HELAIAN PERAKUAN PENYELIA

CADANGAN

PROJEK ILMIAH TAHUN AKHIR (FCE4999)

The Perception of Students towards the Effectiveness of the Usage of CALL

Tools in Language Learning

Oleh:

MOHD ASHRAF BIN MOHD AZHAR

147635

BACHELOR PENDIDIKAN (PENGAJARAN BAHASA INGGERIS SEBAGAI BAHASA KEDUA)

Saya memperakukan bahawa cadangan projek ilmiah tahun akhir ini diluluskan untuk dilaksanakan oleh pelajar yang tersebut di atas.

Tanda tangan: _______________________

Dr. Nooreen Noordin

Jabatan Pendidikan Bahasa dan Kemanusiaan

Fakulti Pengajian Pendidikan

Universiti Putra Malaysia

Tarikh:

The Perception of Students towards the Effectiveness of the Usage of CALL Tools in Language

Learning

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the Study

The advance of the use of technology has now given a strong impact to every aspect in our lives.

Technology has now been embedded in the education system as an approach towards instilling the

interest and positive attitude towards the benefits of technology. (Portal Pendidikan Utusan, 2002).

Many studies have attempted to assess the impact of Computer Assisted Language Learning

(CALL) on learning. These studies focus either on the achievement of linguistic skills such as speaking,

listening, writing and reading (Garrett 1998) or on motivation (Skinner & Austin, 1999, Rico Garcia &

Arias, 2000). Concerning grammar teaching, while some studies find a significant advantage of these

techniques, others find no significant difference between CALL and other teaching methods. For

instance, a positive impact of CALL has been found by Nutta (1998) investigating the effect of computer-

based vs.teacher directed instruction on the acquisition of English as a second language. In this study,

computer-based students reached better scores than teacher-directed students, leading the author to

conclude that computer-based instruction can be an effective method of teaching L2 grammar.

Martha Pennington, who has been a prominent advocate of computer assisted language learning

(CALL) since the 1980s, offers a notably enthusiastic account of the current state and of the potential

future for CALL.1 In her summary of the value of this source of input for language learners and teachers,

she claims that the power of CALL in language learning and language teaching is to introduce new types

of input, from both a quantitative and a qualitative perspective. The added quantity of input leads to a

richer language learning environment, while the unique quality of CALL input means different possibilities

for accessing and developing information.

According to the Ministry of Education (MOE), the usage of using computers to assist learning

has several benefits. MOE stated that ICT (Information and Communication Technologies) in learning

can help strengthen learners’ comprehension towards a subject. Secondly, ICT in learning may provide

equal amount of learning for all types of learners of differing level of ability. Thirdly, ICT in learning can

help motivate students in learning the subject and also enables learners to learn on their own

(individualize learning). Next, ICT in learning enables learners to access information that are hard to

access, takes a long time to access, or are too expensive to access. ICT also creates an exciting and

challenging learning environment for the learners. Besides that, ICT also encourages learners to try

experiments that are too hard, too expensive, impossible or dangerous to do in real situations. ICT also

can develop creativity and imagination of the learners. Lastly, ICT in learning gives a chance for learners

to learn effectively with minimal guidance.

In line with this, Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) has also made it compulsory for each of the

students to take specific English courses according to the students’ achievement in the Malaysian

University English Test (MUET) to help create graduates that have basic knowledge of the second

language, English. There are three compulsory English courses that UPM students have to take, and

these three subjects are mainly from Faculty of Modern Languages and Communication, UPM. The first

course is BBI 2409 – English for Academic Purposes, which students that in their MUET, achieved Band

3 and below have to take. In this course, students have to create a blog, and in that particular blog, they

are required to write weekly entries that are to be compiled and submitted at the end of the course

semester. The second course is BBI 2420 – Oral Interaction Skills, which students that achieved Band 4

and below have to take. In this course, students have to attend tutorial sessions at a computer lab to do

activities that are related to English pronunciation where the students use the computer and use

headphones to listen to the pronunciation through the specific application made for this course. Students

that achieved 5 or below, are required to take the third course, BBI 2421 – General Writing Skills. In this

course, students are required to register to an online forum facilitated by the lecturer. The students are

required reply to the weekly topics determined by the lecturer. This task is for the students to do

independently before the dateline of each topic. At the end of the course semester, students are required

to print out all their forum posts and submit them.

