The present study attempts to find out the practical barriers to technology integration in an Arab EFL
scenario, particularly in the context of Preparatory Year English courses. The practical barriers to CALL
practices are multifaceted and vary according to contexts. In this mixed method study, 50 ESL teachers
were surveyed using a 5-point Likert-scale questionnaire. The questionnaire focused on the pedagogical,
technological, personal and administrative barriers to CALL integration in an EFL context. In addition, 21
teachers participated in the focus group discussion. Overall, the survey results found that the barriers
influencing CALL integration in the study context were moderate. However, lack of administrative support,
inadequate training, and absence of suitable materials were found as significant barriers to CALL
integration. The focus group discussion reiterated the issues and suggested practical solutions for
maximization of CALL practices. The study suggests a holistic administrative approach to solve the
barriers to CALL integration.
This is a descriptive qualitative study on Teachers' perspective of ICT use in their teaching and proffesional development.
This paper was presented in ELC conference, may 2013 in Yogyakarta State university
This research is done by the researcher to investigate kinds of ICT used by English lecturers for non-English Study Program students at IAIN Curup and to investigate the roles of ICT for the English lecturer at IAIN Curup. This research used descriptive quantitative Because the questioner's results were evaluated and explained in the explanatory form.The questionnaire used as the instrument to collect the data. Questionnaire about the ICT used by the English lecturers for non-English Study Program students at IAIN Curup and the role of ICT for English Lecturer. Five processes is used to analyze the data from questionnaires in this research. They are (1) data managing of research result, (2) reading/memoing of result, (3) description of result; (4) classifying of research result and (5) interpreting of research result. The result showed that the lecturers always used three types of ICR in teaching English in the classroom, they were the speaker, educational games, and website resources. The reason for them using three types of ICT because it was easy to use and cheap. In using the ICT, the lecturers have a different opinion about About ICT's role in promoting its learning operations. The use of ICT in the teaching and learning system had 7 (seven) roles. It is about the role of ICT in motivating, attracting, and enhancing the success of learners in studying English.
Alan Roberts: Student engagement in shaping Higher Education. Slides from the University of Liverpool Learning and Teaching Conference 2009.
In February 2009 the Centre for Higher Education Research and Information produced a report to HEFCE on student engagement in England. The study aimed to:
* Determine the current extent and nature of student engagement in higher education in England;
* Explore current models of formal and informal student engagement;
* Explore institutions’ rationales for student engagement policies and practices, their measures of effectiveness, and perceptions of barriers to effectiveness;
* Explore what institutions and sector bodies might learn from student engagement models operating in other countries
Liverpool Guild of Students, on behalf of the University of Liverpool, was one of the case study organisations. This session will be used to create discussion about student engagement in learning and teaching issues at the University.
Dr. Lori Webb and Dr. James Jurica, NATIONAL FORUM OF EDUCATIONAL ADMINISTRAT...William Kritsonis
Dr. David E. Herrington, Invited Guest Editor, NFEAS JOURNAL, 30(3) 2013
Dr. William Allan Kritsonis, Editor-in-Chief (Since 1982
Dr. Lori Webb and Dr. James Jurica, NATIONAL FORUM OF EDUCATIONAL ADMINISTRATION AND SUPERVISION JOURNAL, 30(3) 2013
This is a descriptive qualitative study on Teachers' perspective of ICT use in their teaching and proffesional development.
This paper was presented in ELC conference, may 2013 in Yogyakarta State university
This research is done by the researcher to investigate kinds of ICT used by English lecturers for non-English Study Program students at IAIN Curup and to investigate the roles of ICT for the English lecturer at IAIN Curup. This research used descriptive quantitative Because the questioner's results were evaluated and explained in the explanatory form.The questionnaire used as the instrument to collect the data. Questionnaire about the ICT used by the English lecturers for non-English Study Program students at IAIN Curup and the role of ICT for English Lecturer. Five processes is used to analyze the data from questionnaires in this research. They are (1) data managing of research result, (2) reading/memoing of result, (3) description of result; (4) classifying of research result and (5) interpreting of research result. The result showed that the lecturers always used three types of ICR in teaching English in the classroom, they were the speaker, educational games, and website resources. The reason for them using three types of ICT because it was easy to use and cheap. In using the ICT, the lecturers have a different opinion about About ICT's role in promoting its learning operations. The use of ICT in the teaching and learning system had 7 (seven) roles. It is about the role of ICT in motivating, attracting, and enhancing the success of learners in studying English.
Alan Roberts: Student engagement in shaping Higher Education. Slides from the University of Liverpool Learning and Teaching Conference 2009.
In February 2009 the Centre for Higher Education Research and Information produced a report to HEFCE on student engagement in England. The study aimed to:
* Determine the current extent and nature of student engagement in higher education in England;
* Explore current models of formal and informal student engagement;
* Explore institutions’ rationales for student engagement policies and practices, their measures of effectiveness, and perceptions of barriers to effectiveness;
* Explore what institutions and sector bodies might learn from student engagement models operating in other countries
Liverpool Guild of Students, on behalf of the University of Liverpool, was one of the case study organisations. This session will be used to create discussion about student engagement in learning and teaching issues at the University.
Dr. Lori Webb and Dr. James Jurica, NATIONAL FORUM OF EDUCATIONAL ADMINISTRAT...William Kritsonis
Dr. David E. Herrington, Invited Guest Editor, NFEAS JOURNAL, 30(3) 2013
Dr. William Allan Kritsonis, Editor-in-Chief (Since 1982
Dr. Lori Webb and Dr. James Jurica, NATIONAL FORUM OF EDUCATIONAL ADMINISTRATION AND SUPERVISION JOURNAL, 30(3) 2013
Personalising English language teaching in secondary schools through technologyCITE
4 March 2010 (Thursday) | 15:30 - 15:50 | http://citers2010.cite.hku.hk/abstract/21 | SZE, Paul M.M.; YEUNG, Li Wa Jenny; WONG, Sze Long Armstrong; Department of Curriculum and Instruction, The Chinese University of Hong Kong
Olson matunga final project dip scie ed 12OLSON MATUNGA
The study was conducted to analyse the actors affecting the teacher’s use of e-learning tools in Zimbabwean secondary education at an urban, private school in Harare. Forty qualified teachers and five pupils taking ICT were sampled to participate in the study. Data was collected using a questionnaire. Results show that e-learning can enhance secondary education but a number of factors are hindering the full scale utilization by teachers which include infrastructural challenges, technical competencies among others.
4 Benefits οf Technology Integration In The Education SphereDelphian School
A sneak peak into the benefits of incorporating technology into the education system.
Delphian School is an independent, coeducational day and boarding school located in Sheridan, Oregon open to students from around the world. We offer a rigorous academic independent-study program, with a strong emphasis on practical learning, for primary through high school students. Delphian also offers a highly regarded English-as-a-Second-Language program and boasts a diverse, international student body representing over eighteen countries.
