لتعزيز المعرفة البيداغوجية حول تعليم اللغة الإنجليزية كلغة أجنبية.

تجمع الدراسة بين المنهج النوعي والكمي ، حيث أجرينا مقابلات مع 15 استاذا من أساتذة اللغة الإنجليزية كلغة أجنبية، كما قمنا أيضا بتوزيع مجموعة أسئلة على 30 طالبا من اللغة الإنجليزية وتم بعد ﺫلك تحليل البيانات النوعية عن طريق الترميز بينما تم استخدام برامج حاسوبية لتحليل البيانات الكمية من حيث النسب المئوية. وأظهرت النتائج أن كلا من الأساتذة و الطلبة ينظرون إلى ضرورة دمج تكنولوجيا المعلومات والاتصالات في تعليم وتعلم اللغة الإنجليزية كلغة أجنبية وتعلمهم لأن مثل هذا التكامل يساعد على تحديد وتوضيح مسار التعلم وتنويع محتواه وكدلك تعزيز مهارات الاتصال في الجمع بين أشكال مختلفة في التدريس؛ حيث ان التركيز يكون على المتعلمين والمناهج القائمة على المحتوى. ومع ذلك، يشدد العديد من المشاركين على أن الاستخدام المفرط لتكنولوجيا الاعلام والاتصال يمكن أن يغذي التحيزات السلبية بشأن الاستخدام العملي لطريقة التعلم الإلكتروني هذه. كما تم استكشاف بعض التحديات التي تعرقل تحقيق نتائج ايجابية من المنظورات الإدارية والتقنية والتربوية. كما تم التطرق الى بعض العوائق و المتعلقة باستراتيجيات التدريس المتقادمة، وعدم قدرة الأساتذة على استخدام و إتقان الوسائل التكنولوجية المتطورة، وضعف التدريب والتعليم، الغموض في تحديد أهداف تعليم اللغة الإنجليزية كلغة أجنبية، وعدم ربط الجانب النضري بالتطبيقي..

الفكرة الختامية ركزت على اهمية دمج التكنولوجيا الحديثة بشكل متكامل وفعال مع مناهج التعليم لخلق أفراد ذوي معرفة فعالة في الحياة الاجتماعية والاقتصادية، وبالتالي خلق فرص في عالم الشغل.

الكلمات الرئيسية: تكنولوجيا المعلومات والاتصالات، وجهات نظر المعلم المتعلم، والعقبات، والتكنولوجيا، علم أصول التدريس

1. Introduction

The world of communication has recently been made easier in all its forms such as audio-visual content, web services, chat rooms, e-mails and the more sophisticated electronic learning. This revolutionary reality could not be dissociated from the professional world as well as the world of employability. ICT has significantly influenced the use of language, language learning and its related pedagogy.Actually, the introduction of ICT into EFL teaching classrooms has yielded “more interactive and learner-centred classroom environment” (Chou, C. 2010). This fact, in turn, has contributed to the appearance of various learning management systems that led language teachers to utilize them for the transmission of knowledge in a successful manner.

It was claimed by researchers such as Chou, C. (2010) that any attempt to explore the effective use of ICT in language classrooms implies that “language educators are interested in research-based evidence to demonstrate the effectiveness of e-learning tools”. Language educators and instructors are becoming more interested in knowing about the “perceptions of language learners” as to the effective contribution of ICT in language teaching and learning as well as the possible challenges they encounter when using this electronic hardware. Yet, only a few type of researches have attempted to provide solutions related to the continuing problems and obstacles faced in this area.

In fact, many participants and researchers, in various national conferences, have shown their support for the overwhelming use of ICTs in EFL classrooms. The emphasis of this paper is on EFL learners in an Algerian university setting. The continuous developments on the use of ICT in EFL classes have favoured by large the integration of ICT in the adopted teaching methodologies. Actually, theses made calls bring about recurrent issues such as nest-net curriculum, web-devised tasks and activities to teaching subject-matter, electronic assessment, constructive learning feedback set online, and so forth. It follows that this paper explores the views and perceptions of teachers and students as to the utilization of technology and electronic learning, the obstacles they face as well as the know-how of these technologies in EFL settings.