UPM has made these three subjects compulsory for all the students in order to create students

that are competent enough in English due to the requirements in future job interviews and requirements

that prioritize graduates that have English competency. This research, however, is to study the

perception of UPM students towards effectiveness of the usage of Computer Assisted Language

Learning (CALL) in these three subjects.

1.2 Problem Statement

Not all of the UPM students have sufficient proficiency in using CALL tools that are used in the

three compulsory UPM English courses require to do a task. Some of the students are not aware of the

availability of the specific CALL tools used and some that are aware of the availability but may not be

familiar in using them, thus, making them think that the usage of CALL tools are not effective in helping

them learn English.

For many of the rural students, they do not have the higher order critical skills to wade through

the sea of texts to fish out the most appropriate information for their purposes. They sometimes do not

have sufficient language skills to understand the texts they retrieve from the web. This could dampen

their enthusiasm and instead of serving as an incentive to reading more frequently, computer and

internet can become a disincentive. ( Chan, Foong-Mae,2002).

Sometimes, computers do have problems, be it software problems, infected by virus or even just

internet sites crash, such problems will take times to be fix, which interrupts the process of teaching and

learning, while such dead links can also cause demotivation. (Chan, Foong-Mae, 2002).

Not all UPM students think that the usage of CALL tools in the three English courses is effective

in helping them learn better. Some may think that the usage of CALL tools is demotivative or confusing.

Some students may also think that the lecturers are also not prepared for using CALL tools in teaching

the three English courses.

1.3 Research Questions

1. Are UPM students aware of the available CALL tools in UPM English classrooms?

2. Are UPM students familiar with using the CALL tools used in the English courses?

3. Do UPM students think that the usage of CALL tools in the English courses is effective?

1.4 Objectives

1.4.1 General Objective

To investigate the students perception towards the usage of CALL tools in the three compulsory

UPM English courses.

1.4.2 Specific Objectives

1. To investigate UPM student’s awareness of the availability of all the CALL tools that are used

in UPM English classrooms.

2. To investigate UPM students’ familiarity in using all of the CALL tools used in the UPM

compulsory English courses.

3. To investigate UPM students’ personal opinion towards the usage of CALL tools in the three

compulsory English courses.

1.5 Scope and Limitation

1.5.1 Scope

The scope of the research is very important because it deals with anything that concerns on what the

researchers want to study on. With a clear guidance on what the researchers want to study, it will make

the research to be valid without any unnecessary errors.

As for this research, we have identified what are the things that we need to consider when we are

doing the research. Below are the scopes of the research:

1. Students that are taking their Bachelor Degree in Universiti Putra Malaysia

2. Students that took any of these three courses:

i. BBI 2409 – English for Academic Purposes

ii. BBI 2420 – Oral Interaction Skills

iii. BBI 2421 – General Writing Skills

These are the criteria used to make sure that the research will not deviate from the objectives that have

been agreed at the beginning of the research.

1.5.2 Limitation

Limitation of the research deals with everything that does not concern with the research explicitly.

Anything that is not relevant to the research will not be considered at all as it might distract the research

from its original objectives.

If there is no limitation set in the beginning of the research, the researchers might collect data

that are not important to the study at all and it will interfere with the findings that the researchers want to

see.

As for this research, we have identified what are the things that we need to consider when we are

doing the research. Below are the limitations of the research:

1. Does not measure the student’s age but only Bachelor Degree students in UPM.

2. Does not measure the student’s past results when finishing any of the three English courses but only

focuses on their perception towards the usage of CALL tools in the three English courses.

3. Does not measure the student’s English competency.

These are the criteria used in the limitations of the research to make sure that the research will not

deviate from the objectives that have been agreed at the beginning of the research.

1.6 Significance and Importance of Research

This research can be considered as a very important study for English language teaching field as

CALL or Computer Assisted Language Learning is one of the most effective ways to teach English

language to the target learners.

The findings of this research can be used by other researchers to find out ways on how the

students think of the effectiveness of the usage of CALL tools in English language classrooms and how

to improve the usage of computers in class as this can be considered as one of the sub-categories of

language teaching.

