157
Distance Education for EFL
Teachers: Perceptions of Learner
Support1
Educación a Distancia para Docentes de Inglés como
Lengua Extranjera: Percepciones sobre el Apoyo al
Estudiante
Ruth Roux, Nelly Paulina Trejo Guzmán
and Elsa Fernanda González2*
Universidad Autónoma de Tamaulipas, México
Abstract
This article reports the findings of a qualitative study exploring in-service EFL
teachers’ perceptions of the learner support resources provided to them while
they were taking a teacher research distance course. Findings indicate that
students valued videoconferencing technology because it facilitated interacting
with adviser, peers and instructor to get academic assistance, a different
perspective on their work, enthusiasm, and feedback, as well as opportunities
to confront ideas and to share feelings. The course management system was
perceived as highly beneficial to their learning because of the amount and
variety of support resources, and the multidimensional learning it promoted.
Results may help language teacher educators interested in enhancing the quality
of research courses, Web-based course developers involved in providing learner
support, and researchers engaged in teacher research and distance education.
Keywords: Teacher education; distance learning; foreign languages;
higher education; teaching
Resumen
Este artículo presenta los resultados de un estudio cualitativo que explora las
percepciones de un grupo de docentes de inglés en servicio, sobre los recursos
de apoyo en un curso de investigación a distancia. Los hallazgos indican que
los estudiantes valoraron la tecnología de videoconferencia debido a que
1 Received: August 5, 2014 / Accepted: October 16, 2014
2 rrouxr@uat.edu.mx, ntrejo@uat.edu.mx, efgonzález@uat.edu.mx
Gist Education and LEarninG rEsEarch JournaL. issn 1692-5777.
no. 9, (JuLy- dEcEmbEr) 2014. pp. 157-178.
intEraction in a bLEndEd LEarninG EnvironmEnt
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ésta les permitió interactuar con el asesor, los compañeros, e instructor para
obtener apoyo académico, conocer una perspectiva distinta sobre su trabajo,
recibir retroalimentación, motivación, así como una oportunidad para debatir
ideas y compartir sentimientos. Los docentes consideraron la plataforma de
administración del curso sumamente beneficiosa para su aprendizaje debido a
la cantidad y variedad de recursos de apoyo y el aprendizaje multidimensional
que ésta fomentó. Los resultados pueden ser de utilidad para los formadores
de profesores de inglés que deseen mejorar la calidad de sus cursos de
investigación, los diseñadores de cursos en línea que quieran implementar
apoyos para el aprendizaje, y para los investigadores interesados en desarrollar
docentes investigadores y educación a distancia.
Palabras clave: Formación de profesores, educación a distancia, lenguas
extranjeras, educación superior, enseñanza
Resumo
Este artigo apresenta os resultados de um estudo qualitativo que explora as
percepções de um grupo de docentes de inglês em serviço, sobre os recursos
de apoio em um curso de pesquisa a distância. As descobertas indicam que os
estudantes valoraram a tecnologia de videoconferência pelo que a mesma lhes
permitiu interagir com o assessor, os colegas e o instrutor, para obter apoio
acadêmico, conhecer uma perspectiva diferente sobre o seu trabalho, receber
retroalimentação e motivação, bem como uma oportunidade para debater
ideias e compartilhar sentimentos. Os docentes consideraram a plataforma
de administração do curso sumamente favorável para a sua aprendizagem,
devido à quantidade e variedade de recursos de apoio e a aprendizagem
multidimensional que a mesma fomentou. Os resultados podem ser de utilidade
para os formadores de professores de inglês que desejem melhorar a qualidade
dos seus cursos de pesquisa, os desenhistas de cursos em linha que queiram
implementar apoios para a aprendizagem, e para os pesquisadores interessados
em desenvolver docentes pesquisadores e educação a distância.
Palavras chave: Formação de professores, educação a distância, línguas
estrangeiras, educação superior, ensino
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Introduction
Distance education offers potential advantages for teacher training because it can help us satisfy the large demand of EFL teachers. It is economically efficient, and teachers can study when and
where it is convenient for them. A crucial component of distance
education is the learner support it offers (Farajollahi & Moenikia, 2010;
McLoughlin, 2002; Oliver, 2001; Oliver & Herrington, 2003). Learner
support focuses on providing learners with the assistance they need to
achieve their desired outcomes. Tait (2003) defines learner support as
the range of services and resources that facilitate and enhance distance
learning.