A secure service provisioning framework for cyber physical cloud computing sy...ijdpsjournal
Cyber physical systems (CPS) are mission critical systems engineered by combination of cyber and
physical systems respectively. These systems are tightly coupled, resource constrained systems and have
dynamic real time applications. Due to the limitation of resources, and in order to improve the efficiency of
the CPS systems, they are combined with cloud computing architecture, and are called as Cyber Physical
Cloud Computing Systems (CPCCS). These CPCCS have critical care applications where security of the
systems is a major concern. Therefore, we propose a Secure Service provisioning architecture for Cyber
Physical Cloud Computing Systems (CPCCS), which includes the combination of technologies such as
CPS, Cloud Computing and Wireless Sensor Networks. In addition to this, we also highlight various
threats/attacks; security requirements and mechanisms that are applicable to CPCCS at different layers
and propose two security models that can be adapted in a layered architectural format.
Scalable frequent itemset mining using heterogeneous computing par apriori a...ijdpsjournal
Association Rule mining is one of the dominant tasks of data mining, which concerns in finding frequent
itemsets in large volumes of data in order to produce summarized models of mined rules. These models are
extended to generate association rules in various applications such as e-commerce, bio-informatics,
associations between image contents and non image features, analysis of effectiveness of sales and retail
industry, etc. In the vast increasing databases, the major challenge is the frequent itemsets mining in a
very short period of time. In the case of increasing data, the time taken to process the data should be
almost constant. Since high performance computing has many processors, and many cores, consistent runtime
performance for such very large databases on association rules mining is achieved. We, therefore,
must rely on high performance parallel and/or distributed computing. In literature survey, we have studied
the sequential Apriori algorithms and identified the fundamental problems in sequential environment and
parallel environment. In our proposed ParApriori, we have proposed parallel algorithm for GPGPU, and
we have also done the results analysis of our GPU parallel algorithm. We find that proposed algorithm
improved the computing time, consistency in performance over the increasing load. The empirical analysis
of the algorithm also shows that efficiency and scalability is verified over the series of datasets
experimented on many core GPU platform.
Review on mobile threats and detection techniquesijdpsjournal
Since last-decade, smart-phones have gained widespread usage. Mobile devices store personal details
such as contacts and text messages. Due to this extensive growth, smart-phones are attracted towards
cyber-criminals. In this research work, we have done a systematic review of the terms related to malware
detection algorithms and have also summarized behavioral description of some known mobile malwares
in tabular form. After careful solicitation of all the possible methods and algorithms for detection of
mobile-based malwares, we give some recommendations for designing future malware detection algorithm
by considering computational complexity and detection ration of mobile malwares.
Permission based group mutual exclusionijdpsjournal
Due to the growing application of peer to peer computing, distributed applications are continuously spreading over an extensive number of nodes. To cope with this large number of participants, various hierarchical cluster based solutions have been proposed. Cluster or group based solutions are scalable for a large number of participants. As far as group mutual exclusion solutions are concerned, some of them have good complexity but do not take into account the growing number of participants. Others take into account the previous aspect but do not have good complexity. In this paper we present two group mutual exclusion algorithms namely; TBGMEACα and TBGMEACβ to deal both with the growing number of nodes and the matter of having a good complexity. The proposed logical structure is a cluster tree. The first solution uses the partial flooding method, which is the partial propagation of informations available at root level. In the second solution, informations available at root level are propagated only towards the processes which issued a request for a session. Both algorithms have complexities of O(p) and O(log p) respectively (p is the number of clusters in the system).
An effective search on web log from most popular downloaded contentijdpsjournal
A Web page recommender system effectively predicts the best related web page to search. While search
ing
a word from search engine it may display some unnecessary links and unrelated data’s to user so to a
void
this problem, the con
ceptual prediction model combines both the web usage and domain knowledge. The
proposed conceptual prediction model automatically generates a semantic network of the semantic Web
usage knowledge, which is the integration of domain knowledge and web usage i
nformation. Web usage
mining aims to discover interesting and frequent user access patterns from web browsing data. The
discovered knowledge can then be used for many practical web applications such as web
recommendations, adaptive web sites, and personali
zed web search and surfing
AN EFFICIENT PARALLEL ALGORITHM FOR COMPUTING DETERMINANT OF NON-SQUARE MATRI...ijdpsjournal
One of the most significant challenges in Computing Determinant of Rectangular Matrices is high time
complexity of its algorithm. Among all definitions of determinant of rectangular matrices, Radic’s
definition has special features which make it more notable. But in this definition, C(N
M
) sub matrices of the
order m×m needed to be generated that put this problem in np-hard class. On the other hand, any row or
column reduction operation may hardly lead to diminish the volume of calculation. Therefore, in this paper
we try to present the parallel algorithm which can decrease the time complexity of computing the
determinant of non-square matrices to O(N).
Personalising English language teaching in secondary schools through technologyCITE
4 March 2010 (Thursday) | 15:30 - 15:50 | http://citers2010.cite.hku.hk/abstract/21 | SZE, Paul M.M.; YEUNG, Li Wa Jenny; WONG, Sze Long Armstrong; Department of Curriculum and Instruction, The Chinese University of Hong Kong
Olson matunga final project dip scie ed 12OLSON MATUNGA
The study was conducted to analyse the actors affecting the teacher’s use of e-learning tools in Zimbabwean secondary education at an urban, private school in Harare. Forty qualified teachers and five pupils taking ICT were sampled to participate in the study. Data was collected using a questionnaire. Results show that e-learning can enhance secondary education but a number of factors are hindering the full scale utilization by teachers which include infrastructural challenges, technical competencies among others.
4 Benefits οf Technology Integration In The Education SphereDelphian School
A sneak peak into the benefits of incorporating technology into the education system.
Delphian School is an independent, coeducational day and boarding school located in Sheridan, Oregon open to students from around the world. We offer a rigorous academic independent-study program, with a strong emphasis on practical learning, for primary through high school students. Delphian also offers a highly regarded English-as-a-Second-Language program and boasts a diverse, international student body representing over eighteen countries.
A secure service provisioning framework for cyber physical cloud computing sy...ijdpsjournal
Cyber physical systems (CPS) are mission critical systems engineered by combination of cyber and
physical systems respectively. These systems are tightly coupled, resource constrained systems and have
dynamic real time applications. Due to the limitation of resources, and in order to improve the efficiency of
the CPS systems, they are combined with cloud computing architecture, and are called as Cyber Physical
Cloud Computing Systems (CPCCS). These CPCCS have critical care applications where security of the
systems is a major concern. Therefore, we propose a Secure Service provisioning architecture for Cyber
Physical Cloud Computing Systems (CPCCS), which includes the combination of technologies such as
CPS, Cloud Computing and Wireless Sensor Networks. In addition to this, we also highlight various
threats/attacks; security requirements and mechanisms that are applicable to CPCCS at different layers
and propose two security models that can be adapted in a layered architectural format.