1.6.1 Concept Definition

1.6.1.1 Constitutive Definition

The usage of computer in language learning has been introduced many years ago by the

language experts and it is considered as student-centered approach as it focuses on learning rather than

instruction. According to the philosophy of CALL, it must embody two important features which are

interactive learning and individual learning.

1.6.1.2 Operational Definition

In order to make sure that everything that has been stated in the concept definition takes place,

the research must find out the perception of students towards the usage of CALL tools in English

courses, and the researchers will be able to find that out using the instruments of this study.

CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1 The History of Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL)

Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL) has been around since the 1960s with its

attractive potential due to the theories on advantages to be derived from programmed learning. In the

1980s, microcomputers were introduced and led to the interest in computer assisted learning (CAL) in

general. This also led to the centrally driven promotion of educational technology in all areas of

education. From that decade onwards, CALL has received considerably a lot of attention and support

from funding bodies committed to the extension of the use of technology in education. This commitment

to educational technology has been reinforced by studies that argue for fundamental changes in a way in

which teaching takes place in higher education, and by others which propose ways in which such

changes can be implemented through the exploitation of CALL techniques.

2.2 Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL) in Malaysia

The Ministry of Education sees ICT as a means, not an end in itself. As such, all efforts are

concentrated on developing new media as tools in the service of richer curricula, enhanced pedagogies,

more effective organizational structures in schools, stronger links between schools and society, and the

empowerment of disenfranchised learners. The Ministry believes that properly designed and

implemented computing and communications have the potential to revolutionize education and improve

learning as profoundly as information technology has transformed medicine, finance, manufacturing, and

numerous other sectors of society. Technology is not seen as a “vitamin” whose mere presence in

schools can catalyze better educational outcomes. Technology is also not seen as simply another

subject in the curriculum, suited primarily for teaching students to use tools they may encounter as

adults. The concept of ICT in education, as seen by the Ministry of Education, includes systems that

enable information gathering, management, manipulation, access, and communication in various forms.

The Ministry has formulated three main policies for ICT in education.

According to the Ministry education, the use of ICT that are well planned and suitable with the

learning environment is able to:

1. Strengthen students’ understanding towards the lesson.

2. Provides equal opportunity of learning to every student no matter what proficiency they have.

3. Motivates students.

4. Enables self learning.

5. Enables students to access information that are difficult to access.

6. Enables students to collect information that requires a lot of time and money to collect.

7. Creates an interesting and challenging learning environment.

8. Enables students to try or apply experiments that are difficult, costly, impossible or dangerous to apply

with normal ways.

9. Increases students’ creativity and imagination.

10. Gives students the opportunity to learn effectively with minimal guidance.

11. Improves ICT skills.

2.3 Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL) in Malaysian Universities

E-Learning has turned to be more popular at university levels. Until 2002, all 14 government

higher education institutions and 10 private education institutions has already been provided with internet

connection (Minges and Gray, 2002) and among these universities, three of them has held online

courses (Hanis, 2004). In Malaysia, e-learning has played a significant role in the education system of

higher education. According to Asirvatham et al. (2005), Universiti Malaya has been the pioneer among

local universities that used an online system known as ‘Course On-Line’ in the year 1998. Other local

universities such as Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), has done lecture sessions online since 1999,

Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) on the other hand, held distance courses since 1999. Besides that,

Multimedia University (MMU), International Medical University (IMU), University Tun Abdul Razak

(UNITAR), and Open University Malaysia (OUM) are examples of private universities that involve in e-

learning (Asirvatham et al., 2005; Suraya, 2005). Besides that, a majority of local universities are

involved in learning using ICT, including Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM). The use of the e-learning

portal in UTM’s faculty of education has started as early as 1997 (Baharuddin et al., 2006). ICT is used

to create a realistic learning experience (Baharuddin et al., 2006).

2.4 The Perception of Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) Students towards the Usage of E-

Learning.

