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Rihan Journal for Scientific Publishing
ISSN:2709-2097 www.rjsp.org Issue 38 (2023) PP 63:93
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The Effectiveness of Project - Based Learning on Improving
the Undergraduate Students’ Speaking Skills through
M-Learning
Aida BAKEER
Corresponding Author
Al-Quds Open University - PALESTINE
Email: abakir@qou.edu
https://www.orcid.org/0000-0001-7354-3522
Khaled DWEIKAT
Al-Quds Open University – PALESTINE
Email: kdweikat@qou.edu
https://www.orcid.org/0000-0002-4848-3756
Matt SMITH
University of Wolverhampton, UNITED KINGDOM
Email: Matt.Smith@wlv.ac.uk
https://www.orcid.org/0000-0003-0913-1392
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Abstract
This case study aimed to identify the lessons learned from using m-
Learning in project-based learning as a potential to improve the oral skills of
EFL students in a Language Use Course at a Palestinian university during
the second semester of the academic year 2019/2020. Despite the sudden
closure of universities due to the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic,
teachers had to evaluate students’ oral proficiency in effective use of
vocabulary and expressions found in the course, improvising daily life
situations, with decent fluency and enjoyment. The participants were 97 (19
males and 78 females) EFL learners majoring English, who were enrolled in
the Language Use course. The participants were assigned a project-based
task to develop their speaking skill through collaborative projects that were
submitted at the end of the course to evaluate their skills and performances.
To achieve this objective, a project-based cycle (OMEGA-P) was developed,
and semi-structured interviews via Messenger and WhatsApp were also
administered with students. Findings showed impressive signs of creative
outputs manifested in various skills. The findings also highlighted the
effectiveness of using project-based experience as an approach to online
‘Discussion Sessions’ that provided a flexible and enjoyable learning
environment, that enhanced students’ self-confidence through active
involvement with real communicative situations with other students as well
as with the teacher.
Keywords: Project-based learning, Integration, Student Centered Learning,
Oral skills, EFL, Language Use, 21st Century Pedagogy.
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Introduction
In the digital age, English language communication skills, particularly
the speaking skill, have assumed vital significance since it enables one to
listen, respond and communicate effectively while perfecting grammar and
sentence structure along the way (Sari & Margana, 2019). In Palestine,
English language teaching (ELT) faces some challenges and difficulties at
all levels, and in all domains including the four key skills: listening,
speaking, reading and writing (Bakeer, 2018; MoEHE, 2015). Hence, there
is a continuing dissatisfaction with the overall performance and proficiency
of students in English language learning which has been attributed to several
reasons including the limited exposure to daily-life language, lack of
professional educators in TEFL who can integrate educational technology
into the educational process, and a lack of access to digital materials and
technology tools (Dwaik & Abu Shehadeh, 2013). In addition, EFL teachers’
traditional methods and practices create negative attitudes and leave little
room for keeping students’ interest alive, or sustaining stable cognitive
development (Bakeer & Bruce, 2019; Vaca Torres & Gómez Rodríguez,
2017). Lack of practice and lack of confidence tend to hinder some EFL
learners from using the language communicatively and/or speaking it
fluently (Sirisrimangkorn, 2018) as speaking demands competence and
mastery in learning any foreign language (Khan et al., 2018).
Within the context of teaching and learning in the 21st century, the last
few decades have witnessed a number of paradigms shifts in the field of
English language teaching that aim to empower the students to succeed in
learning English as a Foreign Language (Emaliana, 2017). Examples of this
shift can be seen in the spread of mobile learning, blended learning, flipped
learning, and online learning, to name a few. What characterizes these forms
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of learning is their clear investment in technology and internet applications.
Furthermore, many of these shifts have been concerned with moving away
from teacher-centered approaches where students tend to sit passively in the
classroom receiving information, to more student-centered approaches. This
shift, according to Emaliana (2017), gives students opportunities to improve
their analytical and problem-solving skills, in addition to developing
students’ skills in many facets including lifelong learning, self-directed
learning, reflective learning, and motivation. In this regard, student-centered
learning, sometimes labeled as learner-centered pedagogy, involves a variety
of tasks, activities or procedures. These involve transferring instruction from
a dominant teacher into an autonomous independent learner, who actively
participates in the construction of knowledge and meaning (Allan, 2007).