Scalable frequent itemset mining using heterogeneous computing par apriori a...ijdpsjournal
Association Rule mining is one of the dominant tasks of data mining, which concerns in finding frequent
itemsets in large volumes of data in order to produce summarized models of mined rules. These models are
extended to generate association rules in various applications such as e-commerce, bio-informatics,
associations between image contents and non image features, analysis of effectiveness of sales and retail
industry, etc. In the vast increasing databases, the major challenge is the frequent itemsets mining in a
very short period of time. In the case of increasing data, the time taken to process the data should be
almost constant. Since high performance computing has many processors, and many cores, consistent runtime
performance for such very large databases on association rules mining is achieved. We, therefore,
must rely on high performance parallel and/or distributed computing. In literature survey, we have studied
the sequential Apriori algorithms and identified the fundamental problems in sequential environment and
parallel environment. In our proposed ParApriori, we have proposed parallel algorithm for GPGPU, and
we have also done the results analysis of our GPU parallel algorithm. We find that proposed algorithm
improved the computing time, consistency in performance over the increasing load. The empirical analysis
of the algorithm also shows that efficiency and scalability is verified over the series of datasets
experimented on many core GPU platform.
Review on mobile threats and detection techniquesijdpsjournal
Since last-decade, smart-phones have gained widespread usage. Mobile devices store personal details
such as contacts and text messages. Due to this extensive growth, smart-phones are attracted towards
cyber-criminals. In this research work, we have done a systematic review of the terms related to malware
detection algorithms and have also summarized behavioral description of some known mobile malwares
in tabular form. After careful solicitation of all the possible methods and algorithms for detection of
mobile-based malwares, we give some recommendations for designing future malware detection algorithm
by considering computational complexity and detection ration of mobile malwares.
Permission based group mutual exclusionijdpsjournal
Due to the growing application of peer to peer computing, distributed applications are continuously spreading over an extensive number of nodes. To cope with this large number of participants, various hierarchical cluster based solutions have been proposed. Cluster or group based solutions are scalable for a large number of participants. As far as group mutual exclusion solutions are concerned, some of them have good complexity but do not take into account the growing number of participants. Others take into account the previous aspect but do not have good complexity. In this paper we present two group mutual exclusion algorithms namely; TBGMEACα and TBGMEACβ to deal both with the growing number of nodes and the matter of having a good complexity. The proposed logical structure is a cluster tree. The first solution uses the partial flooding method, which is the partial propagation of informations available at root level. In the second solution, informations available at root level are propagated only towards the processes which issued a request for a session. Both algorithms have complexities of O(p) and O(log p) respectively (p is the number of clusters in the system).
An effective search on web log from most popular downloaded contentijdpsjournal
A Web page recommender system effectively predicts the best related web page to search. While search
ing
a word from search engine it may display some unnecessary links and unrelated data’s to user so to a
void
this problem, the con
ceptual prediction model combines both the web usage and domain knowledge. The
proposed conceptual prediction model automatically generates a semantic network of the semantic Web
usage knowledge, which is the integration of domain knowledge and web usage i
nformation. Web usage
mining aims to discover interesting and frequent user access patterns from web browsing data. The
discovered knowledge can then be used for many practical web applications such as web
recommendations, adaptive web sites, and personali
zed web search and surfing
AN EFFICIENT PARALLEL ALGORITHM FOR COMPUTING DETERMINANT OF NON-SQUARE MATRI...ijdpsjournal
One of the most significant challenges in Computing Determinant of Rectangular Matrices is high time
complexity of its algorithm. Among all definitions of determinant of rectangular matrices, Radic’s
definition has special features which make it more notable. But in this definition, C(N
M
) sub matrices of the
order m×m needed to be generated that put this problem in np-hard class. On the other hand, any row or
column reduction operation may hardly lead to diminish the volume of calculation. Therefore, in this paper
we try to present the parallel algorithm which can decrease the time complexity of computing the
determinant of non-square matrices to O(N).
KALMAN FILTER BASED CONGESTION CONTROLLERijdpsjournal
Facing burst traffic, TCP congestion control algorithms severely decrease window size neglecting the fact
that such burst traffics are temporal. In the increase phase sending window experiences a linear rise which
may lead to waste in hefty proportion of available bandwidth. If congestion control mechanisms be able to
estimate future state of network traffic they can cope with different circumstances and efficiently use
bandwidth. Since data traffic which is running on networks is mostly self-similar, algorithms can take
advantage of self-similarity property and repetitive traffic patterns to have accurate estimations and
predictions in large time scales.
In this research a two-stage controller is presented. In fact the first part is a RED congestion controller
which acts in short time scales (200 milliseconds) and the second is a Kalman filter estimator which do
RTT and window size estimations in large time scales (every two seconds). If the RED mechanism decides
to increase the window size, the magnitude of this increase is controlled by Kalman filter. To be more
precise, if the Kalman filter indicates a non-congested situation in the next large time scale, a magnitude
factor is calculated and given to RED algorithm to strengthen the amount of increase.
PERFORMANCE AND ENERGY-EFFICIENCY ASPECTS OF CLUSTERS OF SINGLE BOARD COMPUTERSijdpsjournal
When a high performance cluster is demanded and the cost for purchase and operation of servers,
workstations or personal computers as nodes is a challenge, single board computers may be an option to
build inexpensive cluster systems. This paper describes the construction of such clusters and analyzes their
performance and energy-efficiency with the High Performance Linpack (HPL) benchmark.
Risky Reading: images and the vision of African educationkioglobal
Kio Global presentation delivered at the International Private Schools and Education Forum, Africa conference, London, 2013.
In early years as in digital culture, pictures (and few words) are the currency. In the African classroom, what are we looking at?
Before we shake hands: representation and the global future of education kioglobal
A lot passes between people before they ever shake hands and meet properly. In the digital age, we have the ability to find out about a thing before we ever encounter it. Many people we ‘know’ about, we will never shake hands with. So, representation becomes very important: how things are represented in the media and in our education.
Contact chimaechi@kioglobal.com if you'd like a copy of the full speech and this PowerPoint.
(First delivered at the African Resources and Technology in Education Show, Nigeria, March 2013.)
Risky Reading: images and the vision of African educationkioglobal
Kio Global presentation delivered at the International Private Schools and Education Forum, Africa conference, London, 2013.
In early years as in digital culture, pictures (and few words) are the currency. In the African classroom, what are we looking at?
A novel way of integrating voice recognition and one time passwords to preven...ijdpsjournal
Phishing is a threat to all users of the internet who intend to use the web for secure transactions. In the
recent years the number of phishing attacks have increased drastically especially since the advent of ecommerce,
net banking and other services that have an emphasis on security. Phishing is characterized as
any malicious attack aided by a spoofed webpage to encourage users to input their security details.
Phishing is largely done to retrieve passwords and security details of unsuspecting users. This paper
details a new and more secure way to counteract the method of phishing
MODELLING TRAFFIC IN IMS NETWORK NODESijdpsjournal
IMS is well integrated with existing voice and data networks, while adopting many of their key characteristics.
The Call Session Control Functions (CSCFs) servers are the key part of the IMS structure. They are the main components responsible for processing and routing signalling messages.
When CSCFs servers (P-CSCF, I-CSCF, S-CSCF) are running on the same host, the SIP message can be internally passed between SIP servers using a single operating system mechanism like a queue. It increases
the reliability of the network [5], [6]. We have proposed in a last work for each type of service (between ICSCF and S-CSCF (call, data, multimedia.))[23], to use less than two servers well dimensioned and running on the same operating system.