2.Addressed questions

The present paper is an attempt to answer three frequently-asked questions:

1-How do Algerian EFL learners and teachers perceive the use of ICT in their classes?

2-What could be the challenges confronted by both teachers and their students when ICT is used in class?

3-What could be the suitable approach that Algerian EFL learners and teachers follow when integrating ICT in their classes?

3. Methodology framework

3.1 Sample

The participants of this study were 30 students and 15 teachers, who were selected randomly from the whole population in the department of English, and were meant to respond to a questionnaire and an interview respectively. The study, which was carried during November and December, was based on a unified teaching curriculum which meets the validity of the sample population.The learners’ age range between 20 to 23 and the teachers’ age between 30 to 50 years old. The participants’ information are presented in the table below.

Table 1. Sample of the study

3.2 Means of instrumentation

As concerns the questionnaire, it included both open-ended and close items. Twenty items were based on the five-point scale degree of agreement in relation to the three main variables of this study. The variables were: teachers and learners perceptions, obstacles and challenges and the effective approaches to the use of ICT in EFL classes. In addition, we carried out a semi-structured interview with teachers who were meant to respond to eight questions about their perceptions of using ICT in their classes, the challenges they confront as well the potential ways and strategies to overcome this.

3.3 Data procedure

We managed to contact most of the teachers through e-mail, and we asked them a favour of administering the questionnaire to their students. After having collected data from the questionnaires, interviews were carried out with teachers and, actually, both subjects of the study participated willingly in the study which was made explicit in its objectives and purpose.

4. Analysis of data

This study paper is exploratory in nature and naturally for analysis to have been based on a computer-excel software. We mainly used percentages as quantitative measures and no more statistics were used for the fact that this study paper sought to reveal the main orientation in teachers and learners’ perceptions, challenges and the suitable approaches to using ICT in the EFL classes. Now, for the analysis of qualitative data, we grouped the responses into tendencies and trends on the basis of classification and association; the aim of which is to discern the main variables of the study.

5. Findings of the study and discussion

The data collection process made it possible for us to come out with two Excel papers for quantitative data and one main paper for the classification of perceptions, challenges and approaches of participants. In the part that follows, we present and summarize the frequent perceptions which concern the use of ICT in EFL settings, as repeated by the participants.

5.1 On the participants’ perceptions

The opening item, in both administered questionnaires, relates to how the participants perceive the ICT use in EFL contexts. Therefore, relevant quotes are mentioned below and are considered representative of the learners’ perceptions.

“You know, the new generation of students can’t live without technology which means that we are very familiar with its significance and use in our classrooms…”

“Technology is a matter of everyday life…”

“As students of English, we find ICT very useful in creating interest, entertainment and exchange of research…”

“ICT provides interaction, communication and attracts our attention…”

“It supplies comprehensible learning materials…”

“ICT can be practiced through task-based and problem-solving activities.”

“…It helps us develop our English language skills…”

“…Actually, ICT meets our affective needs and aspirations.”

“What I can say about ICT Is that it fosters our understanding and appreciation of the EFL culture.”¹

It follows that a general and positive tendency has been adopted, by both categories of participants, towards the significance of ICT in the teaching-learning classrooms. Actually, all the participating teachers reported that they did not learn English through ICT in their time. However, a great awareness was reflected as to the changing times and conditions that dictate the knowledgeable use of modern technological tools in the teaching-learning process. Besides, research has found that ICT “can help students take ownership of their learning, make them autonomous and confident in their learning, enable introvert students to interact freely, acquire valuable study and time management skills with better intrinsic impetus for learning and teachers can have a more student-centred form of learning” ( Melor, Maimun& Chua Pin, 2009). Again, terms such as “time-saving”, “peer-interaction” and “learning motivation” were repeated by ten out of fifteen teachers which equals 80 % of the sample population. Yet, the remaining percentage of teachers did not really favour “the excessive use of ICT in their EFL classrooms”.

The participating students, on their part, demonstrated a great zeal and tendency to study through ICT tools and rehearse with technology. The learners’ tendency implies their wish to break the monotony of learning by finding new ways to be entertained, enjoy and interact with one another. The learners’ views and perceptions, as revealed in the data collected, strongly justify their tendency. More importantly, about 60 % of the students strongly agreed on the use of ICT in the learning classrooms which equals the number of 20/30. The implication here is that it’s high time for the use and integration of digital technology in learning, namely; web-based activities, Language labs, Instagram and podcast communication. As such, awareness might be created within educators and syllabus designers to give more importance to the use of ICT in the teaching-learning process.