Traditionally, learner support has been identified as being a
completely different set of activities from those associated with course
production. However, in the implementation of distance learning, this
distinction does not always hold and the line between the two sets of
activities has become more blurred (Thorpe, 2003). A distance course
may consist of no more than a syllabus and a reading list, with the
content being created through interaction between learners and course
facilitator. On the other hand, a distance course may offer a range of aids
that promote its effectiveness. The choice of what is offered depends
on the values, educational philosophy, resources available, learner
characteristics and needs, and type of course or program. Research can
help us to continually reflect on the rationale for our distance education
practice, as it evolves. An important question to ask in this case is
whether learner support resources actually accomplish what we have
designed them to do.
This study focused on the perceptions of 18 in-service Mexican
EFL teachers of elementary, middle school and high-school, while
they were taking a teacher research course that was part of a distance
undergraduate program. The aim was to investigate their views on
the learner support resources provided through a commercial course
management system, and the extent to which they considered that
distance education technologies had helped or not their learning.
The research questions that the study aimed to respond are the
following:
1. What forms of learner support are more valued by the participants?
2. To what extent does videoconferencing technology facilitate their
learning?
3. To what extent does videoconferencing technology hider their
learning?
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4. To what extent does the course management system facilitate
their learning?
5. To what extent does the course management system hinder their
learning?
Answers to these questions are expected to contribute to our
knowledge about learner support, help language teacher educators
enhance the quality of the distance courses they teach, and benefit
distance course developers involved in providing learner support
resources.
Literature Review
Distance Education and EFL Teachers
Distance education has been defined as “institution-based, formal
education where the learning group is separated, and where interactive
telecommunications systems are used to connect learners, resources, and
instructors” (Schlosser & Simonson, 2010, p. 1). An essential component
of this definition is that some form of interactive telecommunications
must be available for students to interact with each other, with the
teacher, and with the learning resources. Telecommunication means
communicating at a distance, which does not necessarily involve the
use of electronic media, but can include other forms of non-electronic
communication such as the postal system, telephone or fax.
The means by which education is accomplished in most distance
programs are videoconferencing, Web-based communications, and
audio-conference technologies, or any combination of electronic
communication and course management tools. Instruction may
be delivered with students and teachers communicating in real
time (synchronously) or at different times (asynchronously), or a
combination of the two. Videoconferencing technology brings together
–synchronously, visually, and aurally- teachers and students otherwise
separated geographically. The medium has many benefits: it provides
remote access to expert input, which is academically advantageous for
learners; it is economically efficient for institutions; and compared to
other methods of distance education, it has benefits in terms of real-time
interaction, immediacy, motivation and collaboration (Bates, 2005).
Videoconferencing technology as a teaching tool also presents
challenges, mainly related to flexibility and pedagogy. A fundamental
problem of videoconferencing is that when technology fails, there is
no alternative that can be used immediately. Also, videoconference
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technology restricts the autonomy of the learner. Unlike online courses
which allow users to access materials whenever they wish, students
need to be present at the videoconferencing site, at a set time, to access
the class coming from another location. The quality of interaction in
the videoconferencing medium can be another problem. Interaction
through a screen is often of a social rather than a cognitive nature.
Social interaction is considered essential to support learning but not
enough to promote learning (Knipe & Lee, 2002).
Videoconferencing technology is generally combined with
Web-based technologies such as course management platforms. One
of those platforms is Blackboard, a commercial product for online
course delivery commonly employed by colleges and universities.
The course environment in Blackboard is designed by the instructor
to include syllabus information, course content materials, discussion
forums, blogs, and assignment instructions, with submission links,
group projects, and e-mail. Tracking-data are collected by the course
management system and a printable history of the data is available to
the instructor throughout the course.
Mexico has a long history of distance education. The use of radio
for adult literacy programs goes as early as 1934. At present, there
are distance programs for primary, secondary and tertiary education.
A study that involved 123 institutions of higher education in Mexico
(ANUIES, 2000), indicates that 85% of the universities offer distance
programs using satellite networks (42%), videoconferencing systems
(26%), computers (24%) and radio (8%) to deliver courses. Information
is transported through the use of IP (40%), ISDN (22%), Frame Relay
and DIAL Up (13%), and cable (12%). This infrastructure has allowed
the delivery of approximately 66 programs that contribute to improving
the quality of courses (81%), diversifying learning environments
(79%), increasing opportunities for disperse students (66%), reducing
costs for students (58%), reducing class time (46%), reducing costs for
the institutions (36%), and increasing enrollment (23%). Almost half
of the students who attend those programs are at undergraduate level.
