FACEBOOK AND ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNING: EFL LEARNERS’ EXPERIENCES (A QUALITATIVE STUDY)

The purpose of this quantitative study was to identify the EFL learners’ practices and understand their experiences with SNSs (social networking sites) as a tool for English language learning. The study results were obtained from a survey of 144 undergraduate Jordanian EFL learners in the English and Translation Departments at Yarmouk University in Jordan. In the quantitative phase of the study, the research questions focused on the actual practices and strategies of EFL students on SNSs. This study was guided by the following research questions: To what extent do Jordanian EFL learners use Facebook as a tool for language learning? And what language learning practices do Jordanian EFL learners engage in on Facebook? The results revealed that most participants felt comfortable using Facebook in English language learning. However, less than half of them used Facebook on a regular basis to learn English. In addition, they tended to read and observe discussions in English rather than participate in them or produce language output. The results also revealed that learners’ practices or behaviors in the SNS environment changed depending on certain factors, such as the context, audience, sense of belonging, self – confidence, and the learners’ needs and interests. The results of the study brought to light some implications in the context of formal and informal language learning. The study might raise learner, teacher, and educator awareness about SNSs as a tool for language learning, particularly for countries with limited resources. The results also showed the need for a theoretical and pedagogical framework for the teaching and learning process that identifies the best practices and ways to avoid any harm in a SNS environment. Integrating SNSs in language teaching and learning is a topic that requires further study. Using SNSs inside and outside the classroom to practice different language skills is an important topic for future research.  Article visualizations

SOCIAL NETWORKING SITES AND ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNING: JORDANIAN EFL LEARNERS’ PRACTICES AND EXPERIENCES

The purpose of this qualitative study was to identify the EFL learners’ practices and understand their experiences with SNSs (social networking sites) as a tool for English language learning. The study was conducted in richer information and a deeper insight was gained through a qualitative case study. In the qualitative phase, 12 participants were purposefully selected and interviewed in order to explain further the statistical results, develop a rich descriptive picture of their lived experiences using social networking to improve their English language learning, and identify the factors and barriers that influence their practices. This study was guided by the following research question: How do these Facebook practices affect their language learning experiences? The results revealed that most participants felt comfortable using Facebook in English language learning. However, less than half of them used Facebook on a regular basis to learn English. In addition, they tended to read and observe discussions in English rather than participate in them or produce language output. The results also revealed that learners’ practices or behaviors in the SNS environment changed depending on certain factors, such as the context, audience, sense of belonging, self – confidence, and the learners’ needs and interests.  Article visualizations

A Novel Edge Detection Algorithm for Mobile Robot Path Planning

A novel detection algorithm for vision systems has been proposed based on combined fuzzy image processing and bacterial algorithm. This combination aims to increase the detection efficiency and reduce the computational time. In addition, the proposed algorithm has been tested through real-time robot navigation system, where it has been applied to detect the robot and obstacles in unstructured environment and generate 2D maps. These maps contain the starting and destination points in addition to current positions of the robot and obstacles. Moreover, the genetic algorithm (GA) has been modified and applied to produce time-based trajectory for the optimal path. It is based on proposing and enhancing the searching ability of the robot to move towards the optimal path solution. Many scenarios have been adopted in indoor environment to verify the capability of the new algorithm in terms of detection efficiency and computational time

Word-based encryption algorithm using dictionary indexing with variable encryption key length

This paper proposes a new algorithm for text encryption utilizing English words as a unit of encoding. The algorithm vanishes any feature that could be used to reveal the encrypted text through adopting variable code lengths for the English words, utilizing a variable-length encryption key, applying two-dimensional binary shuffling techniques at the bit level, and utilizing four binary logical operations with randomized shuffling inputs. English words that alphabetically sorted are divided into four lookup tables where each word has assigned an index. The strength of the proposed algorithm concluded from having two major components. Firstly, each lookup table utilizes different index sizes, and all index sizes are not multiples of bytes. Secondly, the shuffling operations are conducted on a two-dimensional binary matrix with variable length. Lastly, the parameters of the shuffling operation are randomized based on a randomly selected encryption key with varying size. Thus, the shuffling operations move adjacent bits away in a randomized fashion. Definitively, the proposed algorithm vanishes any signature or any statistical features of the original message. Moreover, the proposed algorithm reduces the size of the encrypted message as an additive advantage which is achieved through utilizing the smallest possible index size for each lookup table

