A Study on the Use of Padlet in Online Liberal Arts English Classes and University Students’ Responses

Abstract

The aim of this study is to present learning activities using Padlet to facilitate communication and exchange of opinions among learners in large-scale, remote liberal arts classes, and to examine learners’ perceptions of and responses to the use of Padlet as a learning tool. Communication and opinion-sharing activities need to be managed efficiently to minimize the difference in quantity and quality of such activities in remote classes compared to face-to-face classes. Padlet was actively used for learning activities by 104 college students enrolled in this liberal arts course. In order to broaden the scope of understanding of the content, individual opinions, thoughts, and results of group assignments were uploaded to Padlet. Open-ended questionnaires and interviews were completed to analyze learners’ responses to the use of Padlet in a liberal arts class. Based on the result, it was found that learners had relatively high satisfaction with the use of Padlet in class activities. Specific reasons for satisfaction with using Padlet were found to be “ease of use,” “interactive sharing,” “fun and interesting,” and “convenience.” In the remote educational era, instructors need to actively use tools such as Padlet for communication and sharing and focus on the development and optimal use of these tools.