Developing Effective TEFL Course with WebCT

Abstract

One of the commonly used learning management systems that can facilitate the teaching­learning process is the WebCT (Web Course Tool). The WebCT has several tools (such as email, discussion board and links). This paper discusses how different WebCT tools can be used to develop an effective TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) course for fourth­level students specialized in English. A questionnaire was used to explore the participants' interest in using WebCT; to identify the main technical difficulties facing participants using WebCT and to investigate how WebCT can influence affective and pedagogical factors that play a key role in learning efficiently and effectively.

Full text

4/19/2016 CALLEJOnline
file:///E:/Associate%20Prof%20Oct%202011/CALLEJ%20Online.html 1/19
ISSN1442438X
CALLEJOnline
Vol.7,No.1,June2005
DevelopingEffectiveTEFLCourse
withWebCT
NazmiAbdulSalamAlMasri
nmasri@mail.iugaza.edu
TheIslamicUniversityofGhasa,Palestine
Abstract
Oneofthecommonlyusedlearningmanagementsystemsthatcanfacilitatethe
teachinglearningprocessistheWebCT(WebCourseTool).TheWebCThas
severaltools(suchasemail,discussionboardandlinks).Thispaperdiscusses
howdifferentWebCTtoolscanbeusedtodevelopaneffectiveTEFL(Teaching
EnglishasaForeignLanguage)courseforfourthlevelstudentsspecializedin
English.Aquestionnairewasusedtoexploretheparticipants’interestinusing
WebCT;toidentifythemaintechnicaldifficultiesfacingparticipantsusing
WebCTandtoinvestigatehowWebCTcaninfluenceaffectiveandpedagogical
factorsthatplayakeyroleinlearningefficientlyandeffectively.
Introduction
Inrecentyears,hundredsofuniversitieshavedevelopedInternetbasedcourses
usingonelearningmanagementsystemoranotherforeitherdeliveringdistance
learningcoursesorsupplementingteachingclassesoncampus.Asanyother
teachingtoolsormethods,usingInternetbasedlearninghasseveraladvantages
anddisadvantagesthatcanbesummarizedasfollows.
AdvantagesofInternetbasedlearning
1.Itsupportsthedeliveryanduseofmultimediaelements,suchassound,
video,andinteractivehypermedia(McNeil,Robin&Miller,2000citedin
Burgess,2003).
2.Itcanprovideflexibleandconvenientlearningschedulesthatcanovercome
sometraditionalbarrierssuchastimeandplace.
3.Astudentcanstudyindependentlyonlineortakeaninstructorledonline
class,whichcombinesthebenefitsofselfstudywiththoseofmore

4/19/2016 CALLEJOnline
file:///E:/Associate%20Prof%20Oct%202011/CALLEJ%20Online.html 2/19
traditionalclassroombasedlearning(Ryan,2001citedinBurgess2003).
4.Itallowsaccesstoglobalresourcesandexperts.
DisadvantagesofInternetbasedlearning
1.Thereislittleornodirectcontactwiththefacultymember.
2.Itmaydevelopfeelingsofisolation.
3.Ithasadifficultlearningcurveinhowtonavigatewithinthesystem.
4.Itmayleadproblemswiththetechnology.
5.Itincreasesleadtimerequiredforfeedbackregardingassignments
(SmallwoodandZargari,2001inBurgess,2003).
6.ItneedstheuseofhardwareandsoftwarenecessaryforInternetbased
learningwhichmightnotbeavailable.(Burgess,2003).
Theeffectoftheseadvantagesanddisadvantagesmaydifferfromoneteaching
contexttoanother,dependingonvariousfactorssuchasthelearningmanagement
systems(software)adopted,studentnumber,coursecontentandpurpose.Oneof
thesecommonlyusedandpromisinglearningmanagementsystemsisWebCT
(WebCourseTools)whichhasrecentlybeguntocatchtheattentionofmore
studies(e.g.AlAyyat,2003;Burgess,2003;MurphyandLindner,200?;Pauley,
2000;&TittenbergerandNazarko,2003).Mostofthesestudiesexploretwomain
issues:technicaldifficultiesfacingWebCTusersandstudents’perceptionsto
WebCT.Oneoftheareasthatsuchstudieshavenotinvestigatedishowcertain
WebCTtoolscanbeusedtosupplementEnglishlanguagecoursestaughton
campus.AnotherareaofconcernishowWebCTcaninfluencetheaffectiveand
pedagogicalfactorsneededforlearningthelanguageefficientlyandeffectively.
IntegratingWebCTtoolsintotheTEFLcourse
WebCThasmorethantwentytoolsthatcanallbeusedtoenhancecampus
learningandfacilitatefulldistancelearningcourses.Appendix(A)outlinesthe
mainWebCTtoolsandtheirfunctions.Whichtoolstochooseforteachinga
particularcoursedependsonthecontent,requirementsandcomponentsofthe
coursetobetaughtaswellastechnicalfactorsrelatedtoaccessibility.Inthe
contextofthisstudy,tensuitableWebCTtools(listedinAppendixB)are
activatedtoenhancethequalityoftheTEFLcoursewhichwasgivento
undergraduateEnglishlanguagestudentsstudyingattheIslamicUniversityof
Gaza,Palestine.TheTEFLcoursecoversseveraltopicsrelatedtopreparing
studentstoteachEnglishasaforeignlanguage.Appendix(C)liststhesetopicsas
wellastheaims,outcomesofthecourse.
StudyPurposes
Thisstudyintendstoachievethefollowingpurposes:
1.Todescribeandexplorestudents’interestinandfamiliaritywithusing