THE APPLICATION OF METACOGNITION, COGNITIVISM, AND CONSTRUCTIVISM IN TEACHING WRITING SKILLS

Writing performance competence is not a process in which teachers transmit knowledge to students, but one in which students construct their writing performance competence on their own initiative. This article proposes a novel approach to the investigation of student writing ability. It applies theories of Cognitivism, Constructivism, metacognition, and self-regulated learning to understand how beginning writers develop the ability to participate in the communicative practices of academic written communication and develop rhetorical consciousness. This paper advocates both teaching with metacognition and teaching for metacognition. To teach with metacognition, an EFL writing instructor should reflect upon his or her own teaching, and possess both metacognitive strategic knowledge and executive management strategies. When instructors teach for metacognition, students can learn about what the strategies are, how to use the strategies, when and why to apply the strategies, and as a result, learn to regulate their cognitive and constructivism activities.  Article visualizations

Strategy Transition Processes and Practices in Public Sector Organisations

Strategy processes and internal actors’ practices are crucial for organisations given their dynamic environment. Strategy processes including formulation, implementation, and evaluation have been treated as mutually exclusive, making how strategy is actually transitioned between them a matter of major concern (Whittington, 2007; Sorooshian and Dodangeh, 2013; Leonardi, 2015). Equally, particular groups of internal actors and their strategic practices have previously been researched in isolation from one another without expressing how they collectively interact to ultimately give strategy processes (Vaara and Whittington, 2012; Engen and Magnusson, 2015; Friesl and Kwon, 2016). These processes and practices have barely been researched in the public sector, and this in turn contextualises this research to study strategy transition processes and practices enacted in public sector organisations. Drawing on strategy-as-practice and Social Practice theory as meta-theoretical lenses, this research explores the dynamics of the strategy transition process stage by revealing the social practices of internal actors and other influential factors. A pragmatism approach was adopted for this research. The primary data collection was obtained through 27 semi-structured interviews with respondents from a single case study followed by survey of 381 respondents across five case organisations in Kuwait. The research identified four factors that interact and contribute to the complexity of the strategy transition process and practices of actors in the process. These are in order of significance; process design, actors’ social interactions, strategic awareness, and role of leadership. In relation to the social interaction and leadership factors, the research found that strategy practices can be influenced by the societal culture inherited by actors. Equally, it was revealed that the control mechanism adopted for the strategy transition process contributed to the enhancement of the strategy transition process design and strategic awareness between actors. Additionally, the dynamic interaction between these factors was found to affect strategy practice, which in turn either enables or impedes the smooth transition of organisational strategies from the formulation to implementation phases. The research also contributes to the understanding of Social Practice theory by introducing the interactivity as a cognitive construct to its boundary. Hence, the study and its findings extend our understanding of the contextual social practices that could help to enhance the strategy transition process among internal actors

What do Syrian managers know about self-directed learning?