This inclusion of learner voice, collaboration and the co-construction of
learning outcomes are seen as key components of the 21st century skills (see,
for example, HEA, 2013; teach thought, 2015; EEF, 2018).
In search for new paradigms and methods that have the potential to
foster students’ voice and autonomy, project -based learning (PBL) emerged
in may educational institutions. Vaca Torres and Gómez Rodríguez (2017)
postulated that such approach tends to be a constructivist instructional
method that supports students’ learning process through group work and
social interaction. Meanwhile, PBL is recognized by Rochmahwati (2015)
as an effective approach that has the potential to develop the speaking skills
of EFL learners utilizing meaningful activities based on the project.
Thus, it tends to focus on the end-product as it provides learners with
opportunities to focus on language functions through various tasks in the
project. PBL also has some benefits for learners including enhancing
students’ motivation, promoting their language skills and enforcing their
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ability to function in groups (Al Khateeb, 2019), in addition to scaffolding
content learning, self-confidence, autonomy, and decision-making abilities
(Sirisrimangkorn, 2018). The new methods of teaching with technologies are
hoped to help learners succeed at difficult tasks independently, especially
when the process of producing an end-product provides the students with
opportunities to develop their confidence and independence (Quint and
Condliffe, 2018). There is evidence that PBL develops the skills through
working on projects both independently and collaboratively (Fischer, 2015),
and through the application of prior knowledge using a variety of resources
(Ummah, In’am & Azmi, 2019).
Statement of the Problem
Although the Palestinian curriculum is based on the communicative
approach (Baradeyah & Farrah, 2017), speaking remains a challenging skill
in many Palestinian classrooms where most students struggle to use the
language appropriately. It is believed that more emphasis on teaching
speaking through project-based learning helps learners manage
communication problems inside and outside the classroom, In this respect,
providing students with the necessary guidance and ICT tools are hoped to
help them overcome problems they face during difficult situations.
Unfortunately, to the researchers’ personal knowledge, the majority of
university students encounter an apparent difficulty in speaking English
inside the classroom and outside it. This difficulty is realized in their
reluctance and shyness to express their thoughts and feelings freely and
fluently. Hence, the current study aims to explore the effect of using m-
learning on improving the speaking skills of a sample of undergraduate
students using project- based Learning,
Objectives of the study
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The current study aimed to combine project-based learning with
smartphone technology in order to identify the lessons learned from this
approach and its possible impact on EFL students’ speaking skills. It is worth
noting that this objective was one pedagogical output of the training visits to
UK, Turkey and Germany done by the Palestinian researchers as part of their
participation in one of Erasmus+ projects funded by the European Union.
Literature review
As shown in the aforementioned introduction, PBL has the potential
to scaffold students’ knowledge and learning through utilizing a student-
centered tendency that offers opportunities for learners to use language in a
meaningful and authentic manner (Sirisrimangkorn, 2021). When employed
skillfully, the intended project usually entails a clear start and end date,
uniqueness to the participants, limitations of time and resources, intended
outcomes and a sense of responsibility (Allan, 2007).
There have been many studies confirming the benefits of using
project-based learning in a variety of disciplines across the globe.
Specifically, these effects are related to student engagement, achievement,
oral and research skills, motivation, and belief in their own abilities. For
instance, Kolodner et al. (2003) and Markham (2011) asserted that PBL
fosters collaboration by allowing students to help each other, learn from each
other, and take responsibility for completing projects which involve the
classroom, the school, the community, and wider real-world challenges. In
this regard, investigating the effect of project-based learning on students'
speaking skill, Rochmahwati (2015) found that the participating students
showed a significant positive attitude towards the implementation of project-
based learning. Additionally, Burden and Kearney (2017) concluded that
students perceived collaborative sharing during the implementation of PBL
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positively in completing assignments. Likewise, Marwan (2015) found out
that students became more engaged in English learning when they
participated in project-based learning.
In Argentina, a study conducted by Bron and Barrio (2019) revealed
that the process of creating a project empowered the students to experiment
and acquire knowledge, as well as overcoming difficulties and challenges.