Distance education is particularly relevant in EFL teacher
education in Mexico because of the scarcity and dispersion of qualified
language teacher educators. Especially in the northeast corner of the
country, universities face the challenge of professionalizing large
numbers of teachers of English for primary, secondary, and tertiary
education. To connect language teacher educators and student teachers,
a distance undergraduate program was designed to deliver courses in
six locations through the use of a multipoint IP videoconference system
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and a Web-based course management system (Blackboard). This
distance undergraduate program was the context of the study reported
in this article.
Distance Education Research
Until recently, experimentation was the dominant mode of inquiry
in distance education. Most studies in the field compared distance
instruction to classroom education. Invariably, those studies showed no
statistically significant difference between the two course formats on
different measures of learning outcomes (Schulte, 2011). Researchers
often asked the same basic question: Is distance education as good
as, or better than, traditional education? The question assumed that
traditional education was truly a superior modality. The studies were
one-dimensional in their design focusing only on the delivery medium,
neglecting the multidimensional aspects of teaching and learning.
Another characteristic of early studies on distance learning is that they
were rarely framed by a theory or based on concepts and constructs
(Saba, 2000).
In the 1990’s, researchers started to conduct rigorous studies
based on theories of related fields. Cognitive speed theory (Fulford
& Zang, 1993), social presence theory (Gunawardena, 1995), group
development (McDonald & Gibson, 1998), and interaction (Chen &
Willis, 1999) are examples of the theories and concepts investigated.
In the new lines of research, methods such as surveys, interviews,
conversation and discourse analysis were used to collect data from
smaller samples. These studies disclosed the complexity of distance
education and its diverse constituents.
In a review of research in distance education that examined 1,419
research articles and dissertation abstracts over a nine year period (1990
-1999), Berge and Mrozowski (2001) found that the ten content themes
addressed, from higher to lower frequency, included the following:
1) design issues, 2) learner characteristics, 3) strategies to increase
interactivity and active learning, 4) technology selection and adoption,
5) policy and management issues, 6) roles of participants, 7) operational
issues, 8) learner support, 9) equity and accessibility, and 10) cost/
benefit trade-offs. In terms of research methodologies, 74% of the
articles and abstracts involved descriptive research, 8.57% used case
study, 8.16% correlational research, and 7.35% experimental research.
This study responds to the need for empirical evidence on the research
area of learner support (Lee, 2003; Tait, 2003), and uses descriptive
research methodology.
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Learner Support
Learner support refers to the assistance or aids provided to
students during the process of study to facilitate their learning process
(Tait, 2003). McLoughlin and Marshall (2000) define learner support
from a socio-cultural perspective as “the resources that learners can
access in order to achieve learning outcomes and procedural scaffolds
that support the communication process” (p. 1). The provision of
learner support through Web-based technologies contributes to the
effectiveness of distance education programs (Farajollahi & Moenikia,
2010; McLoughlin, 2002; Oliver, 2001; Oliver & Herrington, 2003).
McLoughlin and Oliver (1998) discuss the forms of scaffolding
that are required to foster higher order thinking in distance education
settings mediated by technology. They suggest that effective support
needs to include encouragement of reflective thinking; social support
for dialogue; and extension of ideas on emerging issues through
the use of feedback from peers and mentors. These features, they
argue, represent core elements of support for the learning processes
in technology mediated environments. Different information and
communication technology tools can be used to provide this support.
Examples of technologies are: discussion forums, document exchange
resources, databases for student work, printed guides, Web links, and
audio and video materials.
Learner support is a useful concept for the design of distance
learning Web environments if we consider that students perceive
themselves as isolated when they do not have enough interaction
(Stodel, Thompson, & MacDonald, 2006). This sense of isolation is
connected to problems of attrition, instructional ineffectiveness, poor
academic achievement, negative attitudes and overall, dissatisfaction
with the learning experience (Park & Choi, 2009). Distance learners
can easily feel isolated if they do not feel connected to the course, the
program or the university, and they may even drop out of a course
because they do not feel part of a community (Rovai, 2002).
There are infinite variations of learner support forms in distance
education practice, depending on the technologies used, the type
of course, and the characteristics of the learners and the instructor.