4/19/2016 CALLEJOnline
file:///E:/Associate%20Prof%20Oct%202011/CALLEJ%20Online.html 3/19
WebCTasasupportivetooltooncampusclasses.
2.ToidentifythemaindifficultiesrelatedtousingWebCTinacourseentitled
TEFL(TeachingEnglishasaForeignLanguage).
3.ToexploretowhatextentWebCTcanaffectseveralaffectiveand
pedagogicalfactorsthatplayakeyroletoinacquiringessentialskillsof
learningandteachingEnglish.
Affectiveandpedagogicalfactors
Althoughthereisnogeneralagreementonspecificdefinitionofaffectivefactors,
manyeducatorsagreeontheimportanceofthesefactorsinlanguagelearning.In
oneofhisPh.D.thesisarticles‘LiteratureReview:AffectinLanguageLearning’,
Finch(2000)reportsthat
“Stern'sclaimthat‘theaffectivecomponentcontributesatleastasmuchand
oftenmoretolanguagelearningthanthecognitiveskills’issupportedbya
largebodyofrecentcrossdisciplinaryresearchshowingthataffective
variableshavesignificantinfluenceonlanguageachievement(e.g.Gardner
1985;Skehan1989;Spolsky1989;Gardner&MacIntyre1992;1993a;)”
AccordingtoFinch(2000),
Arnold&Brown(1999)provideamorecontemporaryperspectivefromthe
viewofthelanguagelearnerasanindividual(anxiety,inhibition,
extroversion/introversion,selfesteem,motivation[extrinsic/intrinsic],
learnerstyles)andasaparticipantinasocioculturalsituation(empathy,
classroomtransactions,crossculturalprocesses).Thesetwoarticleswillbe
usedhereasthebasisfordiscussionandthereaderisreferredtothemfora
moredetailedexaminationoftheissues
Finch(2000)addsthat
Arnold(Ed.1999)definesaffectintermsof‘aspectsofemotion,feeling,
moodorattitudewhichconditionbehaviour’,whileDickinson(1987,p25)
describesitasbeingconcernedwiththelearner'sattitudetowardsthetarget
languageandusersofit,andwithhis/heremotionalresponses”.
Scovel(1978,p31)definesaffectivevariablesas"thosethatdealwiththe
emotionalreactionsandmotivationsofthelearner;theysignalthearousalofthe

4/19/2016 CALLEJOnline
file:///E:/Associate%20Prof%20Oct%202011/CALLEJ%20Online.html 4/19
limbicsystemanditsdirectinterventioninthetaskoflearning".
Inthelightofstudiesdiscussedabove,affectivefactorsareusedheretoreferto
tenpsychologicalandmotivationalfactorsessentialforsuccessfullearning:
interest,selfconfidence,motivation,confidenceinteacher,
autonomy/independence,excitement,attitude,patienceandperseverance,
interpersonalfriendship,andanxietyandtension.
Pedagogicalfactorsarerelatedtodevelopingskillsandabilitiesthatenhance
learningandteachingEnglishasaforeignlanguagethroughusingWebCTtools
tosupplementfacetofacelectures.Theseexperiencebasedfactorsinclude
exposuretoavarietyofpracticalTEFLskills:givingabetterpresentationona
TEFLaspect,gatheringinformationtoeasedoingaresearchpaperonaTEFL
aspect,exposuretoopposingteachingconcepts,increasingcommunicationwith
theteacher,exchangingpedagogicalopinionswithmorefreedom,understanding
contentandachievingcourseaims,varyingcourseactivitiesandassignments,
developingwritingandcommunicationskills,abilitytocopewithchallenging
learningandteachingtechniques.Assuchallthesefactorswouldproduce
languagelearnersandteacherswhocanlearnandteachthelanguageeffectively
andefficientlyandthusachievetheaimsoftheTEFLcoursetakenbyparticipant.
Participants
Thepopulationofthisstudyconsistsofallstudents(N=40)enrolledintheTEFL
courseinthesecondsemester2004.Theyarefourthlevelfemalestudents
specializedinEnglishlanguageandliteratureatIUG.Thecourseispartofafour
yearB.Aprogrammethatpreparesstudentstobeteachers.Becausenotall
participantswerefamiliarwithWebCT,abrieftrainingcoursewasgiventothem.
Therefore,allparticipantswerefamiliarisedwithusingWebCTjustfewdays
beforetheTEFLcoursebegan.Othercolleaguesteachingothercourseswerealso
usingtheWebCTwiththesamegroupofparticipants
Datacollection
Athreepartquestionnaireisusedfordatacollection.Thethreepartsrelateto
technical,affectiveandpedagogicalfactorsthataffectlearning.Inadditionto
including26multiplechoiceitemsinthethreeparts,2openendedquestionsare
usedtogivestudentsopportunitytoexpresstheiropinionopenlybyaddingany
additionalrelevantcomments.Thelistingofallquestionscanbefoundin
Appendix(D).Acopyofthequestionnairewassenttotheparticipantsatthelast
weekofthesemester.Thestudentsweregiventhechoicetosubmititbackeither
byemailorhand.All40participantsrespondedtothequestionnaire.Most
studentsrespondedbyemail.
DataAnalysis
ThemaindataelicitedfromthequestionnairearecollectedfromfivepointLikert
scaleresponses(StronglyAgree;Agree;Neutral;Disagree;StronglyDisagree).
Thedataareanalysedbyusingdescriptivestatisticsoffrequencycountand