Meanwhile São Paulo, Brazil, Amaral & Santos (2018) found that the
project-based learning approach improved students' research skills. Using
the PBL method with 60 Saudi female EFL learners, Al Khateeb (2019)
found that the role of social orientation in enhancing learners' competence
and willingness to have co-learning experiences was regarded as more
important. Further, the results uncovered how such group work can be
constructed, as well as the main content elements that appeared in the digital
stories. On the other hand, Ummah; In'am & Azmi (2019) used a PBL model
to assess students' creativity improvement in learning media in terms of
originality, novelty, and flexibility. Findings indicated that students’
flexibility and creativity improved after implementing the manipulatives.
Sirisrimangkorn (2018) investigated how the use of project-based learning
promoted the speaking skills of EFL learners. Quantitative and qualitative
data analysis revealed that PBL focusing on drama improved learners'
speaking skill integrating project-based technique into drama teaching was
effective in providing the learners with more fun tasks to speak English.
With regard to the possible benefits of PBL, Torres & Rodrguez
(2017) found that the students were encouraged to practice lexical
competence, overcame of using English for communication, and became
more interested in learning about their school life and community.
Furthermore, the findings revealed that PBL improved students' language
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competence as they needed to learn and use vocabulary to express
themselves and perform. Based on the various advantages of PBL, research
has been conducted in a variety of contexts and educational levels. Some
studies pointed to the benefits of PBL for learners' skills and progress such
as enhancing co-operation, responsibility, communication skills, creativity,
and self-directed learning skills (Nilsook, Chatwattana, & Seechaliao, 2021).
However, other studies pointed out that there are several implementation
challenges associated with PBL, such as ensuring the collaboration among
students (Hussein, 2021).
Attitudes towards smartphones and their potentials
Over the last decade, technology has become an increasingly
important tool for learning languages. Accordingly, many studies have
examined how technology and especially smartphones can facilitate
different aspects of language learning. Markham (2011) asserted that
problem-based learning can be achieved better by using digital tools, and
mobile phones in particular enable students to customize the way in which
they access information to promote their skills and knowledge (Sharples et
al., 2007). However, despite the lack of infrastructure in some communities,
Traxler et al. (2020) claimed that mobile phones are available to a very high
percentage of learners, even in the most marginalized communities, which
paves the way for using them for efficient teaching and learning. Traxler
(2013) indicated to the potentials of mobile technology in extending
education, enriching education, challenging educational theory, and
engaging learners.
In recent years, several studies all over the world have investigated
students’ and teachers’ attitudes towards the usage of mobile phones for
language learning (Alrefaai, 2019; Pombo & Marques, 2019; Buabeng,2018;
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Calabrich, 2016; Saidouni & Bahloul, 2016; Meishar-Tal & Ronen, 2016;
Dashti & Aldashti, 2015; Ghrieb, 2015; Niño, 2015; Bansal & Joshi, 2014;
Kee & Samsudin, 2014; Khrisat & Mahmoud, 2013). The results of these
studies have indicated that both teachers and students, either at school level
or at university level, have positive attitudes and perceptions of using
smartphones in EFL classrooms with a chance to extend learning beyond
classroom boundaries. In this regard, a study by Camilleri and Camilleri
(2019) examined primary school children's intrinsic and extrinsic
motivations to learn through mobile gaming devices in addition to exploring
students' perception of enjoyment and social influences regarding their
behavioral intention to engage with the educational applications. Findings
indicated that students' perceptions of mobile technologies' usefulness and
their intentions to use them for learning were significantly correlated.
To invest in mobile technology, Reinders (2010) offered numerous
ideas on how to use mobile phones to enhance language learning such as
photographing, recording, and analyzing conversations and text; using text
messaging to improve vocabulary learning and writing skills; distributing
listening and reading materials; playing games; checking comprehension;
and collecting research data. By the same token, Seifert (2014) claimed that
school use of smartphones increased motivation among students, and their
self-efficacy went up when the students found the activities interesting, and
benefited from the collaborative process. These smartphones have several
characteristics enabling the user to use them as a personal computer,
including the ability to run an operating system, to connect to the Internet
and to store more data compared to traditional mobile phones (White and
Mills,2014). White and Mills (2014) define a smartphone as a cellular phone
that contains many functions of a personal computer such as the use of an
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operating system, Internet connectivity and an increased capacity for data
storage when compared with a traditional mobile phone. They maintained
that mobile phones offer both teachers and students of EFL with an ideal
device to facilitate teaching and learning.
