ERIC Number: EJ1122464
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2016
Pages: 9
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-2222-1735
EISSN: N/A
The Effectiveness of Using Blogs as an Independent Learning Tool to Develop Reading Skills for University Students
Fattah, Said Fathy El Said Abdul
Journal of Education and Practice, v7 n32 p65-73 2016
The emergence of web 2.0 technologies has created new opportunities and challenges in the field of second and foreign language learning. Among all web 2.0 tools, blogs can be considered the most well-known one. The present study was an attempt to determine the effectiveness of using blogs as an independent learning tool to develop students' reading skills. Blogs can be divided into three main types; teacher's blog, class blog, and learner's blog. Participants were 22 first level students in the English Department at Qassim Private Colleges in Saudi Arabia. The experimental group (N = 11) used teacher's blog with an independent reading program, whereas the control group (N = 11) didn't have any additional exercises. This program ran for two months during the second semester, 2014/2015. The pre-posttest comprised two reading comprehension passages. Results of the t. test analysis revealed that using blogs yielded significant effects on students' reading skills, i.e. the experimental group outperformed the control group.
Descriptors: Instructional Effectiveness, Student Journals, Electronic Journals, Teaching Methods, Reading Instruction, Reading Skills, Undergraduate Students, Males, English (Second Language), Second Language Learning, Majors (Students), Foreign Countries, Web 2.0 Technologies, Web Based Instruction, Private Colleges, Experimental Groups, Control Groups, Comparative Analysis, Reading Programs, Pretests Posttests, Reading Comprehension, Statistical Analysis, Outcomes of Education
IISTE. No 1 Central, Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong SAR. Tel: +852-39485948; e-mail: JEP@iiste.org; Web site: http://iiste.org/Journals/index.php/JEP
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Saudi Arabia
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A