Distance learners have become more diversified and demanding and
course designers are struggling to better meet their needs. Unfortunately,
there is a lack of empirical studies on the use of learner support and the
uses of technology are largely based on practicalities rather than on
research findings (Hannafin, Hill, Oliver, Glazer, & Sharma, 2003; Lee,
2003). Also, many of the studies on distance learning only look into the
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points of view of faculty members teaching the courses or the course
designers. While faculty-based studies are important for understanding
the potential value of Web-based learning, the learners’ perspectives
are needed to build learner support systems in accordance to their needs
(Hara & Kling, 2000).
The distance research course in which this study was developed
included several learner support resources through the course
management system (Blackboard). Students posted their drafts and
finished papers to receive feedback comments from others. They were
also able to participate in forums to discuss common concerns and to
help each other. Participants also had the support of a resource area
with research articles and books to interact with content related to their
specific research interest. In order to communicate with the instructor
or adviser, students were able to contact them via email.
Methodology
Research Design
This is a qualitative interpretive study. Interpretive description
(Thorne, 2008) is an inductive analytic approach used to capture
themes and patterns within subjective perceptions. This approach
builds upon relatively small purposive samples, using interviews,
participant observation or documentary analysis to articulate a coherent
and meaningful account of the participants’ experience. The product
is a coherent conceptual description of the phenomenon that is being
studied.
Most studies on learner support use surveys as the main data
collection technique. Surveys are effective in providing information
about the scale of particular phenomena and their importance across
a population of learners. Thorp (1993), however, suggests that before
doing quantitative survey research, qualitative studies are more
indicated when the evaluators are becoming familiar with the different
issues.
Participants
Participants of the study were 18 in-service teachers of English
enrolled in a distance education research course, an instructor, and a
research collaborator. The class included 24 student teachers, however,
six of them did not return the letter of informed consent and therefore
the information they provided was not considered in the analysis.
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The group of participants was composed of 17 female and 1 male
EFL teachers of elementary, middle and high-school. Their ages were
between 24 and 52. They were native speakers of Spanish, in their final
year of undergraduate studies. Their English language proficiency was
varied; their ITP-TOEFL scores ranged from 480 to 610 points. Their
teaching experience was of four years or more.
Although the EFL teachers were in service, they were, at that
point, in the process of acquiring a teaching undergraduate degree. In
México, until recently, elementary, middle and high-school language
teachers, especially in private schools, only required communicating
fluently in English. Working requirements for English language
teachers are gradually changing and more teachers are entering higher
education. Student teachers in this study were in six different university
locations which they attended once a week for four hours.
The authors of this article were also participants of the study.
The first author was the instructor of the course and also conducted
the fieldwork. The second author, who was not part of the class but a
research collaborator, acted as peer de-briefers. Peer debriefing is the
process of exploring and discussing aspects of the inquiry that may
otherwise remain implicit in the inquirers’ mind. The task of the de-
briefer was to probe the inquirer’s bias, explore different meanings of
the data and clarify interpretations (Lincoln & Guba, 1985).
Context
The distance undergraduate English Language Program included
36 courses on four areas of knowledge: a) English language and culture,
b) language teaching pedagogy, c) pedagogic content, and d) research
knowledge. This knowledge base was provided to the students via
videoconference and a combination of email, telephone, fax and special
mail delivery services. It was for the last of the three research courses
that a course management platform was incorporated into the distance
education program for the first time.
Teaching teachers how to inquire into their own teaching is
a complex process because it involves not only introducing them
to diverse research methods and techniques, but also discussing
the assumptions of teacher research and how it is produced. Many
teachers, for example, associate research with scientists, experiments
and statistics (Borg, 2009). It takes a considerable amount of reading,
writing and discussing about teacher research to accept that the goal of
teacher research is to understand rather than to prove; that teaching and
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researching are compatible activities; and that teachers’ own thinking
can be the focus of their inquiry.
The research courses were delivered through IP videoconferencing
technology. Technology was used to give presentations, participate
in discussion, group-building and decision-making activities. The
Web course management system Blackboard was used to provide
the students with two main sections: pre-designed learning activities
and learner support. Learner support included a discussion forum for
goal-oriented dialogue, a blog to express thoughts and reflections, a
portfolio to display drafts and finished research products, and email to
communicate with the instructor and peers. Learner support through
Blackboard also included an area of full-text articles, books and
other materials to read or print for offline independent learning. Each
student teacher was also allocated an adviser as an additional source
of academic support. Advisers were members of the academic staff of
the program who taught other courses. Students selected their advisers
and they could contact them by email to discuss research interests and
problems. Each adviser could not have more than four advisees.