As a result of the wide spread of smartphone devices in the hands of
all people, students have more opportunities to improve their language skills,
especially listening and speaking. In this regard, Alrefaai (2019) found that
mobile phones offered unique opportunities to improve language skills for
learners of English as a foreign language (EFL).
Context of the study
Generally speaking, some students in Palestine who graduate from
universities are unable to communicate freely with others in English,
although they learn English language for twelve years, starting in the first
grade (Jondeya, 2011, p3). Some educators claim that most students are not
highly motivated to learn English and rarely use it outside the school
(Baradeyah, & Farrah, (2017).). At Al-Quds Open University, all first-year
students are required to take two compulsory courses in English, while
students majoring in English language & literature usually take a Language
Use course in their second semester of their specialization aiming to develop
their oral skills. One basic requirement for students taking this course is to
sit for an oral exam at the end of the semester. Unexpectedly, on the 6th of
March 2020, the Palestinian Government declared a state of emergency as a
preventative measure to combat the coronavirus pandemic which had
infected a large number of people in Palestine (State of Palestine State of
Emergency, 2020). In response to this emergency case, the Palestinian
universities, schools, and kindergartens were all closed for the on-going
semester to reduce the risk of transmission of COVID-19. As a result of this
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sudden closure, all educational institutions moved towards using new
methods and modes of education including on-line teaching, e-learning,
virtual classes, blended learning, mobile learning, video streaming,
discussion sessions, etc. (UNISCO, 2020). Consequently, the researchers
planned to combine project-based learning with smartphone technology and
applications as a means of communication that aim to increase the possible
opportunities for sharing information and collaboration, and as a method of
evaluation to cope with the challenging context in Palestine.
Methodology
The present study aimed to explore the effect of combining m-learning
with project- based learning on improving the speaking skills of
undergraduate English majors, and enabling them to use the language
appropriately and fluently in real life situations. To achieve this objective, a
purposeful sample that involved all students enrolled in the three sections of
the Language Use course at Al-Quds Open University (n = 97) participated
in the study. These students were taking the course Language Use as a
compulsory course as students majoring the English language couldn’t sit
for the formal exam and the instructors had to use new means of
communication and seek for recent evaluate their students’ performances
using untraditional means of evaluation that have not been used at higher
education before the COVID-19 pandemic in Palestine.
Procedures of the study
In response to the closure of the schools and the universities due to the
spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, the researchers sought to find new ways
to communicate with their students and to ensure the continuity of the
educational process. Higher educational institutions (HEIs) in Palestine
declared several urgent steps to continue their mission during this crisis.
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Similarly, the instructors sought for the 21st pedagogical approaches and
effective teaching strategies for learning such as storytelling, inquiry-based
approach, outside classroom evaluation process, etc. As a result, teachers
used the academic portal and Information and Computer Technology (ICT)
tools and social media to deliver online classes, assign tasks, send messages
and foster student-student communication because they were encouraged to
work individually, in pairs or in groups to submit a small-scale project based
on creating a 4–5-minute video using their smartphone camera to record their
presentations while choosing a notion /function addressed in the textbook of
the academic course Language Use. Students were told to use vocabulary
and expressions from the units as a means for tutors to assess their overall
vocabulary use as well as their accuracy and fluency, speed, intonation, and
speaking rate. Students were also motivated to communicate with each other
using social media provide feedback and give comments on their classmates’
work and support each other.
Design and procedure
This case study follows a combination of using project-based learning
and smartphone technology concerned specifically with providing practical
solutions to serious educational problems in emergency remote teaching
during the COVID-19 pandemic. The subjects participating in the study were
asked to complete projects as a means of assessment to enable students to
complete the course. This was the first time that the instructors used
untraditional means of evaluation and asked students to use technology and
social media to communicate and collaborate together to finish and submit
their recorded projects. They were asked to film themselves while
improvising one aspect of the course that authentically met their interests and
contexts, and upload their recordings on the WhatsApp group to get feedback
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from their classmates and teacher. To achieve this objective, a project-based
cycle (OMEGA-P) was devised by the principal researcher, where O stands
for orientation, M for modeling, E for encouragement, G for Guide, A for
assistance and P for products. Semi-structured interviews via Messenger and
WhatsApp were also administered with students to gather data on students’
responses to the course and their reflections.