4/19/2016 CALLEJOnline
file:///E:/Associate%20Prof%20Oct%202011/CALLEJ%20Online.html 5/19
percentagescores.
Results
Thestudyresultscanbeoutlinedinthefollowingtablesandfigures.
1.WebCTAccessLocation
Table(1)showsthatthemajorityofstudents(60%)accessedWebCTfrom
university(publiccomputerlabsandlibrarycomputers)whichexplainsthe
technicalproblemstheyfaceaswillbeshownlater.
Table(1)WebCTAccessLocations:
FrequencyAnalysis
Studentsanswer Frequency Percentage
Universitypubliclabs 31 42%
Homecomputer 24 32%
Librarycomputers 13 18%
Internetcafé 6 8%
Total 74 100%
2.ReasonsfornotfeelingcomfortablewithWebCT:FrequencyAnalysis
Figure(1)showsthepercentagesofthefivetechnicaldifficultiesstudents
facewhentheyuseWebCT.Themostcommondifficultyistheslow
connectiontotheInternet.Only13%respondedwithfacingnotechnical
difference.
Figure(1)ReasonsfornotfeelingcomfortablewithWebCT
Belowisatechnicalrelatedsampleofcommonlyrepeatednegative
commentsaswrittenbystudentsinthequestionnaire.Theyareorderedin
accordancewithfrequency.
Ittakestimetodownload&typeassignments;notimetouseWebCT
atuniversity
NocomputerorInternetlineathome
Needpropertrainingandpreparation
Needmorepracticetotype
Noeasyaccesstouniversitylabs
UsingWebCTputgreatpressureandstressonstudents

4/19/2016 CALLEJOnline
file:///E:/Associate%20Prof%20Oct%202011/CALLEJ%20Online.html 6/19
ToomuchinformonWebCT
3.MostpreferredWebCTtools
WhenthestudentswereaskedaboutthemostpreferredWebCTtools,they
gaveveryclosescorestomosttools.Table(2)showsthatallparticipantslike
alltoolsalmostequallyasthedifferenceinfrequencyissoslight.Thetable
alsoshowstheresultsinadescendingorderwherethreetools(Linksand
References,Email,andDiscussion)comefirstintermsofrecordingthe
highestfrequencyscore(38?11.2%)andthusthemostliked.Theleastliked
tools,however,areboth“Content”and“GettingExamResults”online.Itcan
beassumedthatstudentsdonotlike“Content”toolasmuchastheother
toolsbecausetheyprefertousetextbookinprint.Butwhatinterestingisthe
students’preferencenottoreceiveresultsbyemail.Thiscouldbeexplained
bytheeffectofaffectivefactorsassociatedwithmarks
Table(2)PreferredWebCTtools
Rank Tools Frequency Percentage
1.
Links&references 38 11.2%
Email 38 11.2%
Discussion 38 11.2%
2. previousexams 37 10.9%
3. Lecturenotes&summaries 36 10.6%
Assignments 36 10.6%
4. Announcements(studenttips) 34 10%
5. Extramaterials 30 9%
6. Content 27 8%
7. Gettingexamresultsonline 25 7.3%
8. Total 339 100%
4.StudentsencourageusingWebCT
Thereisanoverallstudents’supporttoencourageusingWebCTbythe
university.Themajorityofparticipants(30?75%)stronglyagreeto
encourageusingtheWebCTbytheuniversityandsome(9?22.5%)agreed
onsuchsupportbutonlyonestudentwhoexpressedherdisagreementon
promotingtheuseofWebCT.Suchhighratio(97.5%)ofsupporttousing
theWebCTatlargerlevelattheuniversitycouldbeduetothedifferent
affectiveandlinguisticbenefitstheparticipantsgainedfromusingWebCT.
Belowisasampleofpositivecommentsaswrittenbystudentsinthe
questionnaire:
WebCTisverygreatforallstudentsandmustbeinallcourses.

4/19/2016 CALLEJOnline
file:///E:/Associate%20Prof%20Oct%202011/CALLEJ%20Online.html 7/19
TheTEFLcoursewasthemostinterestinginthissemester.
IlikedeverythingputonWebCT
UsingWebCTmakesmemoreactiveandresponsible
IlikeWebCTverymuchbecauseitgivesmeachancetoexpressmy
thoughtsandexchangeideaswiththeteacherandcolleaguesfreely.
WebCTisveryusefulandmustbeencouragedtobeusedbyall
students.
5.HowWebCTinfluencesaffectivefactors
TheresultsinTable(3)showageneralagreementamongstudentsonthe
positiveeffectsofWebCTonaffectivefactorsneededforsuccessfullearning
butwithlittledifferenceinthedegreeofsucheffect.Themostcommon
positiveeffectisonenhancingselfconfidenceandlearningindependence,
followedbydevelopingafeelingofpatience&perseveranceneededtobea
successfullanguagelearner&teacher.Howevertheleasteffectison
motivatingstudentstoparticipateinclass.Onepossiblereasonforthiscould
beusingtheWebCTcommunicationtools(emailanddiscussion).
Table(3)HowWebCTinfluencesaffectivefactors
AffectiveeffectsofWebCT
Strongly
agree&
agree
Neutral>
Agree&
strongly
disagree
No. % No. % No. %
1. Increasedmyinterestin
TEFL 32 80% 8 20%  
2. Enhancedselfconfidence 35 87.5% 3 7.5% 2 2.5%
3. Motivatedmetoparticipate
moreinclassroom 25 62.5% 10 25% 5 12.5%
4. Strengthenedconfidencein
thecourseinstructor 29 72.5% 5 12.5% 6 15%
5. Helpedmetobemore
independentlearner 35 87.5% 2 5% 3 7.5%
6.
Increasedmyexcitement
aboutlanguagelearning&
teaching
32 80% 6 15% 2 5%
7.
Developedamorepositive
attitudetowardsthe
instructor
32 80% 6 15% 2 5%
8.
Developedafeelingof
patience&perseverance
neededtobeasuccessful
languagelearner&teacher
33 82.5% 7 17.5%  
Developedbetter
interpersonalfriendshipwith