Another crucial finding meets the past research studies on the subject. For instance, Smith, E.H. (2000) holds that “computers will not replace teachers, but teachers who use computers will, inevitably, replace teachers who do not”. A further significant finding relates to the fact that not all learners neglect the use of traditional methods in learning English. In fact, 10/30 participants were reluctant in using ICT in their classrooms and the motives/ reasons behind this reluctance are discussed in part 5.2 hereafter.

We should emphasize that the younger generations of learners are technologically-oriented, yet there are still some students who face challenges in using ICT and are not enthusiastic about its use and incorporation in the teaching-learning curriculum. For this category of learners, the teacher’s role cannot be diminished and using conventional methods and strategies such as lecturing, whiteboard and marker, pencil and paper provide them with comfort even if these are time-consuming.

5.2 Major challenges

Researchers like Melor, Maimun& Chua Pin, (2009) commented on the conflicting position of teachers as to the application of ICT in their EFL classes as well as the effective ways to overcome the potential obstacles. They believe that while “debate rages hotly over the advantages and shortcomings of using technology in a myriad of ways in all walks of life, language teachers struggle to catch up or keep up with the heap of newly invented digital gadgets to effectively adopt them for their own agenda of language pedagogy”. Thus, the present paper has shown a number of barricades and challenging factors which could be categorized into three main areas: administrative, technical and pedagogical.

5.2.1 On administration

In a reviewed study by Tanveer, M (2011), it was maintained that “lack of e-learning resources for all classrooms” as well as the “lack of full-time staff to monitor the electronic equipments are the main challenges cited by the participants in this regard”. Besides, the participants in our study have also emphasized that “the absence of technical resources such as computers and internet connection in classrooms and labs” are intrinsic hindrances in using ICT methods. A further point has to do with “the inability to master and generate ICT tools by EFL students and also some teachers”. One participant reported, “even if teachers bring the necessary stuff to implement ICT, his misuse of the means might negatively affect the learning outcomes and becomes, thus, time-wasting”.²

In addition, the ill-training of both teachers and learners to adopt ICT renders the task difficult for other fellow contributors in the socio-economic life. The administrative staff, in turn, lacks such competency in manipulating ICT tools to solve different problems, especially under the LMD regime.

One participating teacher pointed out that” Some administrators willingly or unwillingly create obstacles for teachers to apply ICT methods in their teaching. They seem to be careless and unaware of the changing times, innovations and teaching pedagogies”. The same participant, however, suggested a strategy to cope with the situation believing that “every department needs to be equipped with necessary hardware and software to foster a know-how of using and integrating ICT in EFL settings”. Another teacher believed that “teachers themselves should be trained by experts at the level of integrating technology with pedagogy in all university contexts”. It follows that most of the participants attribute a good deal of responsibility to the administrative staff for being reluctant in valuing the significance of ICT in EFL classes. The technical side of the issue is tackled in the part that follows.

5.2.2 On technology

In the present study, both teachers and students explained the need to reform traditional methods by integrating new technological tools in the teaching materials. This could be achieved, according to the participants, by training trainers and making technology accessible and available to all. One participant, for example, pointed out saying: “The truth is that the whole department possesses only one power point device, and the labs, though equipped with obsolete computers, have not been operational for years. So, how do you imagine us to work with ICT in such circumstances”? It follows that the participants’ responses were a reflection of the challenge at the technical level.

5.2.3 On pedagogy

The participating teachers asserted that the administrative context and technical stuff need to be exploited in a way that renders the pedagogical approaches fruitful in EFL classes. A good number of the participants emphasized the time wasted on restructuring web-based language activities to adopt for online delivery for students with a very limited educational background and electronic competencies. Thus, teachers believed that if too much time is spent on preparation of digital content, without background knowledge, the risk is likely to appear at the level of classroom activities and time management.