Instruments
In the second semester of the academic year 2020/2021 and during the
spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, the 97 students were asked to work on a
project for three weeks after covering the basic components in 4 units in the
course. The students were given the choice to work either individually, in
pairs or in groups. Moreover, follow-up interviews were conducted at the
end of the study. The recorded videos were used to measure the development
of students’ speaking skills and their ability to express themselves using
English to talk about everyday situations. The student’s oral skills were
evaluated in light of six aspects (content, grammar and vocabulary, fluency,
personality and self-confidence, planning and preparation, and technical
aspects). Five best students who got the highest scores were invited to
participate in an online focus group. These follow-up interviews aimed to
investigate students’ perceptions towards the use of project-based learning
using smartphone technology to promote their speaking skills. Finally, the
results from students’ reflections were thematically analyzed and used as
supplementary data for results interpretation and discussion.
Procedure
A six-dimension cycle was used for the design and implementation of
the project represented by the OMEGA-P cycle. This cycle represents the
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procedures used by the teacher to follow up with students and included
(Orientation, Modelling, Encouragement, Guide, Assist, Product).
Figure 1. Dweikat (2021) Cycle of Project-Based Learning
In this proposed cycle, the researchers tried their best to scaffold
students’ video production step-by-step focusing on a variety of tasks and
skills as follows:
1. Orientation
At this stage, the researchers provided students with clear instructions
about how to relate this task to the content of the course. Students were asked
to create and submit the video as well as the script to the instructor using
Messenger or WhatsApp within three weeks. The evaluation criteria rubric
was also sent to the students to specify how their videos would be evaluated
or graded.
2. Modelling
From the beginning, the instructor planned to give the participating
students two samples as models representing the task. Therefore, the
O
M
E
G
A
P
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instructor sent students two recorded videos: one of himself discussing a
subject on one of the topics in their textbook, and the other simulating the
Prime Minister of Palestine describing the ongoing measures against the
spread of COVID-19.
3. Encouragement
The instructor employed different techniques to encourage students to
communicate with each other and share information to prepare, design, and
create their projects. The proposed task was expected to be less anxiety-
inducing since it was informally done at home. Students were given the
chance to share their own videos with each other to get feedback from
classmates, friends and relatives. Students were informed that their videos
would be examined and evaluated by a jury of referees and the best five
videos will be rewarded with a smart tablet device to encourage them to use
their greatest possible effort to achieve the course objectives.
4. Guide
During the project’s life cycle, the instructor played the role of the
guide when he employed different techniques to guide students and help
them make progress during the project’s phases. The instructor opted for
being a ‘guide on the side’ rather than being a ‘sage on the stage’ (Stanton,
2019). In this regard, it was apparent that some students at lower proficiency
level demanded more structured guidance from the part of the instructor.
5. Assist
In addition to offering guidance during the project life cycle, the
instructor was always available online to assist students whenever they
needed help. In one case, a female student was reluctant to film herself for
some socio-cultural reasons, A solution given by the instructor was to hide
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her face using an Emoji, widely available on smartphones. Moreover, the
specific instruction and the given feedback assisted less-proficient and shy
students to participate and engage with the task. Most students had
discussions with their peers and were motivated to make any required
changes and – hopefully – got the advantages of collaboration and hands-on
project.
6. Product
The creation of the end-product was the last phase of the project. The
end- product comprised 90 videos created by 92 students. This last stage was
designed in line with Sirisrimangkorn (2018), who confirmed that the project
work is student-centered and focuses on the end-product so it is useful for
learners’ development in language skills, and with Quint & Condliffe (2018)
who asserted that the creation of a final product provides the students with
opportunities to develop their confidence and independence. The project
achieved partial success because only 35 videos out of 90 were judged to
have met the given criteria; these were sent to three EFL professors at QOU
and two English supervisors at the Ministry of Education for evaluation. The
result of this evaluation was top-five students nominated to be rewarded by
five tablets given to them on the Open Day held at Nablus Branch of QOU
which was organized on October 17th, 2020 by TEFL_ePAL Project (one of
Erasmus + programme for capacity building) that aims to develop teaching
English in HEIs in Palestine.