Although managerial Self-directed Learning (SDL) has been extensively researched, this research has largely been conducted within Western context. Thus, there is relatively little understanding of the influence of socio-cultural factors on managerial SDL in non-Western contexts. The significance of this research comes from being the first research that investigates the influence of factors that affect the form and extent of Syrian managers’ engagement with SDL. Four subsidiary aims branched from this main aim; these concerned the reasons for Syrian mangers’ engagement with SDL, the influences of organisational culture, the development in technology and the Syrian context on the Syrian managers’ SDL. Drawing on literature from the fields of SDL, self-directed learners, learning, management learning, culture and organisational factors, this research investigated the influence of these topics on the Syrian managers’ SDL. The research applied a qualitative interpretive approach involving twenty interviews with Syrian managers to collect the required data within a qualitative approach to examine their SDL, and the interview transcripts were analysed to understand how, why and what they learn. The main methods which were used to analyse the data are: observation, coding the interviews, deriving categories and conclusions, displaying the data and examining the relationships between all the findings. The analysis revealed their motivation for SDL, the difficulties and support that they have when they practice it, their aims of practicing it and the influence of the Syrian environment on their SDL. Four principal conclusions emerged from the data analysis. First, the participants were classified into three types according to their level of engagement in SDL (i.e. some participates had a high level of engagement in SDL, some of them had a low level and the rest showed a ‘moderate’ level of engagement in SDL). Second, the participants’ organisations were also classified into four categories according to three factors which are considered important forms of support and encouragement for learning. These factors are: (a) financial support, (b) different forms of support (resources, days off to study etc), (c) rewards for learning. Third, the factor which comes from the Syrian context and has influence on the Syrian managers’ SDL is the political factor (i.e. the Syrian government’s decisions). Finally, the two factors that come from outside Syria and have influence on the Syrian managers’ SDL are English and IT. Having concluded and explained these four factors, a model was developed based on them to explain how they practically interact in order to understand how the Syrian managers’ SDL happens. The principal contribution of this study is that it is the first research that examines the influence of the Syrian context on the Syrian managers’ SDL. The research specifically highlights the role of the Syrian government in influencing the Syrian managers’ SDL was highlighted within the model in addition to two factors that come from outside the Syrian context: English and IT. Therefore, the roles of the sociocultural, international, organisational and learners’ characteristics factors and their interactions were all prominent in the model, and this fulfils the aims of the research as it gives a wider and deeper insight into the Syrian managers’ SDL. The thesis concludes by making a number of suggestions and recommendations for more research arising from these findings. They include more research on the influence of civil war on managerial SDL, the differences between female and male managers regarding SDL and the influence of the reforms which the Syrian government implemented on the Syrian managers’ SDL. The thesis is structured as follows: Chapter 1 introduces the background and field of the research, Chapter Two presents the Literature Review, Chapter Three explains the qualitative methodology which I applied to implement the research to achieve the objectives of the research, Chapter Four explains how I coded the data and analysed it to obtain useful findings and results, Chapter Five presents the discussion and analysis of the findings from the collected data, Chapter Six explains how I used the four conclusions which I reached after examining and analysing the previous findings of the research to construct a model that explains the Syrian managers’ SDL in addition to my recommendations and the limitations of the research

The Effectiveness of Using Learning Bridges Program Activities in Distance Learning via Darsak platform in Light of Corona Pandemic in Compensating Students for Educational Loss According to School Principals’ Perspectives in the Northern Al Mazar Directo

This Study Aimed to find out the Effectiveness of Using the Activities of the Learning Bridges Program in the Distance Learning program through the Darsak Platform in Light of the COVID-19 Pandemic in compensating students for Educational Losses from the Viewpoint of school principals in the Northern Al Mazar District. To achieve the aim of the study, the researcher prepared an electronic questionnaire that included (20) items that were distributed to the research sample electronically. Its validity and reliability were confirmed, and it was applied to a random sample of the study population consisting of (44) managers and managers, and the descriptive analytical approach was used.The Study Reached the Following Results: The Importance of the activities of the Learning Bridges program in the distance learning program in compensating the educational loss. There are no statistically significant differences at the level of significance (α ≤ 05.0) between the responses of the study sample towards the use of the activities of the Learning Bridges program in the distance learning program. On the platform of Darsak, in compensating educational losses according to the variable of gender, the activities of learning bridges are an advanced and important technical system to meet the challenges of the era in the educational process