On the first day of the course, students were trained for one hour
in the use of blackboard and the different learner support sources. The
instructor gave a guided tour of the site while students took notes and
asked questions.
Data Collection Instruments
Data for the study came from two sources: the transcripts of the
participants’ comments in the discussion forum and the transcripts of
their comments on a blog. The research course lasted 15 weeks. In the
third week, the participants signed an informed consent letter. In Weeks
7, 8 and 9, three open-ended questions were posted on the discussion
forum to investigate: 1) support needs of students that had not been
considered for the course, 2) advantages and challenges perceived in
the use of videoconference technology to acquire research knowledge
and skills and 3) advantages and challenges perceived in the use of
Blackboard to learn how to develop classroom investigations. In Week
14, a blog was created for students to react to five comments that
corresponded to the research questions of this study.
Six paragraph-length comments were obtained from each
participant, making a total of 108 comments. Comments were printed
from the Blackboard archives and assigned a number. Pseudonyms
were given to each participant to protect their identity.
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Data Analysis and Interpretation
Data were analyzed using the constant comparative approach
(Glaser & Strauss, 1967). The analysis consisted in taking one piece of
data (the comment of one participant) and comparing it with all others
that could be similar or different, in order to develop conceptualizations
of the possible relations between various pieces of data. The unit of
analysis for this case was the comment or response to a question.
The procedure for data analysis was the following. First, the first
author separated the comments for each of the three research questions.
Then, for each question, each comment (either obtained from the
discussion forum or the blog archives) was analyzed and compared
with each of the rest of the comments. The cycle of comparison and
reflection on “old” and “new” material was repeated several times.
All similar comments or units of analysis were placed together and
assigned a category. It was only when all units were assigned to one of
the already existing categories that the first stage of the analysis ended.
The first author then gave the list of categories and the comments to the
de-briefer, who independently classified the comments into each of the
categories.
The second stage of analysis consisted in comparing the analysis
of the first author with the analysis of the second author. Agreement
resulted in 87% of the cases. All discrepancies were discussed until
consensus was reached.
Results
What forms of learner support are more valued by the participants?
The three most valued forms of learner support were the adviser,
the peers, and the instructor of the research course. Most student teachers
placed the highest value on the interaction with their research advisers
through email. They appreciated having someone to contact for specific
questions related to their written work, or when encouragement, self-
confidence or motivation was needed. The social and academic support
was definitely a combination that distance learners needed to reduce
their stress. The following comment made by Rachel is an example
of how a number of participants perceived the support given by the
adviser by email.
What I have valued the most during the course is the help of my adviser.
When I was struggling with the literature review and the collection of
data, she suggested some readings that really helped me in conducting
the study. At times she also gave me moral support to keep going until
finishing the study. (Rachel, C-12)
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Another benefit that the participants valued of the contact
with advisers was the opportunity to analyze things from a different
perspective. When the process of knowledge construction was
interrupted for some reason, exposure to a different view helped the
writing process retake its flow. A quote from Helen’s response illustrates
this view.
My adviser’s support has been the most valuable help. When I was
working on my literature review, I ran out of ideas, I didn´t know how
to continue or where to go. I tried to work on my own, I felt drained.
Finally, I decided to contact my adviser and she gave me another point of
view on my work. Everything changed. I was able then to see my paper
from another perspective. Having an adviser that you can contact through
email when you are stuck makes things so much easier. (Helen, C-5)
Some participants enjoyed the interest that some advisers showed
in their research themes and activities. Positive attitudes and enthusiasm
were highly appreciated by students. Martha made a comment related
to this characteristic of her adviser.
Well, my adviser was always prompt to help. Her comments were very
sensible and full of constructive criticism. She sent me a lot of well
selected literature reviews that helped me throughout all the stages of
my study. I regard her as a scholar who enjoys what she does, and her
enthusiasm shows through everything she does and says. (Martha, C-2)
Careful judgment and evaluation were also considered helpful by
some of the participants when interacting with their advisers. Feedback
and revision are necessary in academic work and some students were
more aware of this than others. This is the case of Cynthia, who
expressed the following opinion when commenting about the most
valuable support she received during the course.
I think the positive and negative comments of my adviser on my paper
were most valuable. This has been very important to improve my work
because I got a feel of the things that were not clear, or where I needed to
add more detail. (Cynthia, C-6)
Maria’s comment also pointed to the feedback provided by her
adviser and the way it helped her in writing her report. The following
was her point of view.