Data collection and data analysis
In order to identify students’ feedback and perceptions of using this
kind of project-based learning, semi-structured interviews via Messenger
and WhatsApp were administered with ten students. The participating
students were asked to discuss the extent to which the project-based learning
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used in the academic course ‘Language Use’ helped them improve their oral
skills; how they felt the project contributed to develop their language
competences, skills and confidence; and how they felt about participating in
this kind of project-based learning in this course using smartphones and ICT
tools.
Results
Teacher’s observations and the analysis of the information gathered
from the interviews indicated that most of the students were motivated to use
their own smartphones for educational purposes. The researchers could
identify the types of experience and knowledge emerged from the project
and emphasized that project-based learning was an effective approach that
provided students with more opportunities to work on their own, to practice
the English language outside the classroom, and to build self-confidence.
Results also revealed that project-based learning approach helped the
instructor and the students to break the routine of formal assessment used in
the course and paved the way for using informal and enjoyable methods of
assessment, which in turn, reduced the extent of stress and anxiety caused by
the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. The analysis of the results also
revealed that employing the project cycle OMEGA-P enabled both the
instructor and the students to work steadily and efficiently towards achieving
the desired objectives. The importance of building students’ awareness of
using English outside the classroom using any available resource was
highlighted in students’ responses as students maintained that this project
was a unique one and greatly contributed to their language learning. Besides,
the results revealed that using project-based learning under abnormal
situations has the potential to maximize students’ independence and
autonomy on the one hand and enhance students’ communication and
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collaboration, on the other hand. The instructor was able to recognize that
project-based learning allowed for more one-to-one communication between
the instructor himself and every individual student which was governed by a
great deal of mutual trust and respect between the two sides of the project.
The use of the smartphone technology helped both sides to facilitate online
learning and teacher-student interaction and student-student interaction. This
means that the participants had more opportunities to communicate with each
other and the learning materials were accessible in such an emergency,
thanks to the Internet technology and smartphone technology. It is worth
noting that the instructor of the course played a key role in the success of
online learning as a means to ensure some kind of quality education.
However, some students pointed to few technical problems when joining
online sessions and virtual classes for different reasons and they were able
to overcome those problems and continued the course and submitted all its
requirements and assignments.
Students’ feedback and reflection
Four major themes emerged from the answers of the students. Firstly,
most students expressed positive attitudes towards using their smartphone
cameras to respond to the requirements of the given task. Furthermore, the
students indicated that this project enabled them to build some kind of self-
confidence especially when using English for communicative purposes
without feeling worried or anxious. In addition, most students had positive
attitudes towards using social media to communicate with their peers and get
feedback and support from them to complete their projects successfully.
Secondly, interviewing the top - ten students, revealed that the
students expressed how much they enjoyed the autonomy of being able to
create their own content, speaking about their chosen topics and not having
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to choose from a teacher-created list of topics. They maintained that the
project helped them to work more independently, and to practice the use of
authentic language and vocabulary relevant to their own experiences.
Moreover, students were using Google translation and online dictionaries
available on their smartphones to look up the meanings of new words
through a desire to express themselves more effectively. These positive
results resonate with the findings of Barr (2011); Sirisrimangkorn (2018);
and Vaca Torres & Gómez Rodríguez (2017), to name a few.
Thirdly, students’ feedback identified another major benefit of using
their smartphones to meet project-learning requirements. Such an experience
enabled the students to gain and develop technological skills on top of
language learning. These included the making of films with authentic
personal meaning, and the use of other applications available on their
smartphones such as using emoji symbols, music and sound effects to make
their videos more appealing and more interesting. Regarding the applications
used, the majority of students used the following: Messenger voice
messaging, written messages, photos, voice and video calls, and the
integration of sounds and effects, using VivaVideo (a video editing
application on Android and iOS devices, enabling users to change the style
for videos that are recorded directly on the VivaVideo app), Power director,
kine master,video show. This finding seems to agree with other researches,
e.g., Reinders (2010); Al Khateeb (2019); Frydenberg and Andone (2016);
Stollhans (2015); and Wishart (2006);
Fourthly, most of the interviewed students indicated that this project-
based task enabled them to work independently at home so as to meet the
requirements and the guidelines given by the instructor to get high marks on
one hand, and a greater chance to win one of the tablets assigned for the top
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five videos. They also noted that the student-centered approach gave them
more freedom and responsibility to work on their own towards improving
their language skills. Such a result seems to be consistent with previous
research conducted by Allan (2007); Emaliana (2017); Sirisrimangkorn
(2018); Ummah, In’am & Azmi (2019); and Smith & Throne (2007).
