Innovation in Language Learning

The aim of this study is to report on a Blended Learning model which has been adopted by the researchers to teach EFL communication skills; listening and speaking, to undergrad students in the Department of European Languages in King Abdulaziz University (KAU). This is the first study on the topic of Blended Learning in KAU immediately following the implementation of Blackboard Learn as the university LMS. 

The study was conducted during the second semester of the academic year 2014. The subjects were 17 female students enrolled in “Listening and Speaking 1”. Due to the lack of essential listening and speaking interactive and collaborative activities in the assigned textbook, the instructors decided to design and deliver a Blended course via Blackboard Learn in order to expose the students to English language outside the classroom, to encourage their interaction and collaboration on course related topics and activities, essentially to motivate their learning and improve their performance.

The course was divided into five units, each includes one listening and one speaking activity aligned with a course learning outcome. The students were guided through the activity which was fully explained with examples. A drill application for practice followed to reinforce understanding. Finally, the students were requested to respond to an on-line listening quiz and complete a speaking task as assessments.  The researchers utilized selected LMS tools which were supportive of the pedagogical model which they adopted. A survey was given to the learners at the end of the semester to give their feedback towards using the Blackboard LMS in the course. A quantitative and qualitative analysis of the data was conducted in the study in order to find out the significance of using blackboard in EFL.

The results indicate the advantages of using Blackboard Learn in EFL learning. The respondents pointed out that their Listening skills have improved. Moreover, the results show that the respondents are uncertain whether their speaking skills have improved or not. The advantages highlighted by the respondents include the easy access of course material, Blackboard not being complicated to use, and effectiveness of using computers rather than the traditional use of exam sheets or books. The limitations and drawbacks of Blended Learning highlighted by the respondents are followed by a number of practical suggestions such as, solving technical problems, providing proper training to students, increasing the number of labs, and recognizing excellent performance of both instructors and students.