Investigating the relationship between students’ digital literacy and their attitude towards using ICT

This study aimed to explore the relationship between secondary school students’ digital literacy and their attitude towards using information and communication technology in a private secondary school in Karachi, Pakistan. For this study, the data were collected through survey questionnaire using google forms. The total sample size for this study was 344 secondary school students having almost equal ratio of male and female. On bivariate correlation analysis, digital literacy was found to be associated with students’ attitude towards using information and communication technology (ICT) and other ICT related demographics. Further analysis using multiple linear regression analysis showed that digital literacy (DL), use of the tablet and smartphone, prior training in the use of computer and frequency of computer use significantly affect students’ attitude towards using ICT

MODERN TECHNOLOGY DEVICES IN EFL TEACHING

This paper aims at making a review of positive experiences that used modern technology devices in classrooms of English as a foreign language around the world. Some modern technology devices will be reviewed, they are: Tablet PCs, smartphone and iPads. For this review, four articles by researchers from different countries were selected in order to obtain positive reports on the use of modern technology devices in EFL classroom. Despite modern technology devices are still rare and not being popular in some areas in Indonesia, the use of that kinds of device as a learning tool is being largerly developed in Indonesia and other countries and it has shown good results so far

Students' experience with online simulation games: From computer anxiety to satisfaction

It is currently of great importance to analyse the experience of the application of new technologies in teaching. This research paper examines the personality traits of students and their environment, which may influence the experience of college students using online simulation games. Previous literature suggests that individuals may feel anxiety when using the computer, which may vary according to their perception of being able to control the situation, their perceived importance of the activities and any prior knowledge that they have. Therefore, the first objective of this research is to analyse the relationship between computer anxiety, locus of control and perceived importance of the computer activities. The second objective is to examine whether this relationship is moderated by knowledge. The third objective is to identify user clusters to examine which factors are most important to explain user satisfaction with online simulation games. Results showed that students experience greater computer anxiety when the situation is perceived as important and the locus of control is high, being these effects moderated by their previous knowledge. Moreover, a cluster analysis threw light on the existence of cluster of users whose satisfaction mainly depends on their game score. These results have implications for both academic and research purposes

ICT and the internet application in English language teaching a look at DIP12A intake - Ho Chi Minh City Open University

Nowadays nobody can deny the application of Information Communication and Technology (ICT) and the internet to serve human beings in a lot of fields. Therefore the application of ICT and the internet has been increasing in such leaps and bounds rate that the vast of language teachers must consider how to make use of ICT and the internet in their language teaching. This study is with an aim to find out the viewpoints of the teachers teaching English of DIP12A Intake at Ho Chi Minh City Open University relating to the application of ICT and the internet in English language teaching and its advantages and disadvantages. Questionnaires and interviews were designed and administered to collect the data. SPSS and excel software was used to analyze the collected data. Based on the findings, some recommendations will be raised so as to draw certain lessons to maximize the application of ICT and the internet in English language teaching

Computer anxiety and attitudes toward using Internet in English language classes among Iranian postgraduate student teachers

This study was designed to investigate the level of computer anxiety and the overall attitudes of Iranian postgraduate student teachers toward using the Internet in English language classes. Using a stratified random sampling, 160 participants (64 males and 96 females) were selected to take part in the study. These respondents were English language teachers who were pursuing their studies in Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL), English Literature, and Linguistics in public universities of Malaysia. A three-part questionnaire consisting of demographic information, Computer Anxiety Rating Scale (CARS) and Internet Attitude Scale (IAS) was administered in the data collection process. A pilot test was also conducted to achieve the reliability of the instruments. In order to strengthen the results, a semi- structured interview was conducted as well. The results indicated that the level of computer anxiety and the attitudes of the respondents toward using the Internet were of a moderate level. The findings of the independent-sample t-test showed significant mean differences between males and females and their level of computer anxiety and also their attitudes toward using the Internet. In addition, findings of the Pearson correlation coefficient revealed a significant negative relationship between computer anxiety and the participants' attitude toward using the Internet in their English language classes. Meanwhile, responses gauged through interview also supported the above findings. In conclusion, to eliminate the computer anxiety of teachers and encourage them to use the Internet technology in their classes, they should be equipped with sufficient technology skills through training programmes which can convince them about the usefulness of technologies in their instruction and create positive attitudes when using technology in the teaching and learning process

Factors Associated with Technology Integration to Improve Instructional Abilities: A Path Model

