Proceedings of The International Conference on New Approaches in Education
Year: 2019
DOI: https://www.doi.org/10.33422/icnaeducation.2019.07.401
Technology Integration through Lab Tasks: Student Perspectives
Yonca Koncalioglu Savaci
ABSTRACT:
The purpose of this study is to examine the perspectives of a group of students taking English preparatory course at the School of Foreign Languages at a state university in Turkey. Besides taking in-class courses, our students must attend laboratory classes in which they complete tasks using web 2.0 tools such as Edmodo, Canva, Quizlet, and so on. As teachers, we can observe students to evaluate the effectiveness of a task; however, it is also essential to gather students’ views on these tasks to facilitate better language learning. Therefore, eighty pre-intermediate level students were given a survey to find out their opinions about the laboratory tasks which they have to submit as part of the curriculum. The survey included questions investigating which web 2.0 tools the students would prefer as well as the ones concerning how they felt while doing a lab task. After the survey, some students were interviewed in order to gain a deeper understanding of their perspectives. This study is believed to be significant in understanding our students’ needs about technology integration into language learning and how to adapt our courses accordingly.
Keywords: Blended learning; EFL; higher education; learning English; web 2.0 tools.