This article compares two studies, investigating administrator, faculty, and student perceptions of quality in online/blended courses conducted in two different contexts, namely (1) two midsize public universities in the United States, and (2) a college in a public university in Malaysia. The research question explored in both studies was: What is the meaning of “quality” in an online/blended course to administrators, faculty, and students? Survey data from the three constituents in both contexts were obtained. Qualitative data analysis revealed the top 7-8 quality features of each context as ranked by number of references. The results revealed similarities and differences in the rankings of the quality features between constituents and between contexts. Similarities suggested that different constituents had different priorities with regards to quality features while differences appeared to be based on where each institution was on their distance education trajectory. These findings should be considered and reflected on in online course design, teaching strategies, and student support.

The COVID-19 pandemic pushed the Iowa State University administration to impose face coverings and other safety regulations across the university campus. To comply with these safety measures, several changes to the English Placement Test of Oral Communication (EPT OC) had to be made. This paper discusses how the EPT OC was adapted to comply with the safety regulations mandated by the university administration and best ensure the safety of students and raters. It also describes the different considerations that were made prior to implementing these adaptations, and our thoughts while administering and rating the test. The paper concludes with what might be learned from administering the OC test during the pandemic.

Technology-enhance language learning (TELL) continues to grow in use within language classrooms. However, a number of hurdles still remain when it comes to the effective integration of technology for skill-specific language learning, such as a lack of training and an overabundance of tools to choose from. This chapter identifies and describes three major hurdles that still plague effective TELL practices. Authors describe 2 current efforts to overcome these hurdles: a Global Online Course (GOC) on effective educational technology integration, and a year-long comparative case study on the GOC that explores the trainees' perceptions of educational technology. The chapter presents potential avenues for overcoming the above hurdles based on insights gained from four teachers of the GOC, as well as the trainees' perceptions and integration of educational technology in the language classroom.

In recent years, research into the learning of pronunciation pedagogy and its effects on a teacher’s capacity to provide effective pronunciation instruction has been steadily growing. Nevertheless, a prominent puzzle piece still remains uncovered: the direct effect that coursework has on a trainee’s ability to deliver effective instruction. To address this gap, the current study explores the development of second language teacher cognitions and actual teaching practices in a tutoring project, which serves as the capstone assignment for a graduate course in pronunciation pedagogy. Semi‐structured interviews, stimulated recalls, written reflections, and tutoring observations were used to explore the intricate connection between training and practices. Findings suggest that controlled activities made up the majority of the trainees’ techniques. Trainees requested more in‐class practice with creating and conducting free activities, as these were viewed as the toughest technique. Also, this study found one predominant connection which the tutoring project brought to light: the trainees’ use of the communicative framework (Celce‐Murcia, Brinton, Goodwin, & Griner, 2010) as an ‘order of operations’. These results highlight the importance of training in pronunciation pedagogy which includes a hands‐on experience.

Participation in online courses has become essential for training language professionals in under-resourced contexts with skills in computer-assisted language learning (CALL) (Godwin-Jones, 2014). Most online CALL courses use asynchronous computer-mediated communication (ACMC) to facilitate meaningful learning for participants. Although participants’ sustained engagement with ACMC is the target, global realities of participants interfere with their participation levels. This article investigates participants’ engagement profiles in asynchronous online discussions in an 8-week CALL-based global online course developed and implemented by a team at Iowa State University. Using a case study approach, nine focal participants’ engagement profiles have been analyzed in terms of identifying patterns of engagement in the discussion posts and their relation to the types of discussion prompts. Then, social network analysis (SNA) and thematic analysis were employed to investigate patterns of interaction among the participants in the replies. The results indicated that engagement patterns observed in discussion posts overall aligned with the primary goals of prompt types. SNA further identified two participants as social mediators to connect participants with each other. These findings are significant in that they suggest the effectiveness of using ACMC to promote co-construction of knowledge for a global audience. This article also provides implications regarding the design of discussion prompts to help maximize participant engagement with course content.

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