Instead dimensioning servers, in order to increase performance, we try to model traffic on IMS nodes, particularly on entries nodes; it will provide results on separation of incoming flows, and then offer more satisfactory service.
Tomography is important for network design and routing optimization. Prior approaches require either
precise time synchronization or complex cooperation. Furthermore, active tomography consumes explicit
probing resulting in limited scalability. To address the first issue we propose a novel Delay Correlation
Estimation methodology named DCE with no need of synchronization and special cooperation. For the
second issue we develop a passive realization mechanism merely using regular data flow without explicit
bandwidth consumption. Extensive simulations in OMNeT++ are made to evaluate its accuracy where we
show that DCE measurement is highly identical with the true value. Also from test result we find that
mechanism of passive realization is able to achieve both regular data transmission and purpose of
tomography with excellent robustness versus different background traffic and package size.
A PROGRESSIVE MESH METHOD FOR PHYSICAL SIMULATIONS USING LATTICE BOLTZMANN ME...ijdpsjournal
In this paper, a new progressive mesh algorithm is introduced in order to perform fast physical simulations by the use of a lattice Boltzmann method (LBM) on a single-node multi-GPU architecture. This algorithm is able to mesh automatically the simulation domain according to the propagation of fluids. This method can also be useful in order to perform several types of physical simulations. In this paper, we associate this
algorithm with a multiphase and multicomponent lattice Boltzmann model (MPMC–LBM) because it is
able to perform various types of simulations on complex geometries. The use of this algorithm combined
with the massive parallelism of GPUs[5] allows to obtain very good performance in comparison with the
staticmesh method used in literature. Several simulations are shown in order to evaluate the algorithm.
In a simultaneous multithreaded system, a core’s pipeline resources are sometimes partitioned and otherwise shared amongst numerous active threads. One mutual resource is the write buffer, which acts as an intermediary between a store instruction’s retirement from the pipeline and the store value being written to cache. The write buffer takes a completed store instruction from the load/store queue and eventually writes the value to the level-one data cache. Once a store is buffered with a write-allocate cache policy, the store must remain in the write buffer until its cache block is in level-one data cache. This latency may vary from as little as a single clock cycle (in the case of a level-one cache hit) to several hundred clock cycles (in the case of a cache miss). This paper shows that cache misses routinely dominate the write buffer’s resources and deny cache hits from being written to memory, thereby degrading performance of simultaneous multithreaded systems. This paper proposes a technique to reduce denial of resources to cache hits by limiting the number of cache misses that may concurrently reside in the write buffer and shows that system performance can be improved by using this technique.
The use of computer technology in efl classroom pros and cons (1) (1)ouissaless
* Teaching English as a foreign language field has encountered a great development in the past couple of years. Having the ability and tools to integrate computer technology devices inside the classroom had affected and deeply influenced learners' SLA. Learners could benefit from the technological tools to facilitate their second language acquisition through video games, videos, online learning platforms and websites that are dedicated to providing learners with a joyful and fruitful experience of second language acquisition.
Professional Development approach to motivate teachers to overcome the second...Willy Castro
This is the presentation of the PHD research project plan regarding to Professional Development approach to motivate teachers to overcome the second-order barriers of Information and Communication Technologies integration in Higher Education.
Author Willy Castro
PHD Student
Aalborg University
Qualitative Chemistry Education: The Role of the TeacherIOSR Journals
Abstract: This paper discussed the role of a chemistry teacher towards improving the quality of education in Nigeria. The decline in the quality of education has been attributed to many factors. Some of these factors are unqualified teachers, examination malpractice,, lack of practical skills, method of classroom instruction, to mention but a few. The role of a chemistry teacher among others is to change the method of classroom instruction from lecture method to innovative learning strategy such as cooperative learning and concept mapping, and to make use of improvised materials in the absence of standard equipments . It also examine the problems associated with the fall in quality of education. Finally it is recommended that Government should ensure that adequate funds are released to train science teachers, since teachers are the main determinant of quality in Education.
This study explored the main barriers to effective integration of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in Harare Secondary School Education. Data were collected using close ended questionnaires. Participatory research was also carried out to familiarize with the changes happening in secondary schools with respect to integration of ICT in education and to find out the challenges being faced. Data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Scientists (SPSS). The results showed that although teachers are aware of the benefits of using ICTs in education there was still limited use of this pedagogy in classrooms as teachers were facing a number of challenges which acted as barriers to the successful implementation of ICT in education. These include lack of a clear sense of direction on how to use ICT to enhance the learning of students, inadequate resources and support as well as lack of the required technological skills among the teachers. The study recommends that effective planning to counter these barriers before implementation would greatly increase the effectiveness of ICT integration in secondary schools.
Transcript: Selling digital books in 2024: Insights from industry leaders - T...BookNet Canada
The publishing industry has been selling digital audiobooks and ebooks for over a decade and has found its groove. What’s changed? What has stayed the same? Where do we go from here? Join a group of leading sales peers from across the industry for a conversation about the lessons learned since the popularization of digital books, best practices, digital book supply chain management, and more.
Link to video recording: https://bnctechforum.ca/sessions/selling-digital-books-in-2024-insights-from-industry-leaders/
Presented by BookNet Canada on May 28, 2024, with support from the Department of Canadian Heritage.
Builder.ai Founder Sachin Dev Duggal's Strategic Approach to Create an Innova...Ramesh Iyer
In today's fast-changing business world, Companies that adapt and embrace new ideas often need help to keep up with the competition. However, fostering a culture of innovation takes much work. It takes vision, leadership and willingness to take risks in the right proportion. Sachin Dev Duggal, co-founder of Builder.ai, has perfected the art of this balance, creating a company culture where creativity and growth are nurtured at each stage.
UiPath Test Automation using UiPath Test Suite series, part 3DianaGray10
Welcome to UiPath Test Automation using UiPath Test Suite series part 3. In this session, we will cover desktop automation along with UI automation.
Topics covered:
UI automation Introduction,
UI automation Sample
Desktop automation flow
Pradeep Chinnala, Senior Consultant Automation Developer @WonderBotz and UiPath MVP
Deepak Rai, Automation Practice Lead, Boundaryless Group and UiPath MVP
Software Delivery At the Speed of AI: Inflectra Invests In AI-Powered QualityInflectra
In this insightful webinar, Inflectra explores how artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming software development and testing. Discover how AI-powered tools are revolutionizing every stage of the software development lifecycle (SDLC), from design and prototyping to testing, deployment, and monitoring.
Learn about:
• The Future of Testing: How AI is shifting testing towards verification, analysis, and higher-level skills, while reducing repetitive tasks.
• Test Automation: How AI-powered test case generation, optimization, and self-healing tests are making testing more efficient and effective.
• Visual Testing: Explore the emerging capabilities of AI in visual testing and how it's set to revolutionize UI verification.
• Inflectra's AI Solutions: See demonstrations of Inflectra's cutting-edge AI tools like the ChatGPT plugin and Azure Open AI platform, designed to streamline your testing process.
Whether you're a developer, tester, or QA professional, this webinar will give you valuable insights into how AI is shaping the future of software delivery.