4/19/2016 CALLEJOnline
file:///E:/Associate%20Prof%20Oct%202011/CALLEJ%20Online.html 8/19
9. theinstructor&other
colleagues
31 77.5% 7 17.5% 2 5%
10.
(PreviousExamTool)
reducedanxiety&tension
aboutexams
27 67.5% 7 17.5% 6 15%
6.HowWebCTtoolsinfluencepedagogicalfactors
Again,Table(4)showsageneralagreementonthepositivepedagogical
effectsofusingWebCTontheparticipantswherethevastmajority(97.5%)
approvedtheusefulnessofWebCTinprovidingthestudentswithavariety
ofpracticalTEFLskills.Anotheradvantageinratio(95%)isdeveloping
writingandcommunicationskillsneededtocontactwithcolleaguesandthe
teacher.
Table(4):HowWebCTtoolsinfluencepedagogicalfactors
Pedagogicaleffectsof
WebCTTools
Strongly
agree&
agree
Neutral
Agree&
strongly
disagree
No. % No. % No. %
1. WebCTenhancedfaceto
facelectures 33 82.5% 5 12.5% 2 5%
2.
"References&Links"and
"ExtraMaterial"provided
mewithavarietyofpractical
TEFLskills
39 97.5% 1 2.5%  
3.
"Reference&Links"and
"ExtraMaterial"helpedme
togiveabetterpresentation
onaTEFLaspect
32 80% 8 20%  
4.
"Reference&Links"and
"ExtraMaterials"provided
richresourcesforgathering
informationthatmadeit
easiertodoaresearchpaper
onaTEFLaspect
35 87.5% 5 17.5%  
5.
"Reference&Links"and
"ExtraMaterial"exposedme
toavarietyofopposing
teachingconcepts&
techniques
36 90% 4 10%  
6.
"Discussions"and"Mail"
encouragedmeto
communicatefrequentlywith
theinstructor
37 92.5% 1 2.5% 1 2.5%
7.
"Discussions"and"Mail"
encouragedmetoexchange 33 82.5% 6 15% 1 2.5%

4/19/2016 CALLEJOnline
file:///E:/Associate%20Prof%20Oct%202011/CALLEJ%20Online.html 9/19
pedagogicalopinionswith
morefreedom
8.
"PreviousExams"enabled
metobetterunderstandthe
coursecontent&achieveits
aimssuccessfully
35 87.5% 3 7.5% 2 5%
9.
"LectureNotes&
summaries"developedmy
writing&communication
skills
38 95% 2 5%  
10.
WebCTenhancedthe
opportunityofvarying
courseactivities:
assignments,research
papers,quizzes,exams,etc.
35 87.5% 5 12.5%  
11.
WebCTenabledmetocope
withchallenginglearning&
teachingsituations
37 92.5% 3 7.5%  
Discussion
Fourmajorfindingsemergedfromthisstudy:
1.ParticipantstudentssupportpromotingtheuseofWebCT
Thestudyshowsfavourableresultsconcerningthestudents’perceptionto
thepositiveeffectivenessofWebCT.TheparticipantshavetakentheTEFL
courseenthusiasticallyandenjoyedthebenefitstheygainedduetousing
WebCT.Resultshaveindicatedthatstudentswouldliketocontinuethis
projectnextyear,andthattheyintendtomakeusingWebCTarequired
elementintheircourses.Theseresultsresemblethefindingsofseveral
relatedstudies(AlAyyatetal,2003;Burgess,2003;MurphyandLindner,n.
d.;Pauley,2000;&TittenbergerandNazarko,2003)conductedindifferent
contexts.ForinstanceMurphy&Lindner(n.d.)concludethatsuchpositive
responsesare
“goodnewsforteacherswhoareincorporatingorwishtoincorporate
technologyintotheirteachingasameansforimprovingteaching....Itis
hopedthatasWebCTandotheronlinecoursetoolsbecomemore
commonplace,andasstudentsbecomemorefamiliarwiththetechnology,
studentlearning,teachereffectiveness,andcourseefficiencieswillimprove.”
2.WebCTpositiveeffectsonaffectivefactors
Oneofthecentralissuesthathasstrongagreementamongtheparticipantsis
theimportanceofWebCTinimprovingthelevelofaffectiveand