However, a strategy was provided by the participants and concerned the working out and development of ICT skills for both teachers and their students, the building of banks of electronic software and material to simplify the utilization of ICT for pedagogical purposes. As such, a fusion of technology with pedagogy appears to be a striking aspect of modern teaching methodologies. One interviewed teacher, for example, explained this aspect of modern pedagogies saying:

You know, in the context of modern pedagogies, namely; pedagogy 3.0, the teaching of EFL requires the teaching of its skills as well. You know, EFL teaching is a complex process and the productive and receptive skills need not be taught in isolation. Students should be trained to speak to get good grades in the exams and also communicate with English in various settings. Furthermore, speech training makes the student knowledgeable and confident about his abilities in communicative situations. (Interviewee 1)

Another participant also provided a significant idea of pedagogy 3.0 which refers to the attitudes, competencies and skills required by teachers and educators working in a Web 3.0 enabled world. This innovative tendency was put as follows: “Web 3.0 is considered to extend the social aspects of Web 2.0, through its use of internet-enabled mobile devices, cloud computing, social networking, and cloud-based collaborative working tools (e.g. Google Apps), which facilitate real-time and asynchronous collaborations. Besides, Web 3.0 will extend the Web 1.0 capabilities of information searching through personalization of information delivery through its use of semantic web algorithms, and search engines (A questionnaire respondent).

Again, the integration of ICT within educational pedagogies has been justified by many participants.They provided many reasons for the pedagogical and digital interdependence, namely in relation to attempts of designing syllabi. One participant put it:

The HP Catalyst Pedagogy 3.0 consortium considers that pedagogy 3.0 facilitates collaborative, open-ended involvement between students, with the teacher adopting the roles of facilitator and mentor. Open-ended activities may run alongside other, more teacher-directed, activities in a versatile pedagogy that is an extension of blended learning pedagogic models. Learning in such scenarios is constructivist and has similarities with project-based, inquiry and problem-based approaches, although extended to exploit the collaborative features emerging in Web 3.0 tools. (Interviewee 4).

It follows, from the above, that the teachers’ responses represent a call for using technology in the production of teaching and learning materials and setting up activities that support learning by exploiting appropriate digital content, tools and platforms.

6. Discussion of the above areas

The truth is that the use of ICT in EFL classes paves up the way for novel strategies and ways in designing syllabi and curricula.³ Teachers and administrators need to develop effective strategies for locating appropriate digital content, follow guidelines for e-safety and evaluate the potential effectiveness and appropriacy of digital content, tools and platform for achieving the desired learning outcomes. However, care should be taken when attempting to introduce technology in EFL classes as claimed by Arabaszet al (2003) that it remains “critical to ensure that there is a sound pedagogy behind the move, not just a desire to use new toys. Students can be overwhelmed with too much technology, or confused by badly used or badly setup technology”.

The clue to success is the proper and convenient linkage between the teaching-learning objectives and the ICT tools and rudiments. Such was the call made by Arabasz et al (2003), describing it as “the logic behind integrating e-learning tools in language pedagogy”. In addition, the overwhelming nature of EFL curricula, under the LMD regime, sounds to be better dealt with through innovative teaching methods, yet 10/30 participating teachers opted for the use of traditional strategies such as chalk-and-walk and white-board-and-marker to better classroom management. Researchers such as Tanveer (2011), report that many EFL teachers are recently more inclined towards a blended method of classroom instruction that mingles chalk and board with “e-learning tools such as Discussion Boards, Classroom Response System (CRS), Voting Pads, Moodle/Virtual Learning Environment, Blogs, etc”.

What is needed, eventually, is a good deal of motivation and encouragement, administrative and technical mechanisms to promote autonomous learning by exploiting digital content and technologies inside and outside of the formal learning environment.

7. Conclusion

The present study provided an evidence of the significance of ICT and the great need for its integration in EFL settings. Both teachers and learners have expressed their wish and eagerness to master the technological and digital strategies to develop professionally and gain meta-cognitive knowledge. Furthermore, any attempt to integrate the four language skills is believed to be dependent on the integration of modern sophisticated technology into teaching curricula to attain efficient learner-centred pedagogies.

However, the teaching-learning process is a complex enterprise and requires, by all means, a rational equilibrium between the available technological means and the students’ learning needs. As such, challenges might gradually be overcome and a positive exploitation of both human and electronic resources is likely to meet the needs of academic contexts as well as the new generations of learners.

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