This paper shares the researcher’s experience in employing the technology supported face-to-face collaborative learning. In achieving this, a digital interactive audio capturing tool (DIACT) was used to digitally capture the interactive event of collaborative learning among English as second language (ESL) teacher trainees in a “Computer Integrated Classroom” (CiC) environment. Having merely online learning of computer support which ignores the elements of face-to-face (F2F), the impact of “collaboration” seems seriously lacking. With the emergence of DIACT in a CiC environment, the researcher attempts to see how those co-located ESL teacher trainees manage to effectively communicate face-to-face and collaborate among themselves to build knowledge. The interaction was captured and transferred to computer assisted qualitative data analysis software (CAQDAS) to be analyzed for evidence of impactful knowledge building. Findings indicated that the use of DIACT in a F2F CiC environment has significantly helped students in collaborative knowledge building.
This paper aims to describe the implementation of a business communication project called Workplace Exposure Project (WEP). The project involved 36 students requiring them to have an industrial site visit (s) and conducting a semi-structured interview as well as observation. Students were required to find out about business communication practices employed by the chosen company and to write their reflections before, during and after the WEP. Prior to the WEP, they had to obtain permission from relevant parties in order to gain entry into the organisation. Finally, the students had to present their findings to the class orally and submit a written portfolio. Through their reflections, it was indicated that the students enjoyed the learning process using this method as it exposed them to real industrial experience of having an encounter(s) with people from a real business entity and giving them the opportunity and confidence to practice their English language skills. Concurrently, the university was also able to identify the performance of the students as perceived by the employers/business owners. The paper concludes with teaching implications for business communication and suggestions for future research.
Today, the use of mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets has become truly ubiquitous. This has created an opportunity for mobile learning to prosper. Mobile learning applications have become so popular that there are thousands of developers and tens of thousands of educational apps on numerous subjects, including language learning, which can be easily downloaded and installed on mobile devices. One area of interest for Muslims is Quranic Arabic vocabulary learning. This qualitative exploratory study aims to examine all Quranic Arabic vocabulary learning applications provided on the Google Play Store website through content analysis in order to determine their features and the teaching activities. Data was gathered both from the ‘product detail’ page on the Play Store and from the testing of the application by the researchers. The findings of this study indicate that most Quranic Arabic vocabulary mobile apps deliver their lessons through a textual interface though there are several apps which also include pictures, audio, and videos in their lessons. Many apps also provide exercises in the form of translation, matching items, and sentence completion. However, only four apps provide assessments. As a conclusion, this exploratory study has shed some light on the current state of Quranic Arabic vocabulary mobile apps in terms of their features and activities and it is hoped that more apps will be developed in the near future to cater to the needs of millions of Muslim adults who want to improve their devotional practices.
When organising ideas in a thesis, students have to deal with a set of structures to meet its communicative purposes. Numerous attempts have been made to investigate the move structures of the problem statement (PS), which is a section in the introduction chapter of a thesis. However, there is no previous work that accounts for the element of critical thinking skills (CTS) in PS. This study recognises that CTS combined with move structures are necessary for students to write an effective PS. A guideline for writing an effective PS that embodies organised moves and CTS is non-existent. Therefore, this study aims to introduce a Rubric for Assessing Critical Thinking Skills in Problem Statement (RACTSPS) to rate the PS section, taking into account students’ CTS guided by the correct moves when writing them. This rubric was developed based on thematic analysis from previously developed models and rubrics. Thirty PS sections were extracted from 30 English-written theses from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia Institutional Repository using the purposive sampling method. The PS samples were then rated using RACTSPS, and the scores were recorded. The scores were then triangulated with the raters’ feedback in a focus group interview. The findings reveal that students display an average level of CTS. This is concerning for the university as it reflects the lack of graduates’ ability to think critically – a skill much needed in the academic and industry settings. As a result, a guide should be offered to both students and teachers early in the thesis writing process, which this study proposes. The model, the RACTSPS, will create awareness of the CTS level expected to be reflected in the students’ thesis.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.