My adviser, he gave me feedback and his suggestions improved
enormously my work. His comments were very useful and helped me
focus. He always had something extra for me to read to understand. He
was the most important source of help. (Maria, C-14)
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The second most valued support reported by the participants was
their peers, both during the videoconference and on the discussion
forums. Weekly whole-class discussions on different research topics
and issues through videoconferencing technology opened opportunities
to confirm or confront the thoughts and opinions the students had
developed during the previous week as a result of the reading and
writing activities done at home. Meeting with distant peers helped their
understanding. This can be inferred from the response given by Sylvia.
The help of my classmates was a very helpful support. In the
videoconference sessions and when I asked something in the discussion
forum. I listened or read their opinions and I could understand things
differently. I think I would have felt very confused and desperate without
other people´s ideas; I just wouldn´t have made it through the course.
(Sylvia, C-9)
Ann also considered that the views expressed by peers during
the videoconference classes gave her insights into different issues of
research that seemed unclear at the start. She viewed peer support as
a source of clarification, as it can be interpreted from the following
comment.
Peer support was most important for me. When I read at home, I
sometimes got confused, as with validity and reliability, for example.
When people talked about the terms, I learned a lot. I could ask them
my doubts and I even took notes of things they said. Classmates gave me
very opportunities to clarify my understanding. (Ann, C-18)
Other participants valued the support given by their peers in the
blog, in which they expressed feelings and ideas. Talking about worries
and problems can be a very good way of releasing some of the stress
that builds up when distance students work alone. It works best when
they have opportunities to talk to someone who is in a similar situation.
Understanding and advice that distant learners provide to each other
helped them feel less isolated. The following comment was made by
Pat, who reported that the kind of support that she had valued the most
was peer support.
I got a lot of support from my fellow students. When I was frustrated
because I didn´t know how to go about something, I shared my feelings
on the blog and that made me feel better. Then I read Cynthia’s comments
and she was feeling the same. So I thought, it’s not only me; it’s normal,
it’s ok. (Pat, C-1)
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Lastly, students placed a high value on the contact with the
instructor. Although peer interaction and group cohesion that developed
in their sites were considered important, interacting with the instructor
seemed much more useful to them. Laura, who was not in the same site
of the instructor, expressed her concerns. The following is what she
wrote.
For me the most important support was the instructor, although with the
enormous inconvenience of having her at a distance, which doesn´t give
a chance to develop in the affective sphere, and does not facilitate the
clarification of doubts. We are a large group, with all the socio-cultural
issues going on, a variety of opinions and a lot of doubts. (Laura, C- 17)
Rebecca, on the other hand, took her class in the same location as
the instructor. The following is her comment.
I feel that the most important support I had was the instructor of the
course. Having her in the same location is of great help. We got a lot of
support and the appropriate follow up to the activities. I don´t feel the
same when the instructor is in another place. (Rebecca, C-13)
To what extent does videoconferencing technology facilitate their
learning?
Perceptions of videoconferencing technology were mixed among
participants. While some student teachers acknowledged its benefits in
terms of real-time interaction and immediacy, others complained about
the lack of contact with instructors in the remote sites. The strengths of
videoconference technology mentioned were largely related to having
questions answered by the instructor in real-time. This characteristic
helped them learn course content. Many of the positive comments on
videoconference technology point to the specific contents learned, as in
the case of Pat. The following was her comment:
Videoconferencing technology was good because through the
transmission of the class, I learned about the characteristics of quality
research, different research methods, how to design questionnaires and
surveys, and the use of elicitation techniques. I could also clarify the
doubts raised by the readings. The videoconference had its problems
sometimes, like the blurred screen or when the audio disconnected. But
this did not happen all the time. Videoconferencing is the only way to
take this program and got used to it very quickly. Even to the problems.
(Pat, C-19)
Other participants focused on the advantage of being able
to interact with distant peers. This interaction provided exposure
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to different perspectives on the topic in turn, and contributed to the
construction of the participants’ identity as researchers. The opinion
given by Susan illustrates this point.
Technology has highly contributed to my learning, because it has been
an important means of communication with my teacher and my peers.
The videoconferencing system helped me to solve doubts, to check my
progress, and it gave me the opportunity to listen to and speak with my
teacher/advisor directly to ask for support. During videoconference I
have been able to listen to my peers’ experiences and their comments
have helped me to analyze their different styles of carrying out a study.
