Detecting Major Problems in Learning English Through Blog-based Class

Abstract

Students’ blog in PBIG Unilak have been used to promote English skills during these two years. This mixed method study aimed to identify and describes the major problems faced by the students during the implementation of blogging based class. This study based its data from 168 students who attended 5 different classes based-blog. Employing a total sampling technique, the students were invited to fill up online questionnaire and interview. However, only 161 feedbacks can be processed. The analysis in this study reveals there are three major problems in blog-based class, which significantly contributed to an unproductive learning process atmosphere at PBIG Unilak namely: Lack of confidence in posting article and comments in the blog; Lack of IT skills and Cyberbullying.

Cyberbullying on Students’ Blog: Exploring Bully in Digital Era

“…Therefore, in their research, Hamuddin, et al, (2017, p.19) reminds the challenge beyond it "… the use of blog has given a massive impact in the learning process at PBIG FKIP Unilak, but then every new thing will have its own risk and challenge" that should be faced by the lecturers, students, and faculty together. However, in his latest research Hamuddin, et al (2018) mentioned "… the phenomena of cyberbullying among English students of PBIG Unilak who interact and communicate in the internet is also an interesting linguistic topic to be analyzed, on how these students of English as a foreign language trying to express their "feeling" and "thoughts" through blog as well as training their skill in writing into their blog to be something productive.…”

“…Teasley, M 2013Many others definition which came from the ten selected studies in this ongoing research, however, it is quite the same as the definitions and views above. Meanwhile, a slightly different perspective coming from Hamuddin et al (2018) who study cyberbullying among EFL students. In their study, they revealed that the cyberbullying phenomenon as "only an intention of playing with language as well as a language exaggeration from EFL students with their self-esteem resolutions when interacting on the online framework with their limited knowledge of English."…”

“…A slightly different motive can be found that not all the cyberbullying motives indicated to harm others [7]. Hamuddin et al (2018) analyzing. 157 blogs run by 21 male bloggers and 136 female bloggers revealed three biggest motives revealed in this present study was only designed just for fun (74%), fight back act (9%) and expressing pique (5%).…”

“…Means that, not all types of cyberbullying above referring to Slonje (2011) or Salus (2012) can be found in the context of EFL students' blogging online activity. Hamuddin, et al (2018) only managed to find out four similar types of cyberbullying with the above types. Further, from 157 blogs he analyzed Hamuddin, et al, only manage to the discover 255 statements that can be indicated as cyberbullying.…”

“…It seems like an alternative learning media in this global era, where everybody was connecting digitally blog enriching the area of English language teaching. The research conducted by Noytim's 2010;Gutler, 2011, Aydan, 2014Hamuddin, et al, 2018 believed blog offers various advantages to simplify the learning process in effective ways. The findings in this study were revealed the uniqueness and significant contributions of the blog and in the end recommending a blog as an alternative media in teaching English in higher education.…”