These found results and students’ high involvement and participation
with joy encouraged the instructors to continue using the project-based
learning and the for other courses after Coved 19 pandemic.
Barriers to mobile learning
This case study which was based on a project –based learning
approach tends to achieve the desired objectives of the course regardless of
some limitations. The majority of students were females (78) compared to
(19) males enrolled in this course. Most of these females were from rural
areas and all of them were living in socio-cultural restrictions. Therefore, it
was a little difficult to convince all of them to record themselves as they
preferred nonverbal means of communication to supplement the task. Some
students faced technical problems when joining online sessions and virtual
classes. These problems were due to poor internet connection, lack of
technical skills, and lack of motivation toward using ICT tools in education.
Nevertheless, the effect of the technical problems faced by a percentage of
students when joining online sessions and virtual classes can be mitigated by
providing students with training sessions on how to use ICT tools effectively.
Besides, there is always room to challenge the culture without neglecting
cultural beliefs and values especially among female students especially when
smartphone technology includes applications and accessories that facilitate
students’ tasks.
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Observations of the Effectiveness of Project Based Learning on
Learning English
During the implementation of Project Based Learning, the instructors
observed students’ behavior to assess the effectiveness of using this approach
on students’ practices, and could conclude the following points:
1. This learning method connected students’ academic processes to
career practices as students worked together as teams in some
situations, which linked the present with the future as teamwork has a
prominent value in their future careers. They used critical thinking
skills including full attention for deep understanding, reflection,
asking further questions, reaching a conclusion, giving alternatives to
solve problems, etc., which all have the potential to increase their
likelihoods of success in this course and their future career.
2. Provided students with opportunities to communicate with each other
outside classrooms and work together in groups. This situation
encouraged a good mutual ground for understanding between students
and developed interpersonal skills needed to succeed in their future
careers.
3. Provided Instructors with insights into students learning habits with
an indication about the level of motivation and interest in what they
were doing and the topics they selected. It also got information about
students’ preferences and choices, how they work together, the
sources they search, their contributions to their teamwork, the barriers
they face, etc.
Conclusion
To conclude, the analysis of the results highlighted the lessons learned
and the benefits of using m-learning in developing students’ oral skills by
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adopting project-based learning. Project-based learning was an effective
approach that provided the students with more opportunities to work on their
own, to practice the English language outside the classroom, and to build
self-confidence. The results indicated that PBL proved that education should
have the potential to extend beyond the classroom walls while taking into
account the surrounding circumstances and students’ changing needs. It is
recommended for future research to investigate the role of PBL in
developing student-student interaction and communication skills through
exchanging knowledge and conveying creative ideas. It was apparent that
students who have positive attitudes and motivated to use ICT tools in
learning participated better in submitting projects of considerable quality and
were more confident when presenting their projects. The results emerged
from the study can be seen as a means to disseminate project-based learning
to other expected beneficiaries.
Recommendations
Based on the results and the conclusion, the researches could draw the
following recommendations”
For the ministry of Education and HEIs:
1. Capacity building for the academic staff should be a priority to
promote instructor’s skills and modernize their practices. This goal
can be achieved by conducting compulsory workshops and training
courses and cascading knowledge.
2. More flexibility should be allowed to modernize the system providing
considerable opportunities to instructors to adopt and implement 21st
century pedagogy in education including methods of teaching,
evaluation and assessment.
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3. Equip HEIs with what is needed to foster students’ communication
and outside classrooms learning.
For instructors:
4. Enhance student’s motivation and interest in learning by shifting from
teacher centered learning to student centered learning.
5. Plan well for students’ engagement in project-based learning to
increase their critical thinking and the foreseen success of teamwork.
6. Keep a room of freedom for students to make their own choices and
decisions on what and how to work on.
7. Implement 21st theories in education and focus on students’ practices
and skills that are extremely prominent in the real world and related
their academics and their future careers.
8. Praise distinguished group projects. This will motivate students to
contribute to others work and do their best.
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