Connector Corner: Automate dynamic content and events by pushing a buttonDianaGray10
Here is something new! In our next Connector Corner webinar, we will demonstrate how you can use a single workflow to:
Create a campaign using Mailchimp with merge tags/fields
Send an interactive Slack channel message (using buttons)
Have the message received by managers and peers along with a test email for review
But there’s more:
In a second workflow supporting the same use case, you’ll see:
Your campaign sent to target colleagues for approval
If the “Approve” button is clicked, a Jira/Zendesk ticket is created for the marketing design team
But—if the “Reject” button is pushed, colleagues will be alerted via Slack message
Join us to learn more about this new, human-in-the-loop capability, brought to you by Integration Service connectors.
And...
Speakers:
Akshay Agnihotri, Product Manager
Charlie Greenberg, Host
Kubernetes & AI - Beauty and the Beast !?! @KCD Istanbul 2024Tobias Schneck
As AI technology is pushing into IT I was wondering myself, as an “infrastructure container kubernetes guy”, how get this fancy AI technology get managed from an infrastructure operational view? Is it possible to apply our lovely cloud native principals as well? What benefit’s both technologies could bring to each other?
Let me take this questions and provide you a short journey through existing deployment models and use cases for AI software. On practical examples, we discuss what cloud/on-premise strategy we may need for applying it to our own infrastructure to get it to work from an enterprise perspective. I want to give an overview about infrastructure requirements and technologies, what could be beneficial or limiting your AI use cases in an enterprise environment. An interactive Demo will give you some insides, what approaches I got already working for real.
State of ICS and IoT Cyber Threat Landscape Report 2024 previewPrayukth K V
The IoT and OT threat landscape report has been prepared by the Threat Research Team at Sectrio using data from Sectrio, cyber threat intelligence farming facilities spread across over 85 cities around the world. In addition, Sectrio also runs AI-based advanced threat and payload engagement facilities that serve as sinks to attract and engage sophisticated threat actors, and newer malware including new variants and latent threats that are at an earlier stage of development.
The latest edition of the OT/ICS and IoT security Threat Landscape Report 2024 also covers:
State of global ICS asset and network exposure
Sectoral targets and attacks as well as the cost of ransom
Global APT activity, AI usage, actor and tactic profiles, and implications
Rise in volumes of AI-powered cyberattacks
Major cyber events in 2024
Malware and malicious payload trends
Cyberattack types and targets
Vulnerability exploit attempts on CVEs
Attacks on counties – USA
Expansion of bot farms – how, where, and why
In-depth analysis of the cyber threat landscape across North America, South America, Europe, APAC, and the Middle East
Why are attacks on smart factories rising?
Cyber risk predictions
Axis of attacks – Europe
Systemic attacks in the Middle East
Download the full report from here:
https://sectrio.com/resources/ot-threat-landscape-reports/sectrio-releases-ot-ics-and-iot-security-threat-landscape-report-2024/
GDG Cloud Southlake #33: Boule & Rebala: Effective AppSec in SDLC using Deplo...James Anderson
Effective Application Security in Software Delivery lifecycle using Deployment Firewall and DBOM
The modern software delivery process (or the CI/CD process) includes many tools, distributed teams, open-source code, and cloud platforms. Constant focus on speed to release software to market, along with the traditional slow and manual security checks has caused gaps in continuous security as an important piece in the software supply chain. Today organizations feel more susceptible to external and internal cyber threats due to the vast attack surface in their applications supply chain and the lack of end-to-end governance and risk management.
The software team must secure its software delivery process to avoid vulnerability and security breaches. This needs to be achieved with existing tool chains and without extensive rework of the delivery processes. This talk will present strategies and techniques for providing visibility into the true risk of the existing vulnerabilities, preventing the introduction of security issues in the software, resolving vulnerabilities in production environments quickly, and capturing the deployment bill of materials (DBOM).
Speakers:
Bob Boule
Robert Boule is a technology enthusiast with PASSION for technology and making things work along with a knack for helping others understand how things work. He comes with around 20 years of solution engineering experience in application security, software continuous delivery, and SaaS platforms. He is known for his dynamic presentations in CI/CD and application security integrated in software delivery lifecycle.
Gopinath Rebala
Gopinath Rebala is the CTO of OpsMx, where he has overall responsibility for the machine learning and data processing architectures for Secure Software Delivery. Gopi also has a strong connection with our customers, leading design and architecture for strategic implementations. Gopi is a frequent speaker and well-known leader in continuous delivery and integrating security into software delivery.
Encryption in Microsoft 365 - ExpertsLive Netherlands 2024Albert Hoitingh
In this session I delve into the encryption technology used in Microsoft 365 and Microsoft Purview. Including the concepts of Customer Key and Double Key Encryption.
DevOps and Testing slides at DASA ConnectKari Kakkonen
My and Rik Marselis slides at 30.5.2024 DASA Connect conference. We discuss about what is testing, then what is agile testing and finally what is Testing in DevOps. Finally we had lovely workshop with the participants trying to find out different ways to think about quality and testing in different parts of the DevOps infinity loop.
Neuro-symbolic is not enough, we need neuro-*semantic*Frank van Harmelen
Neuro-symbolic (NeSy) AI is on the rise. However, simply machine learning on just any symbolic structure is not sufficient to really harvest the gains of NeSy. These will only be gained when the symbolic structures have an actual semantics. I give an operational definition of semantics as “predictable inference”.
All of this illustrated with link prediction over knowledge graphs, but the argument is general.
Mission to Decommission: Importance of Decommissioning Products to Increase E...
BARRIERS TO CALL PRACTICES IN AN EFL CONTEXT: A CASE STUDY OF PREPARATORY YEAR ENGLISH COURSES
1. International Journal of Distributed and Parallel Systems (IJDPS) Vol.7, No.2/3/4, July 2016
DOI:10.5121/ijdps.2016.7401 1
BARRIERS TO CALL PRACTICES IN AN EFL
CONTEXT: A CASE STUDY OF PREPARATORY YEAR
ENGLISH COURSES
Taj Mohammad and Shafeeq C.P
1
Department of English, NajranUniversity, Najran, KSA
ABSTRACT
The present study attempts to find out the practical barriers to technology integration in an Arab EFL
scenario, particularly in the context of Preparatory Year English courses. The practical barriers to CALL
practices are multifaceted and vary according to contexts. In this mixed method study, 50 ESL teachers
were surveyed using a 5-point Likert-scale questionnaire. The questionnaire focused on the pedagogical,
technological, personal and administrative barriers to CALL integration in an EFL context. In addition, 21
teachers participated in the focus group discussion. Overall, the survey results found that the barriers
influencing CALL integration in the study context were moderate. However, lack of administrative support,
inadequate training, and absence of suitable materials were found as significant barriers to CALL
integration. The focus group discussion reiterated the issues and suggested practical solutions for
maximization of CALL practices. The study suggests a holistic administrative approach to solve the
barriers to CALL integration.