This has facilitated my growth as researcher. In addition, through
videoconference I have learned the theory about doing research. (Susan,
C-25)
As in a face-to-face classroom, some students viewed in the
videoconference environment opportunities to learn from the instructor,
from other learners, and from the interactions between instructor and
learners. This characteristic of videoconference was mentioned by
Tom when he was asked, through the discussion forum, to express his
thoughts and opinions about the ways in which videoconferencing had
facilitated his learning.
The doubts that may have emerged while working on the project at
home were clarified during the videoconference sessions. There were
times when something asked by someone from another site was my own
doubt and was clarified with the teacher’s answer. I learned hearing the
questions made by others and the explanations that the teacher gave
them. (Tom, C-26)
To what extent does videoconferencing technology hinder their
learning?
The only perceived challenge of this technology to learning was
the physical absence of the instructor in the remote sites. Students
assumed that learning was better when there was face-to-face contact
with the instructor, and while in a videoconference situation learning
could occur, it was not full or complete. Students seemed to perceive
that learning was not of the same quality when the instructor was
not present. Having the instructor on a screen rather than in person
discouraged them from making questions, which may have inhibited
their learning. Rachel was in such case. The following was her opinion.
I think that videoconferencing is not a hundred per cent effective because
as student I sometimes felt frustrated by not having the teacher in front
of me, to solve my problems and questions. I had to use the Internet to
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communicate and many times teachers don’t get the messages or they
take too long to respond. I couldn’t get to know how my study was going.
Then I had to use the phone to ask and it became a bit complicated because
of the professor’s schedule and my own schedule. (Rachel, C-30)
To what extent does the course management system facilitate their
learning?
The majority of the participants of the study perceived the course
management platform as convenient and helpful. They liked having all
the different components of the course concentrated in a single place.
They recognized the value of the research articles organized by theme,
the research methods books, the forums to discuss emergent issues and
concerns, the portfolios to read their peers’ work and publish their own,
and the email to contact their adviser, the instructor or other students.
The platform was used for the first time on the research course, and
it became an asset to the program. The process of getting acquainted
with the system did not take long. Elsa referred to this process in the
following excerpt.
Blackboard was the means to receive the theory about how to do research,
specific material about my topic, the way to turn in my research drafts,
and to receive feedback and my grades. I learned how to use this system
and took advantages of technology to read my peers’ work and make
comparisons to develop my study. I could say that when I began using
the blackboard, more than being a benefit, it was an obstacle. I had hard
times while learning how to use it to receive or send information. But
now I feel more confident when working with this system. It’s nice to
have everything there. (Elsa, C-51)
Students seemed satisfied with the course management system.
They were aware of all the capacity blackboard has to bring together,
in a single place, classified information using scanned documents and
Internet links. Irene perceived the capacity of the platform and its
potential to contribute to her learning. The following is an excerpt of
what Irene reported.
For me the Blackboard system is by all means an incredible way of
learning. The interactive learning-teaching that goes on has enriched my
view of learning. Perhaps I would have liked more advice about the full
use of the resources we can access through it, and make full use of those.
It helped me to see an array of potential places to look for background
information I need, and especially because it helped me to see not only
theory and guidelines, but also to read some actual research studies by
teacher researchers from other parts of the world. (Irene, C-52)
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Perceived benefits of the platform included the multidimensional
kind of learning that it promotes. While developing research knowledge,
the participants were also enhancing their computer skills and becoming
aware of the complexity of distance learning. This learning condition
is not possible in a regular classroom and by course books only.
Employing technologies such as the Internet, applying collaborative
learning, making course management tools accessible to learners,
and using distance learning applications such as videoconferencing
systems, create information-rich, stimulant conditions for learning of
different kinds. In a very short text, Sylvia reflects on how the course
environment contributed to her learning.
Blackboard helped a lot to communicate timely and effectively with my
instructors and classmates. I think Blackboard helped me understand the
idea of distance learning. It was very rewarding to read our work online.
I grew as a teacher and as a researcher. It also helped me understand
technology more. (Sylvia, C-45)
To what extent does the course management system hinder their
learning?
The perceived weaknesses of Blackboard had to do with reading
preferences and time management skills. Although most students were
used to spending many hours working on the computer, some of them
complained of having to spend on printing materials because they did
not feel comfortable reading online. The fact that all reading materials
were online was not helpful for Pat, who perceived that Blackboard
did not meet her needs. She referred to the problems she had with the
platform in the following terms.