4/19/2016 CALLEJOnline
file:///E:/Associate%20Prof%20Oct%202011/CALLEJ%20Online.html 10/19
motivationalfactorsvitalforsuccessfullanguagelearning.Resultsindicate
thatWebCThaspositivelyaffectedthetenpsychologicalfactorsincludedin
thequestionnaireandmentionedabove.Theaffectivedomainandthe
emotionalfactorswhichinfluencelanguagelearninghavebeenofinterestin
thefieldoflanguageteachingforanumberofyears.Manyeducatorssupport
thebeliefthateffectiveandsuccessfullanguagelearningcannottakeplace
withoutthepresenceofthesefactors.Manygrowingstudieshavealsoshown
thatusingusefultechnologybasedapproachestolanguagelearning,
includingWebCT,wouldenhancethesefactorsindifferentways.Inthis
context,Benson(2001,p140)andToyoda(2001,p9)statethatusing
technologybasedapproachestolanguagelearningsupportsstudentsfeeling
ofautonomy.
Emphasizingtheimportanceofmotivation,VanLier(1996,p98)arguesthat
motivation"isaveryimportant,ifnotthemostimportantfactorinlanguage
learning",withoutwhicheven'gifted'individualscannotaccomplishlong
termgoals,whateverthecurriculaandwhoevertheteacher.MantleBromley
(1995,p383)presumethat"Ifweattendtotheaffectiveandcognitive
componentsofstudentsattitudes,aswellasdevelopdefendablepedagogical
techniques,wemaybeabletoincreasethelengthoftimestudentscommitto
languagestudyandtheirchancesofsuccessinit."
3.WebCTpositiveeffectsonpedagogicalfactors
Again,thefindingsofthisstudyreportthatthetools“Links&References,
Email,andDiscussion”haveallequallyoccupiedthehighestrankamongall
othertoolsintermsofofferingpedagogicalbenefits.Theyarefollowedby
thetoolsof“Previousexams”,LectureNotesandSummaries”.Combining
thequestionnaireresponseswiththeresearcher’sclassroomobservationsand
oralcommentsexpressedbystudentsduringthesixteenweekcourse,
possiblejustificationscanbeoutlinedasfollows.
a.ThetoolofLinks&Referencesworksasapersonalminielibrary
thatprovidesstudentswithclassifiedweblinkstoavarietyofTEFL
sourcesrangingfromeencyclopediasandfreeejournalstoarticles
relatedtodifferenttopicsandskillscoveredinthecourse.For
instance,websitesrelatedtoteachingvocabularyweregroupedunder
asubheadingcalled“TeachingVocabulary”.Similargroupedlinks
wereofferedforteaching,grammar,writing,pronunciation,etc.Such
categorisedlinksfacilitategatheringinformationrelevanttotheoral
presentationandtermpapereachstudentwasrequiredtodotopassthe
course.Additionally,thisclassificationsavesstudentsalotof
searchingtimethroughhelpingthemreachneededmaterialsquickly.
Furthermore,classifyingsuchwebsiteshasprovedtobestrongly
encouragingtothelearnersespeciallyinanenvironmentwherethe
universitylibraryispooratbooksandreferences.
b.Emailisusedtofacilitatecommunicationbetweenstudentsand

4/19/2016 CALLEJOnline
file:///E:/Associate%20Prof%20Oct%202011/CALLEJ%20Online.html 11/19
instructor.Studentscancontacttheinstructoratanytimewherethey
canposequestions,givecommentsandexpressopinions.Suchfacility
canencourageshyfemalestudentstoparticipateandbemoreactivein
theprocessoflearning.Also,havingprivatemailinsideWebCThelps
toorganizeandstoremailspecifictothecourseinsteadofgetting
mixedupinalltheotheremailthatflowsintoafaculty'ssystem.”
c.Discussionisusedtodiscussandexchangeinformationabout
particularcontroversialteachinglearningissues,e.g.usingL1in
teachingEnglish,teachingdeductivelyorinductively,objectiveand
subjectivetests,etc.Everystudent(individually,inpairsorgroups)is
expectedtoparticipateinthediscussionofarelevanttopicagreed
uponeverytwoweeks.
d.Previousexamfamiliarisestudentswithexamsformatgivenbythe
sameinstructororotherteachersinpreviousyears.Thistoolguides
students’focus,reducesanxietyandtensioncausedbyexamsand
providesmorepracticeactivitiesthatenhanceacademicachievement.
e.Lecturenotesandsummarieswhichrequiretwostudentsto
separatelysummariseeverylecturegivenbytheteacherandevery
presentationgivenbystudentsononeofthecoursetopicsandthen
postthenotestotheinstructorwhointurnputsthemonthistool.This
tooleasedthepressureonstudentsduringlecturessothatinsteadof
concentratingalltheireffortsontakingnotes,theycanconcentrate
moreonunderstandingthelecture.
4.OvercomingWebCTtechnicaldifficulties
Thenegativeresponsesandcommentsexpressedbytheparticipantsover
accessingtheirWebCTandthelongtimeneededfordownloadingrequire
morefocusedattentionandimprovementsonthepartofcoursedesignersand
ITspecialiststokeepthestudents'enthusiasmaboutWebCT.Thechallenge
ofmakingfastaccessing,fastdisplaying,andfastloadinginternetbased
softwarehasbeenstressedbyseveralrecentstudies(AlAyyatetal,2003;
Everheart,1996;Kelly,2000&MurphyandLindnern.d.)asabasiccriterion
forkeepingthevisitor’senthusiasm.Apossiblesuggestiontokeepstudents’
positiveattitudetowardsWebCTistoincreasestudents’awarenessabout
thistechnicalproblemandtoofferhighlyvaluableanduniquecontentthat
meetstudents’needsandmakethemfeelthatthecontentqualityisworththe
timespent.Inthisregard,AlAyyatetal(2003)assertthat“Accessibility
problemscanbereducediffacultyadheretocertainguidelineswithrespect
tothematerialstheypost,andtakeintoconsiderationthatfilesizeincreases
downloadtimeforstudents.Additionally,toreduceincompatibilities,
materialsshouldbemadeavailableinaglobalfileformatsuchasPDF...”.
Anothersuggestionistokeep“theconsistencyinpagelayoutsandpage
elementsandmenusasthiswillnotonlyhelptomakeawebsiteattractive
butalsoaidwebvisitorstofindtheirwayaroundthesiteanddonotgetlost
inthecyberspace(Tittel&James,1995inEmbi2004).

