This paper reports the findings of an action research that was carried out to measure the effectiveness of integrating a social networking website "Edmodo" in students' writing performance in an EFL classroom at Arab Open University (Oman Branch). The participants were 25 students studying English in the Foundation Programme. Along with…

This article describes the rationale for pedagogical, technological and organisational choices in the design of a virtual learning environment (VLE) for an upper-intermediate Spanish course with regard to the roles of participants (tutors, moderators and learners). We report on findings from a preliminary evaluation of the interaction between the…

In most sub-Sahara African countries, distance education is delivered using print materials complemented by a few face-to-face sessions. The approach is associated with a myriad of challenges some of which can be addressed by appropriately selected e-learning technologies based on the context in which they need to be used. This study was designed…

This paper presents and discusses the initial findings of a mobile language learning project undertaken in the context of an undergraduate distance-learning French language programme at The Open University (UK). The overall objective of the project was to investigate students' experiences when using their own portable devices for additional…

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to investigate the implications of usability and learnability in learning management systems (LMS) by considering the experiences of information and communications technology (ICT) experts and non-experts in using the LMS of an open-distance university. Design/methodology/approach: The paper uses task-based…

Much Second Language Acquisition research focuses on young learners in the conventional classroom. Instructed adult learners, and in particular those who are learning at a distance, have attracted less attention. This group is substantial and growing: the Open University, the largest higher education language provider in the UK, alone recruits…

Questionnaire responses of 457 students and 602 tutors were used to investigate conceptions of a "good tutor." In each case, factor analysis identified scales that reflected key constructs; cluster analysis identified subgroups with different patterns of scale scores; and discriminant analysis determined the scales that contributed the…

A survey of new and continuing undergraduate students was undertaken at the end of 1986 to obtain information on the related issues of costs of studying and access to equipment for study purposes. Questionnaires were sent to a sample of 2,400 students at the Open University (OU)--1,200 students taking their first OU course and 1,200 continuing…

Summarizes the results of an evaluative study on the use of computer-assisted instruction at the Open University in Great Britain. Student responses on questionnaires identified computer-related problems such as physical access, equipment malfunction, and program quality. Makes recommendations for the effective use of computer-assisted instruction…

Presents results of a student survey on CD-ROM-based learning at the Open University in Wales. The main objectives were to ascertain ease of CD-ROM use as perceived by students and to determine success of the learning experience. The overall student response to the 14 items on the questionnaire is given, followed by a summary of student comments…