Today, students are expected to access, analyse and synthesise information, and work cooperatively. Their learning environment, therefore, should be equipped with appropriate tools and materials, and teachers should have instructional abilities to use them effectively. This study aims to propose a model to improve teachers’ instructional abilities through technology integration. To this end, data on variables that affect technology integration were collected from 600 teachers and analysed by using path analysis. The results revealed an acceptable fit between the model and the data. Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge, attitude towards technology use in education, gender, frequency of computer use, seniority, duration of computer use, technical support, and individual innovativeness have direct or indirect effects on technology integration. The developed model can be considered original because it includes the variable of individual innovativeness. Based on the developed path model, some suggestions were presented to support the instructional abilities of teachers

Reducing techno-anxiety in high school teachers by improving their ICT problem-solving skills

Teachers need to continuously update their information and communication technologies (ICT) knowledge, but they are usually not trained to deal with the problems arising from their use. In fact, studies in the literature report techno-anxiety (i.e. unpleasant physiological activation and discomfort due to present or future use of ICT) in teachers. Thus, the goal of this action research is to study if teachers’ techno-anxiety can be reduced by increasing their ability to solve technological problems. An inter-subject experiment has been carried out with 46 teachers. High school teachers were chosen because they are digital immigrants, while at the moment of this research their students are digital natives (born around year 2000). Since we could not find any specific training for teachers to increase their resolution skills of technological problems, in order to apply the treatment for our study, we have designed and deployed an online course about ICT problem-solving skills based on the 70/20/10 model for learning and development. Results show the success of the course when it comes to increasing the ICT problem-solving skills and to reducing techno-anxiety.Preprin

The Integration of ICT in the Classroom: Pre-Service EFL Teachers Experiences

The use of ICT in teaching develops more important in present times because teachers also have to be able to keep up with the technological knowledge of their students. This study aims to analyze the pre-service teachers’ use of ICT in their classrooms during the practice teaching experience. This study employed both quantitative and qualitative data collection tools. The data were obtained from 86 pre-service teachers at senior high school and Junior High School. The data were collected qualitatively through observation and semi-structured interviews and quantitatively using a questionnaire. The qualitative results were mapped in tabular form. The researchers analyzed qualitatively to explain why pre-service teachers do not use ICT tools. The data were also made in tabular form and were described. The results showed that the practicum schools were not very rich in the technological devices offered to the pre-service teachers for their EFL classes. The pre-service teachers were not helped by ICT available to them in their teaching practice at a not satisfying level. Insufficient training, lack of basic facilities in the practicum schools, and pre-service teachers’ selections were the main reasons for teachers to utilize ICT in teaching practice. The study’s findings discovered a mismatch between teacher training programs and real-world classrooms in ICT integration in EFL instruction. Pedagogical inferences of the study consist of the need for better integration of ICT in EFL teacher training and a more vital link between the schools and the university

Self-direction and Technology Use Among New Workforce Entrants

With the knowledge age evolving, colleges and universities should be ever vigilant to assure that the pedagogies practiced are adequately preparing future workers with skills required to keep pace (Scardamalia & Bereiter, 2006). Business managers have identified self-direction and technology use as increasingly important in the 21st century (Partnership for 21st Century Skills, 2006), yet a gap in research of pedagogies that advance self-directedness and promote technology use has been found. To help identify new pedagogies, the purpose of this study was to identify the relationship between self-directed learning (SDL) and technology use of people entering the workplace. A sample of 572 recent university graduates represented the new workforce entrants. Based on the Personal Responsibility Orientation (PRO)-Model of SDL (Brockett & Hiemstra, 1991), factors of self-direction were identified and measured by the Personal Responsibility Orientation -Self Directed Learning Scale (PRO-SDLS) (Stockdale, 2003). Attitudinal factors of technology use were measured by the Computer Technology Use Scale (CTUS) (Conrad & Munro, 2008). Results of this study indicated that while significant relationships between SDL and technology use were found, the effect size of the model tested is low (less than .03). Hierarchical regression indicated the factors of SDL as predictors of computer self-efficacy, attitudes toward technology use and computer anxiety are significant in some cases but account for less than 7% of the variance for any one factor. Additionally, both instruments used in this study are relatively new. While reliability for the PRO-SDLS was found to be consistent with previous research, this study indicates that caution should be taken in using the CTUS. Based on these results, this study includes implications for practice as well as recommendations for future research