4/19/2016 CALLEJOnline
file:///E:/Associate%20Prof%20Oct%202011/CALLEJ%20Online.html 12/19
Conclusion
ThissudyinvestigatedfouraspectsrelatedtoWebCT:theparticipants’levelof
interestandattitudetowardsWebCT,theaffectivefactorsinfluencedbyWebCT,
thepedagogicalfactorsinfluencedbyWebCTandtechnicalproblemsfacing
WebCTusers.Theparticipanats’responsestothefirstaspectswerepositiveand
encouraging.Thestudyalsoidentifiedsomekeytechnicalchallengesthatneedto
beovercome.
AlthoughthestudyislimitedtofortyfemalestudentsspecializedinEnglish,its
findingsmayofferaglimpseofhowaparticularsetofstudentsviewsanddeals
withtechnologyinlanguageteachinglearningcontext.Thestudymayalsoaddto
ourunderstandingofhowseveralWebCTtoolscaninfluencekeyfactorsfor
efficientandeffectivelanguageteachingandlearning.Furthermore,thestudy
indicateshowusefulWebCTcanbetosupplementoncampuslectures,especially
ifusedwithstudentswhoarecomfortablewithusingtechnologyanddonot
encounterserioustechnicalproblems.However,tomaximizethedifferent
benefitsofWebCT,furtherresearchneedstobeconductedtakinganothergroup
ofparticipants:largerinsize,mixedingenderandatdifferentstudyleveland
courses.
References
AlAyyat,S.;Bali,M.;Ellozy,A.;ElKoshairy,M.;Mansour,M.&Pappas,W.
(2003)TwoyearsintoWebCT:PerceptionsofAUCstudents.RetrievedJune10,
2004,fromhttp://www.aucegypt.edu/acs/Presentations/studsurvey.pdf
Benson,P.(2001).Teachingandresearchingautonomyinlanguagelearning.
Harlow:PearsonEducationLtd.
Bordonaro,K.(2003)Perceptionsoftechnologyandmanifestationsoflanguage
learnerautonomy.CALLEJonline,5(1).RetrievedJuly5,2004,
fromhttp://www.clec.ritsumei.ac.jp/english/callejonline/81/bordonaro.html
Burgess,LA.(2003)WebCTasanelearningtool:Astudyoftechnology
students’perceptions.Journaloftechnologyeducation.15/1.RetrievedJune26,
2004,fromhttp://scholar.lib.vt.edu/ejournals/JTE/v15n1/pdf/burgess.pdf
Embi,M.A.(2004)DevelopmentandevaluationofanESLwebsiteonlearning
tolearnEnglish.CALLEJonline,6(1).RetrievedJune15,2004,
fromhttp://www.clec.ritsumei.ac.jp/english/callejonline/91/contents61.html
Everheart,J.(1996).Webpageevaluationworksheet.RetrievedJune10,2004,
fromhttp://www.duke.edu/~de1/evaluate.html.
Finch,A.E.(2000).AformativeevaluationofataskbasedEFLprogrammefor
Koreanuniversitystudents.UnpublishedPh.D.Thesis.ManchesterUniversity,
U.K.RetrievedJune10,2004,fromhttp://www.finchpark.com/afe/.

4/19/2016 CALLEJOnline
file:///E:/Associate%20Prof%20Oct%202011/CALLEJ%20Online.html 13/19
Hussein,SusanB.(2003)Fuelingtheengineoflearning:Usingassessmenttools
onaCMS,WebCT,toimprovestudentoutcomes.RetrievedJune3,2004,
fromhttp://www.montclair.edu/Pages/edtexpo/2003/papers/hussein.pdf
Kelly.C.(2000).GuidelinesfordesigningagoodESLwebsiteforESL
students.TheInternetTESLjournal,4(3).RetrievedJuly5,2004,
fromhttp://iteslj.org/Articles/KellyGuidelines.html
MantleBromley,C..(1995)Positiveattitudesandrealisticbeliefs:linksto
proficiency.Themodernlanguagejournal,79(3),372386.
Murphy,T.H.andLindner,JR.(n.d.)Buildingandsupportingonlinelearning
environmentsthroughWebcoursetools:Itiswhippy,butdoesitwork?Retrieved
June15,2004,fromhttp://agnews.tamu.edu/saas/Murphy.htm.
Naidu,S.(2003)Trendsinfacultyuseandperceptionsofelearning.learningand
teachinginaction2(3).RetrievedJuly2,2004,
fromhttp://www.ltu.mmu.ac.uk/ltia/issue6/naidu.pdf
Pauley,R.(2000)WhousesWebCT?RetrievedJune5,2004,
fromhttp://www.WebCT.com/quickstart/viewpage?
name=quickstart_case_study_rp
Savery,J.R.(2002)Facultyandstudentperceptionsoftechnologyintegrationin
teaching.Journalofinteractiveonlinelearning,1(2).RetrievedJuly5,2004,
fromhttp://www.ncolr.org/jiol/ARCHIVES/2002/2/05/index.html
Scovel,T.(1978).Theeffectofaffectonforeignlanguagelearning:Areviewof
theanxietyresearch.Languagelearning,28,129142.
Tittenberger,P.&Nazarko,O.(2003)Shouldweupgrade?WebCTatthe
UniversityofManitoba.RetrievedJune5,2004,
fromhttp://www.umanitoba.ca/uts/publications/research/shouldweupgrade.pdf
Toyoda,E.(2001).Exerciseoflearnerautonomyinprojectoriented.CALLEJ
online,(2)2.RetrievedJune3,2004,
fromhttp://www.clec.ritsumei.ac.jp/english/callejonline/52/toyoda.html
VanLier,L.(1996).Interactioninthelanguagecurriculum:Awareness,
autonomy,andauthenticity.London:Longman.
Appendix(A):MainWebCTTools
Tools Briefdescription
1. AddPageorTool
Toaddpagesofcoursecontent,WebCTtools,orlinks
towebsitesandexternalapplicationstothecourse,
e.g.ExtraMaterialPage,PreviousExamsPage,
LectureNotesPage,etc.
Tocreateanddistributecourseassignmentsto