KEYWORDS
Barriers to technology, CALL, EFL
1. INTRODUCTION
The advantages of Computer-assisted Language Learning (CALL) may be universally accepted,
but how effective it can be in the actual teaching-learning process is a question posed in many
institutions of the developing countries. CALL may not be a new phenomenon for the advanced
countries, but CALL integration in many English as Foreign Language (EFL) contexts of the
developing countries face practical barriers. Even in the institution where the technological
infrastructure is believed to be adequate, most teachers are found to be complacent with
traditional chalk and talk method and the changes in instructional practices using technologies are
very slow due to various levels of teacher’s acceptance of e-learning tools. Language teaching
with digital technologies has not been transformed and many teachers have been reluctant to
acknowledge this extended understanding of literacy (Lotherington & Jenson, 2011).
The barriers to the use of innovations are understandable. However, teachers need to be
convinced of the value of CALL applications in EFL. It is becoming a reality that today’s
effective teaching requires effective technology use. However, research suggests that educational
institutions have yet not achieved high levels of effective technology use even in technologically
advanced countries (Kozma, 2003; Mueller et al., 2008; Smeets, 2005; Tondeur, van Braak, &
Valcke, 2007). Further, technologies used in many parts of the world are not capable of
facilitating student learning, as they simply support lecture-based instruction and do not enhance
student-centred pedagogy (Cuban, Kirkpatrick, & Peck; 2001; Law-less & Pellegrino, 2007;
Zemelman, Daniels, & Hyde, 2005). The present study attempts to find out the practical barriers
to technology integration in an Arab EFL scenario, particularly in the context of Preparatory Year
2. International Journal of Distributed and Parallel Systems (IJDPS) Vol.7, No.2/3/4, July 2016
2
Programme (PYP) English courses. In addition, it provides practical suggestions to maximize the
benefits of technology in EFL.
2. BARRIERS TO CALL PRACTICES
The practical barriers to CALL practices are many and varied, and these limitations make it
impossible to implement everything in the short amount of time allowed for CALL (Hatasa,
1999). For effective implementation and appreciation of CALL, along with right perceptions,
teachers need support (Levy, 1997). Even though experts in the field (Levy 1996; Hubbard 1996)
have suggested extensive guidelines, there appears to be a lack of training within language
teacher preparation, which negatively affects CALL practices in many institutions. As Samuel
and Zitun, (2007) views, ‘the extent to which teachers are given time and access to pertinent
training to use computers to support learning plays a major role in determining whether or not
technology has a major impact on achievement.’ (P. 10).
Some researchers have suggested that lack of adequate teacher training poses a challenge to
technology-enhanced instruction (Egbert & Thomas 2001). Some teachers feel uncomfortable
using educational technology in their classrooms because they are not well prepared for
technological problems; therefore, teachers tend to view CALL classes less favorably (Chambers
& Bax, 2006). It is also found that sometimes new users of technology lack the ability to use
language learning technologies timely and appropriately (Clark & Gorski, 2001), that results in
undesirable activities. Teachers' technological competency has been an issue in CALL barriers in
many parts of the world. This lack of technical skills has been identified among pre-service and
in-service teachers. Sometimes the ranges in teachers' Information and Communication
Technology (ICT) competency make teacher training complicated (Murray, 1998). Most often,
trainings lack follow up activities and retraining that is required when new technologies and
materials become available (Northrup & Little 1996). Clark & Gorski (2001) consider the digital
divide the most widely recognized factor influencing access to technology is EFL communities
that are generally built on a multicultural mode.
Another challenge to technology integration is teachers' inhibitions. Some teachers are not
intrinsically motivated to use technology and react negatively to situations that require them to
use technology (Egbert & Thomas 2001). Many teachers do not have favourable attitudes toward
the effectiveness of educational technology even though it is viewed often as an effective
instruction strategy (Akbaba & Kurubacak, 1999). These teachers stop to continue using
technology in a pedagogic manner once training has ceased. Butler-Pascoe (1995) observes that
technology-training programs often incorporate funding that allows participants to have access to
resources for the duration of the course or some limited time that follows. Once these resources
become unavailable, the teachers often neglect to continue practicing the technology related skills
they have learned, which shows little impact of teacher training programs on how teachers think
about and implement technology in the classroom (Feiman-Nemser & Remillard 1996). Another
serious issue is that though some teachers’ beliefs regarding technology integration are quite
positive, each step they take to the actual implementation of technology is slow and narrow
(Chambers & Bax, 2006; Meskill, et.al. 2002). Similarly, some other explanations regarding
insufficient CALL training are lack of funding to expand programs, too many other issues that
require attention, and a wide spread belief that those who are interested in CALL will simply
“pick it up” (Kessler, 2006).
Egbert, et al. (2002) studied the use of CALL by teachers who had completed a CALL course. As
the findings suggested, despite being confident and capable with the technologies, teachers were
not likely to implement these newly learned practices due to a number of other factors. These
3. International Journal of Distributed and Parallel Systems (IJDPS) Vol.7, No.2/3/4, July 2016
3
impediments included time, curricular and administrative restrictions as well as an insufficient
amount of resources. Lack of resources are categorized into hardware, software, time and
technical, emotional and curricular. Sometimes, when the introductory project is complete, the
resources are no longer available, thus leaving the faculty in a position that discourages use of
technology (Barnes 1997). Likewise, Kessler's (2007) study concluded that professionals who
either have a Master’s in TESOL (Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Language) degree or
are involved in TESOL graduate education feel confident about CALL in general. However, they
do not feel confident that they could create CALL-based materials. In addition, they are less
confident of making appropriate decisions regarding CALL implementation. Thus, many teachers
do not fully make CALL a promising tool in language education due to some pedagogical
concerns and practical problems.
Ertmer (1999) categorizes the barriers that negatively influence teachers' decisions to use
technology and subsequent behaviors teachers might encounter as first-order or second-order
barriers. They can be understood as follows:
Thus, first-order barriers to technology integration are described as being extrinsic to teachers
and include lack of access to computers and software, insufficient time to plan instruction, and
inadequate technical and administrative support. In contrast, second-order barriers are intrinsic to
teachers and include beliefs about teaching, beliefs about computers, established classroom
practices, and unwillingness to change. While many first order barriers may be eliminated by
securing additional resources and providing computer skills training, confronting second-order
barriers requires challenging one’s beliefs systems and the institutionalized routines of one’s
practice. Thus, in terms of technology integration, this may require reformulating basic school
culture notions regarding what constitutes content and content coverage, what comprises learning
and engaged time, and even, what behaviors define ‘teaching.’ (p.48).
As Mahdi (2013)suggested, for CALL normalisation to be occurred in an EFL context, five major
issues should be addressed, i.e., personal, technical, pedagogical, socio-cultural, and institutional.