Suh Ling Teng (2007), did a research on “Kemahiran Teknologi Maklumat di Kalangan Pelajar

Fakulti Pendidikan, UTM dan Hubungannya dengan Sikap Terhadap E-pembelajaran”. In her research,

she studies the students’ confidence towards e-learning, how much the students enjoy e-learning, and

also the students’ perception towards the usage of e-learning. The results of her study found out that

50% of the respondents had high confidence in using e-learning. Secondly, the respondents had an

average level of enjoyment in using e-learning. Lastly, only 40% of the respondents had a high

perception towards the usage of e-learning.

CHAPTER 3: METHADOLOGY

3.1 Research Design

It is a quantitative research where the researcher uses two sets of questionnaire as survey questions.

The research uses data that has been collected and present it in a numerical statistic.

Quantitative research is the use of sampling techniques (such as consumer surveys) whose

findings may be expressed numerically, and are amenable to mathematical

(statistical) manipulation enabling the researcher to estimate (forecast) future events or quantities

‘business dictionary’.

3.2 Data Sample and Population

The data for this research are taken from Universiti Putra Malaysia. This research is administered

onto 100 UPM students.

The intended population samples are randomly chosen from Bachelor Degree UPM students

from different semesters, different courses, and a mixture of different races. The students must have

taken any of the three courses;

i. BBI 2409 – English for Academic Purposes

ii. BBI 2420 – Oral Interaction Skills

iii. BBI 2421 – General Writing Skills

3.3 Instrument and Questionnaire

A set of questionnaires have been formulated and prepared for the purpose of this survey. The

set of questionnaire was taken from a research on Computer Assisted Language Learning in Greek

Primary Schools, done by Paraskevi Hamilou, who is attending the Master’s Degree program for English

language teachers at the Hallenic Open University (ΕΑΠ), and was modified to fit the objective and

scope of this study.

The questionnaire consists of four sections. The first section, only ask the respondent’s personal

information including gender, course, semester, and which UPM English course has the respondent

took. The section, which is the available technology section, is designed to discover the respondent’s

awareness of the CALL tools that are available in their home, college, and English classrooms. Next, we

have the familiarity section, which investigates the respondent’s familiarity in using the CALL tools that

are used and also that are not used in the English courses they took. Finally, the last section investigates

the respondent’s personal opinion on the usage of CALL tools in the courses that they have to take.

3.4 Procedure

The questionnaire is to be distributed to randomly selected UPM Bachelor Degree students

according to the scope and limitation of this research. Each respondent is given a questionnaire to be

completed.

Once the respondents have answered the questionnaires, the data or result will be analyzed

according to the objective of this research. The data will be presented in percentages according to

section in the questionnaire. The available technology section results will display the percentage of

awareness of the students towards the availability of CALL tools in the English courses classroom. The

familiarity section results will display the percentage of CALL tool that the students are familiar with and

also how frequent they have to use the tools in the class. The final section results will display the

percentage of students thinking that the CALL tools are effective in aiding their learning and also

students that think otherwise.

3.5 Analysis

The study adopts the descriptive analysis by which the results or the data is presented in

percentages. The perceptions of UPM students that think that the usage of CALL tools in English

courses is effective and not effective will be compared and discussed.

References

Kimmaree Murday, Eiko Ushida, N. Ann Chenoweth (2008). Learners' and teachers' perspectives on

language online, Computer Assisted Language Learning, 21(2), 125-142.

M. Limniou, M. Smith (2010). Teachers' and students' perspectives on teaching and learning through

virtual learning environments, European Journal of Engineering Education, 25(6), 645-653.

Su Lih Teng. Kemahiran teknologi maklumat di kalangan pelajar fakulti pendidikan, utm dan

hubungannya dengan sikap terhadap e-pembelajaran. Thesis. Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Johor,

2007. Print.

Brian Powell (1998). The use of computer assisted language learning. Forum JOT Modem Language

Studies, 31(2), 184-194.

Long Van Nguyen (2010). Computer Mediated Collaborative Learning within a Communicative Language

Teaching Approach: A Sociocultural Perspective. The Asian EFL Journal Quarterly, 12(1), 202-233.

Felix, U. (2005). Analyzing recent CALL effectiveness research: Towards a common agenda, CALL

Journal, 18 (1&2), 1-33.

Penggunaan Teknologi Maklumat dan Komunikasi (ICT) dalam Pengajaran dan Pembelajaran (2001).