Personally, I need to have the printed material because I get very tired
of being in front of the computer. Also, there is the problem that some
professors take too long in uploading materials. I think more people
should be hired to help the instructor in replying to emails, uploading
materials and all the activities involved. (Pat, C-1)
Distance learning takes an enormous amount of preparation time
from the instructor and from students. Distance education students
must be well organized, self-motivated, and possess a high degree of
time management skills. Some students with heavy workloads and
family commitments have more difficulties than others to cope with the
demands of online learning. This was the case of Ann, who preferred
printed materials.
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I think Blackboard is very interesting and useful but also demanding
because you need to be constantly connected and most of the time this is
hard with all the other obligations one has. (Ann, C-54)
Conclusions
Evidence from this study indicates that distance students valued
videoconferencing technology for the support provided by their
research adviser, their peers, and the instructor. They received academic
assistance, a different perspective on their work, enthusiasm, feedback,
opportunities to confront thoughts and opinions, and to share feelings.
The challenge perceived in the videoconferencing environment was
the physical absence of the instructor. The course management system
was perceived as highly beneficial to their learning, mainly because of
the amount and variety of support resources concentrated in the site;
and because it stimulates different kinds of learning. Some students,
however, were not comfortable reading online.
The first implication of these findings is that the combination of
videoconferencing and course management technologies is perfectly
suited to develop research knowledge in language teacher education
programs. Borg (2006) has stressed the importance of continued support
from a more experienced individual and opportunities to participate
in a community of colleagues as necessary conditions to develop
research knowledge in EFL teachers. The participants gave different
examples of how technology facilitated opportunities to collaborate, to
discuss research issues, and to develop a sense of community. Distance
education did not seem to hinder in any way the teachers’ efforts to
engage in research. On the contrary, they received more proper and
richer guidance because Web-based technology facilitated the provision
of a larger and more diversified array of reading materials in a more
organized way.
Moreover, teachers could request and receive assistance in oral or
written form, depending on the medium they decided to use or the kind
of support needed. For academic assistance, they could resort to the
instructor, the adviser or peers, either through the videoconferencing
system, the portfolio, the discussion forum, the blog, or email. To
feelings, the discussion forum seemed to be to be most frequently
used. The possibility of communicating with an adviser was considered
important, given the nature of the course. Based on the value that students
placed on this kind of support, we suggest that distance research courses
include local or distant advisers, and that more research is carried out to
identify better ways to provide distance tutoring.
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Borg (2006) has called for more empirical studies on the conditions
that facilitate research in particular contexts. Research knowledge is a
precondition for teacher research and distance learning environments
can provide opportunities to develop such knowledge. However, not
all student teachers in this study were able to take advantage of the
available resources due to skills, preferences and beliefs about learning.
Teachers who valued technology highly, and those that perceive it as
useful, seemed to have fewer problems using it.
Interaction with others seemed to be what students valued
more and looked for when using both videoconferencing and course
management technologies. However, people from different cultural
backgrounds may prefer other modes of support. Cultural differences
could have implications for the mode of support student teachers prefer
and the effectiveness of the support they seek. Further research may
investigate these issues.
On the other hand, this study did not attempt to investigate in any
detailed way the different ways in which interaction was constructed
by the students. Further studies could analyze samples of recorded
utterances of students engaged in different types of activities through
different communication tools to understand how specific supports
contribute to and improve the development of research knowledge.
This field study was not without limitations. One of such
limitations was the exclusive use of transcript analysis. Despite this
limitation, even interpreted tentatively, results can contribute to the
current body of research on the broad areas of distance education and
language teacher education, as well as the specific areas of learner
support and research knowledge.
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Authors
*Ruth Roux has a PhD in Education from the University of
South Florida. She teaches research methods and academic
writing courses in the BA in Applied Linguistics Program at the
Universidad Autónoma de Tamaulipas in México.
*Nelly Paulina Trejo Guzmán has a PhD in Education from the
University of Exeter. She teaches research methods and second
language acquisition courses in the BA in Applied Linguistics
Program at the Universidad Autónoma de Tamaulipas in México.
*Elsa Fernanda González is a student of the PhD in Modern
Languages at the University of Southampton and teaches course
design and educational linguistics courses in the BA in Applied
Linguistics at the Universidad Autónoma de Tamaulipas in
México.
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