4/19/2016 CALLEJOnline
file:///E:/Associate%20Prof%20Oct%202011/CALLEJ%20Online.html 14/19
2. Assignments students,anddownload,evaluate,andassignagrade
tothecompletedwork.
3. Bookmarks Tocreatetheirowncustomshortcutstokeypages.
4. CDROM Toprovidestudentsaccesstomultimediafilesinstead
ofuploadingthefilestocoursecontent.
5. Chat Topromotedirectcommunication.
6. ContentModule Todevelopthelearningmaterialsinvariousways.
7. Discussions Todiscussandexchangeinformationaboutparticular
topic.
8. Glossary Tolistdefinitionofrelevantterms.
9. Index Tocrossreferencekeytermsandconceptswithinthe
coursecontent.
10. Link ToconnectstudentstositesontheInternetrelevantto
thecoursetopics.
11. Mail Forcommunicationbetweenstudentsandinstructor
andstudents.
12. MyGrades Toreleasegradestostudents.
13. MyNotes
(Annotations)
Tohavestudentscreatetheirownannotationsof
varioustextdocumentsthenhavethestudents
compiletheirnotesandsharethemwiththewhole
class.
14. Quizzes Topractisequizzes.
15. Resumesession Topickupatthelastplacestudentswereinthecourse
pathpages.
16. Search Tolocatetopicsinthecourse.
17. SelfTest Topracticeselfansweredtests.
18. Student
Presentations
Tocreategroupsofstudentstodoajointproject
relevanttothecoursetheystudy.
19. Studenttips Tosendannouncementsthatappearsonthescreenas
soonthestudentslogontoWebCT.
20. Syllabus Topresentinformationaboutcourseandinstructor.
21. Whiteboard
Toallowdesigners,students,andteacherstoenter
text,drawobjects,insertgraphics,andmake
modificationinordertohaveonlinediscussion.
Appendix(B):WebCTToolsUsedforteachingTEFLCourse
Tools Function
Links&References
Providequicklinkstorelevantresources(articles,
journals,etc)availableontheInternetthatmaypromote
teachingEnglishasaforeignlanguage.Theselinksare
classifiedaccordingtothetopicsincludedinthecourse.
Forinstance,somelinksgroupedtogetheronhowto
teachpronunciation,reading,writing,etc.

4/19/2016 CALLEJOnline
file:///E:/Associate%20Prof%20Oct%202011/CALLEJ%20Online.html 15/19
Email Facilitatescommunicationamongallstudentstakingthe
courseandbetweenstudentsandteacher.
Discussion
Provideaplatformfordiscussingcontroversialissues
relatedtoteachingEnglishwhereallstudentsare
encouragedtoparticipateinthediscussion.Forinstance,
studentswereencouragedtodebatethisquestion:towhat
extentdoyouagreeonbanningtheuseoflearners’
mothertongueinEnglishlanguageclasses?
Previousexams Itisalinkthatprovidesstudentswithallpreviousexams
onTEFL.
Lecturenotes&
summaries Atoolthatprovidesnotesandsummariestolectures
Assignments Describewrittenassignments,suchaspapersandessays.
Announcements
(studenttips)
Studentscangetannouncementsaboutexams,
assignments,etcassoonastheylogontotheWebCT.
Extramaterials
Thistoolprovidesstudentswithextrasupplementary
articles,essaysandinformationrelevanttothecourse
topics.
Content Thistoollinksstudentstothemainecontentofthe
course.
Gettingexamresults
online
Throughthistool,studentscangetaccesstoviewthe
resultsoftheirexamsandquizzes.
Appendix(C):TopicsCoveredinTEFLCourse
CourseDescription
ThiscourseisanintroductiontoTeachingEnglishasaForeignLanguage
(TEFL).Itdevelopsthestudents’pedagogicalknowledgeandthebasicskills
neededtoteachEnglishefficiently.Thecourseisdividedinto3mainareas:
Basicteachingcomponents:language,teacher,student,syllabusand
context.
EFLMethodology
Avarietyofteachingtechniques
Aims
Toincreasestudents’awarenessoftheteachinglearningprocessin
Palestine.
Toprovidestudentswithabrief,criticalsurveyofthemainmethods
andapproachestoteachingEnglishasaforeignlanguage.
Toexposestudentstoasmanydifferentteachingtechniquesas