Hani (2014) found that the most significant barriers to CALL in Jordan were: (1) inadequate
number of computers, (2) technical problems, (3) insufficient teacher training, (4) lack of time,
and (5) high cost. According to Hedayati & Marandi (2014), the obstacles in implementing CALL
in language classrooms could be classified into three categories: teacher, facility, and learner
constraints. Lin, Huang & Chen (2014) investigated barriers to the adoption of ICT by language
teachers. According to the findings, the most critical barriers to these teachers’ adoption of ICT
were insufficient support and insufficient time for developing technology-driven pedagogy and
activities. Studying on EFL teachers' perceptions on blended learning situations, Mohsen and
Shafeeq (2014) categorized the barriers into three: teachers’ incompetency in IT, students’
incompetency in IT, and technical problems. Tour (2015) conducted a study to find a solution to
the slow transfer from the traditional mode of pedagogy to technology enhanced learning. The
study found that the participants’ digital literacy practices were shaped by digital mindsets, in
relation to the questions that explored how teachers used digital technologies and what influenced
their practices. Thus, studies on barriers to technology integration have produced different
dimensions in different contexts. Considering the lack of a consolidated theoretical framework on
barriers to CALL integration in EFL, especially in the context of PYP English courses, this study
attempts to explore EFL teachers’ perceptions of barriers to technology integration.
4. International Journal of Distributed and Parallel Systems (IJDPS) Vol.7, No.2/3/4, July 2016
4
3. METHODOLOGY
3.1. PARTICIPANTS
50 EFL teachers at university level were selected as a sample of this study. They were teaching
English skills at PYP, Najran University. As the number of EFL instructors was limited, the
researchers selected all the population as a sample of the study.
3.2. INSTRUMENTATION
The main purpose of this study is to investigate the barriers to CALL practices in PYP English
courses. Instrumentation is divided into two: quantitative instrumentation and qualitative
instrumentation. During the quantitative phase, a manual survey was used to gather data from the
participants. The survey was constructed by the researchers. Two professors in Applied
Linguistics first reviewed the survey instrument and some items were modified while some others
were merged together. The survey was piloted with an exploratory sample of fifteen ESL
teachers. Final survey questionnaire was developed through the long processes of literature
review, expert reviews, and pilot test. It contained two sections. Section A on background
information contained 12 items and section B on barriers to CALL integration contained 16
items. First five items in section A of the survey asked participants to answer their background
information with five closed-ended questions, namely name, e-mail, job title, age group, and
years of teaching English. The next seven questions in section A were checklists of the
participants ICT/CALL awareness and experiences. The purpose of these items was to identify
the participants' ICT accessibility at home/workplace. In addition, it is indented to understand the
participants' experience with CALL practices. Section B included 16 questions, using a 5-point
Likert scale (5 = Strongly Agree, 4 = Agree, 3 = Neutral, 2 = Disagree, 1 = Strongly Disagree),
on barriers to CALL integration in ELT. These items were focused on the perceived barriers to
CALL integration in ELT, which include pedagogical, technological, attitudinal and
administrative points of view. The researchers established internal consistency for the 16 items
included in Section B of the questionnaire using Cronbach’s Alpha reliability, and the overall
value for alpha of the 16 items was 0.98, which is very high.
In the qualitative phase, data were collected through focus group discussion. A workshop was
conducted by the researchers to discuss the barriers to technology integration. A team of 21
teachers participated in the discussion. They were divided into three groups and each group was
assigned a particular area in the form of questions. After the discussion, the group leaders
presented the themes in front of the participants, followed by comments by the participants.
4. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Demographic data of the survey participants are provided in Table 1. Since the survey was
conducted in a boys' campus, only male EFL teachers participated in the survey. In terms of age,
four participants (8%) were between 20 and 30 years old, thirty (60%) were between 30 and 40
years old, sixteen (32%) were between 40 and 50 years old. With regard to teaching experience,
out of 50 participants, eight (16%) were teaching English for a period of less than five years.
Twenty-two (44%) participants had a teaching experience of 5 to 10 years, six (12%) were
teaching for 10 to 15 years, eight (16%) were teaching for 15 to 20 years, and six (12%) had a
teaching experience of more than twenty years.
5. International Journal of Distributed and Parallel Systems (IJDPS) Vol.7, No.2/3/4, July 2016
5
Table 1:Demographic Data of the Participants
Period % Period %
Period
%
Age group
(Years) 20-30: 8 30-40: 60 40-50: 32
Experience
(Years)
Less than 5:
15-20:
16
16
5-10:
More than 20:
44
12
10-15: 12
Table 2 reports the participants ICT/CALL awareness and experiences. In general, the
participants were not satisfied with the ICT facilities at their workplace. 84% of the participants
would like to see more ICT facilities in the college. 60% of the participants attended a formal
training course in technology-enhanced language teaching. However, only 40 % of them had
attended a training in Computer-assisted Language Learning (CALL) at their college.
Participants, in general, did not support the idea that some people are too old to learn how to use a
computer and the Internet. 92% of them thought that it is not a matter of age. The participants'
perceptions of the CALL were positive. 76% of them thought that using IT tools and the Internet
is a good way to teach/study a foreign language. In addition, 92% of the participants viewed the
Internet as a useful tool in teaching students about the culture of the language they are studying.
56% of them supported the idea that ICT and the Internet should be used and applied in all areas
of education.
Table 2 :Participants' ICT/CALL Awareness
Are you satisfied with the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) facilities at
your college?
□ I would like to see more ICT facilities in my college 84%
□ I would like to see fewer ICT facilities in my college 00%
□ I have access to computers at my school, but I would like to see them upgraded 16%
□ I have ICT facilities, but I do not know how to use them well 00%
Have you ever attended a formal training course in technology-enhanced language teaching?
□ Yes 60%
□ No 40%
Have you ever attended a training in Computer-assisted Language Learning (CALL) at your
college?
□ Yes 40%
□ No 60%
Do you think some people are too old to learn how to use a computer and the Internet?
□ Yes, I think some people are too old 08%
□ No, I don’t think it’s a question of age 92%
6. International Journal of Distributed and Parallel Systems (IJDPS) Vol.7, No.2/3/4, July 2016
6
Is using IT tools and the Internet a good way to teach/study a foreign language?
□ Yes, it is a good way to teach/study a language 76%
□ No, it is a bad way to teach/ study a language 00%
□ I do not know enough about the subject 24%
Can the Internet be useful in teaching students about the culture of the language they are
studying?
□ Yes 92%
□ No 00%
□ I don’t know 08%
Do you think ICT and the Internet should be used and applied in all areas of education?
□ Yes, it’s a good idea 56%
□ No, it’s a bad idea to use computers in all areas of education 04%
□ Computers are useful, but face-to-face contact is the best way of teaching 36%
□ I am not sure 04%
To answer the research question, “What are the barriers to CALL practices in preparatory year
English courses?", descriptive statistics have been calculated to indicate the means, standard
deviation, and frequency of the participants’ responses to the survey. To interpret the level of
means, the authors applied Siti Rahaya and Salbiah’s (1996) model of explaining means. It is
summarized in Table 3. Table 4 reports the descriptive statistics of the survey.