Retrieved from http://kdp.ppk.kpm.my on May 10th 2011.

The Perception of Students towards the Effectiveness of the Usage of CALL Tools in Language

Learning

(Paraskevi Hamilou, 2010)

QUESTIONNAIRE

A. Personal Information:

1. Gender:

Male Female

2. Course (please, specify):

……………………………

3. Semester: ……………

4. Which subject taken (put a in the appropriate box):

BBI 2409 – English for Academic Purposes

BBI 2420 – Oral Interaction Skills

BBI 2421 – General Writing Skills

B. Available Technology (please, put a in the appropriate box / boxes, or type wherever

necessary):

1. Have you got a computer with internet connection at home/college?

Yes No

2. If you do, what kind of internet connection do you have?

Broadband Wired Wireless Other (please, specify): ……….

3. Have you got a computer with internet connection at class?

Yes No

4. If you do, what kind of internet connection do you have?

Broadband Wired Wireless Other (please, specify): ……

5. What kind of facilities / equipment do you have available at faculty/class (please, put as

many ticks as appropriate)?

Computer Laboratory

Computer in the Classroom

Computer with Internet access in the Classroom

Separate Classroom for English with Computer

None of the above

C. Familiarity with and Frequency of Use of Computer Applications (please, put a in the

appropriate box / boxes, or type wherever necessary):

1. Which of the following computer applications are you familiar with?

Microsoft Word

Microsoft Excel

Microsoft PowerPoint

Internet

Search Engines

E-Mail

Instant Messenger (MSN, Yahoo, AOL)

Facebook

YouTube

Online Forums

Blogging (Blogspot, Wordpress, Tumblr)

CD-ROMs

2. How frequently do you use these applications for computer-assisted lessons?

EVERY

DAY

ONCE A

WEEK

ONCE A

MONTHRARELY NEVER

Microsoft Word

Microsoft Excel

Microsoft PowerPoint

Internet

Search Engines

E-Mail

Instant Messenger (MSN,

Yahoo, AOL)

Facebook

YouTube

Online Forums

Blogging (Blogspot,

Wordpress, Tumblr)

CD-ROMs

3. Are you encouraged to use computers at home/college?

Yes No

4. If you do, what kind of activities are you urged to do?

Type their assignments

Find information on the Internet

Prepare presentations

Exchange emails with you or their classmates

Communicate with you through Facebook

Create a blog

Post in online forums

Other (please, specify): ………………………………………..

E. Personal Opinion on Computer-Assisted Language Learning (please, put a in the

appropriate box / boxes, or type wherever necessary):

1. To what extend do you agree, or disagree with the following statements?

USING A COMPUTER DURING THE

LESSON …

I

STRONGLY

AGREE

I AGREE I DISAGREE

I

STRONGLY

DISAGREE

can offer learners more motivation

can make the lesson more

interesting and enjoyable

can make learning more effective

can promote learner independence

can increase the learners’ reading

skills

can increase the learners’ writing

skills

can increase the learners’ listening

skills

can increase the learners’ speaking

skills

can promote experiential learning

can encourage learner

independence

can enhance learner achievement

can promote interaction and

cooperation with peers

can expose learners to authentic

written input

can expose learners to authentic

spoken input

can develop the learners’ thinking

skills

can develop the learners’ decision-

making skills

can allow learners to work at their

own pace

2. In your opinion, which are the main barriers in using computers in university English courses

(please, put a in the appropriate box / boxes, or type wherever necessary)?:

I

STRONGLY

AGREEI AGREE I DISAGREE

I

STRONGLY

DISAGREE

I do not know enough about

computers.

I am familiar with technology, but I

have not been trained to use it in

teaching.

I am familiar with technology, but I

am not confident enough to use it.

I am afraid that my learners know

more about computers than I do.

The quality of software, hardware

and / or internet connection at

school is poor.

I am afraid that computers diminish

the role of the teacher.

I am afraid that computers will

replace the teacher in the long run.

Classroom management is difficult

when I use computers.

Computer-assisted lessons are

more time-consuming.

Most of my learners lack basic

technology knowledge.

There are no barriers in computer-

assisted lessons.

End of the questionnaire.

Thank you very much for your co-operation.