4/19/2016 CALLEJOnline
file:///E:/Associate%20Prof%20Oct%202011/CALLEJ%20Online.html 16/19
possible.
Intendedlearningoutcomes
1.improvingpresentationandinterpersonalskills
2.thoroughpreparationforteachingexperience
3.copingwithchallenginglearningandteachingsituations
4.developingteamworkspirit
Coursetopics
Week1&2:
IntroductiontoTEFL
1.ELTTerminology
2.ReasonswhyPalestinianschoosetolearnEnglish
Week3:
GrammarTranslationMethod&DirectMethod
Week4:
Audiolingualapproach&CognitiveCodeApproach
Week5:
TPR,CommunityLanguage&Learning,SilentWay,&Suggestopedia
Week6:
TheCommunicativeApproach
Week7:
Differencesbetweenteachingyoungchildren&adults
Week8:
Techniquesforpresenting&practicingvocabulary
Week9:
Techniquesforteachinggrammar&functions
Week10:
Techniquesforteachingreadingskills
Week11:
Techniquesforteachingwritingskills
Week12:
Techniquesforteachinglistening&speakingskills
Week13:
Techniquesforusinggames&songs
Week14:
Lessonplanning
Week15:
Revision
Week16:
FinalExam

4/19/2016 CALLEJOnline
file:///E:/Associate%20Prof%20Oct%202011/CALLEJ%20Online.html 17/19
Appendix(D):Questionnaire
A.Technicalfactors
Couldyoupleaseput(X)nexttowhatyouthinktheappropriate
answers?
Inthissemester,IhaveusedWebCTin...
a.TEFLcourseonly
b.TEFLandothercourses
IaccessWebCTfromthefollowinglocation(s)(youcanchoosemore
thanone)
UniversityPublicAccessLabs
HomeComputer
UniversityLibrary
InternetCafé
Istilldon’tfeelcomfortablewithusingWebCTbecause:(youcan
choosemorethanone)
IneedmoreassistanceonWebCT
Icannotaccessuniversitylabseasily
IforgetWebCTinternetaddress
slowconnectionspeciallyfromhomecomputers
Downloading/uploadingfiledifficulty
UsingWebCTshouldbeencouraged
Stronglyagree
Agree
Noopinion
Disagree
Stronglydisagree
Writeliked(L)ordisliked(D)nexttothefollowingWebCTtools
Announcements(Tips)
Syllabus(content)
emailtheinstructorandotherstudentsintheclass
Discussions
lecturenotesandsummaries
Assignments
GettingGradesonline
PreviousExams
Links&References

4/19/2016 CALLEJOnline
file:///E:/Associate%20Prof%20Oct%202011/CALLEJ%20Online.html 18/19
Extramaterials
Addanyothercommentsrelatedtotechnicaldifficultiesyoufaced
duringthecourse.
B.AffectiveFactors
Couldyoupleaseput(X)inwhatyouthinktheappropriateanswer?
1=Stronglyagree
2=Agree
3=Neutral
4=disagree
5=stronglydisagree
Questions 1 2 3 4 5
1. DuetotheuseofWebCT,myinterestinthe
TEFLcourseincreased
2. UsingWebCTmademoreselfconfidentlearner
3. BecauseofWebCT,mymotivationtoparticipate
inclassroomwasimproved
4. UsingWebCTstrengthenedmyconfidencein
thecourseinstructor
5. UsingWebCTmadememoreindependent
learner
6. UsingWebCTmademoreexcitedabout
languagelearningandteaching
7. BecauseofusingWebCT,Idevelopedamore
positiveattitudetowardstheinstructor
8.
UsingWebCTdevelopedthefeelingofpatience
&perseveranceneededtobeasuccessfulELT
teacher
9.
UsingWebCTtools(email&discussion)to
communicatedevelopedinterpersonalfriendship
withtheothercolleaguesandtheinstructor
10.
LookingatWebCTtool"Previous
Exams"decreasedanxiety&tensionabout
exams
C.PedagogicalFactors
Couldyoupleaseput(X)inwhatyouthinktheappropriate
answer?
1=Stronglyagree
2=Agree
3=Neutral
4=disagree
5=stronglydisagree
Questions 1 2 3 4 5

4/19/2016 CALLEJOnline
file:///E:/Associate%20Prof%20Oct%202011/CALLEJ%20Online.html 19/19
1. WebCTisausefultechnologicalsystemthat
enhancesfacetofacelectures
2.
WebCTtools"References&Links"and
"ExtraMaterial"providedmewithavariety
ofpracticalTEFLskills
3.
WebCTtools"Reference&Links"and
"ExtraMaterial"helpedmetogiveabetter
presentationonaTEFLaspect
4.
WebCTtools"Reference&Links"and
"ExtraMaterials"providedrichresourcesfor
gatheringinformationthatmadeiteasierto
doaresearchpaperonaTEFLaspect
5.
WebCTtools"Reference&Links"and
"ExtraMaterial"exposedmetoavarietyof
opposingteachingconcepts&techniques
6.
WebCTtools"Discussions"and"Mail"
encouragedmetocommunicatefrequently
withtheinstructor
7.
WebCTtools"Discussions"and"Mail"
encouragedmetoexchangepedagogical
opinionswithmorefreedom
8.
WebCTtool"PreviousExams"enabledme
tobetterunderstandthecoursecontent&
achieveitsaimssuccessfully
9.
UsingWebCTenhancedtheopportunityof
varyingcourseactivities:assignments,
researchpapers,quizzes,etc.
10.
WebCTtool"LectureNotes&Summaries"
developedmywriting&communication
skills
11. UsingWebCTenabledmetocopewith
challenginglearning&teachingsituations
Biography
NazmiAlMasrihasaPh.DinTEFLandCurriculumDevelopmentfromtheUniversityof
Manchester,UK.Hisresearchinterestsareteachertrainining,academicwriting,andusing
technologyinTEFL.HeteachesattheIslamicUniversityofGaza,Palestine.
Copyright(c)2005NazmiAlMasri&CALLEJOnline(ISSN1442438X).Allrightsreserved.