Table 3:Score category breakdown adopted from Siti Rahaya and Salbiah (1996)
Means Corresponding level
1.0 - 1.80 Very low
1.81 - 2.60 Low
2.61 - 3.40 Moderate
3.41 - 4.20 High
4.21 - 5.0 Very high
Table 4 shows percentage of the responses, mean, and standard deviation of the participants’
perceptions of the barriers to CALL integration. The mean scores ranged from 1.84 to 3.48. The
total mean of the 16 statements is 2.71, indicating that the overall mean of the statements is
moderate. This shows that the participants, in general, had mixed responses to the statements. It
is interesting to note that while the participants agreed to some factors that play as barriers to
effective CALL integration, they did not agree to some other factors. The only item that got high
mean was item 11 (Strongly Agree + Agree= 52%, M=3.48). Most participants thought that the
existing training opportunities were inadequate to integrate ICT/CALL into the given EFL
context. Other items which got significant agreement were item number 8 (Strongly Agree +
Agree=32%, M=3.22), 12 (Strongly Agree + Agree=42%, M=3.28), and 14 (Strongly Agree +
Agree=38%, M=3.12). This shows that teachers had concerns regarding students’ access to
inappropriate materials. As the scores in item 12 shows, the participants did not have proper
administrative support to integrate ICTs in teaching. In addition, there is lack of technical support
or advice at the workplace. All other items got low or moderate mean, which shows that the
participants in general did not agree to the statements. The results show that the teachers are
confident and updated to use technology in language teaching. However, there emerged barriers
from the point of view of training, availability of adequate resources, and administrative support.
7. International Journal of Distributed and Parallel Systems (IJDPS) Vol.7, No.2/3/4, July 2016
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Table 4:Descriptive Statistics of the Survey
Percentage %
Statement SA A N D SD M SD
1. I think computers are too expensive to use in
education
6 8 22 48 16 2.40 1.05
2. We do not have enough computers at our college. 2 34 22 30 12 2.84 1.09
3. Computers at our college are outdated. 0 26 30 36 8 2.74 0.94
4. I do not have knowledge in using ICTs. 4 8 12 58 18 2.22 0.97
5. We do not have good CALL software in the local
market.
2 18 56 24 0 2.98 0.71
6. I face difficulty in using computers. 0 4 10 52 34 1.84 0.76
7. Internet access is not easily available at my
workplace.
0 34 28 30 8 2.88 0.98
8. I am concerned about students’ access to
inappropriate materials.
6 26 52 16 0 3.22 0.79
9. I think teachers do not have time to use computers or
the Internet.
0 4 22 54 20 2.1 0.76
10. I think students do not have time to use computers or
the Internet.
0 8 14 58 20 2.1 0.81
11. I think the training opportunities are inadequate to
integrate ICTs in teaching English
8 44 36 12 0 3.48 0.81
12. I do not have administrative support to integrate
ICTs in teaching.
10 32 34 24 0 3.28 0.95
13. I do not have enough pedagogical knowledge
regarding the ways to integrate ICT into EFL.
0 12 32 48 8 2.48 0.81
14. There is lack of technical support or advice at my
workplace.
4 34 32 30 0 3.12 0.89
15. There is lack of motivation by colleagues/superiors
regarding technology integration.
2 16 42 38 2 2.78 0.81
16. Most teachers at my college do not want to change
from
the traditional methods.
2 22 36 36 4 2.82 0.89
Findings of the study support the view of Egbert et al. (2002), "it is not due to a lack of
confidence or interest in CALL that teachers do not use CALL activities; rather, it is due to a lack
of time, administrative or curricular restrictions, or lack of resources" (p. 122). As reported by the
participants, they faced more first-order barriers (Ertmer, 1999), which are extrinsic to teachers
such as lack of access to computers and software, insufficient time to plan instruction, and
inadequate technical and administrative support. This is a positive sign as these barriers may be
eliminated by securing additional resources and providing computer skills training (Ertmer,
1999). The administrative/ training areas were significant barriers to the given CALL context.
8. International Journal of Distributed and Parallel Systems (IJDPS) Vol.7, No.2/3/4, July 2016
8
This is in the line of some previous studies (Chambers & Bax, 2006; Clark & Gorski, 2001;
Egbert & Thomas 2001).
In this study, the focus group discussion answered three questions related to EFL teachers'
perceptions of barriers to CALL integration. The questions included "What CALL practices are
you currently using in your workplace?", "What are the main barriers to CALL practices in PYP
English Course delivery?", and "How can CALL practices be maximized in an EFL context?"
The data were analyzed based on the coding process. Any words or sentences relating to the
teachers’ perceptions of barriers to CALL were coded, conceptualized, and categorized until the
categories were saturated.
CURRENT USE OF CALL. The participants used personal computers (PCs) and speakers in their
actual classroom teaching. Some of them used projectors. Most of them were using Blackboard, a
learning management system, to upload materials and assignments for the students. In addition,
they were using university Edugate System for attendance registry and marks entry. In general,
the use of CALL applications was limited in nature though they were aware of the various CALL
applications that can be used for language learning. However, the teachers' familiarity with the
technology did not reflect in their actual classroom practice. This is in the line of Egbert et al.
(2002), who found that despite being confident and capable with the technologies, teachers were
not likely to implement these newly learned practices due to a number of other factors. Some
previous studies (Chambers & Bax, 2006; Meskill et al. 2002) have pointed similar issues, that is,
though some teachers’ beliefs regarding technology integration are quite positive, each step they
take to the actual implementation of technology is slow and narrow. As Ertmer (2005) stated,
real technology integration happens when it is effectively applied to a curriculum and to the
students’ learning. When it comes to the actual practice, the link between knowledge of
technology and actual practice is missing. Though the teachers possessed perceived usefulness, it
is assumed that they lacked perceived ease of use (Davis, et al. 1989).
BARRIERS TO CALL. The most important barrier, according to the participants, is lack of
sufficient technology in classroom and faculty's offices. It includes the availability of updated
PCs and proper Internet connections in the classroom. As found in the survey, these issues are
related to the administration. In addition, in the line of the survey questionnaire, the participants
reiterated that lack of proper training is a significant barrier. Along with lack of training, non-
availability of relevant resources that support the syllabus to be covered is a serious issue. All
these major issues are repetitions of the findings in the survey. As the discussion pointed out, lack
of administrative support is related to economic aspect of CALL. However, there were many
instances when the available resources were not utilizable because of administrative lapses. The
focus group discussions did not deny some other issues like teachers' technophobia. In addition, a
few teachers still doubt the effectiveness of technology integration. The participants, in general,
preferred a blended learning situation in which both traditional and technology integrated modes
are judiciously used. Though teachers were confident of their ICT skills, they perceived lack of
training as a barrier to integrate CALL in actual teaching-learning process. The current facilities
at the workplace are not sufficient to integrate CALL in ELT. Previous studies (Mahdi, 2013;
Hani, 2014) have found similar issues in CALL integration. This suggests the necessity of well-
equipped classrooms, and the administrators need to address such issues. Teachers feel CALL
lessons time-consuming in the absence of adequate ICT facilities. Another issue is related to the
suitability of the commercial CALL packages to the students' level. As Kessler (2007) concluded,
even trained teachers do not feel confident that they could create CALL-based materials. The
only solution is to rely on available materials or CALL packages. However, the teachers become
less confident of making appropriate decisions regarding CALL implementation (Kessler, 2007),
which will naturally lead to a non-CALL situation.
9. International Journal of Distributed and Parallel Systems (IJDPS) Vol.7, No.2/3/4, July 2016
9
MAXIMIZING CALL PRACTICES. The participants' suggestions to maximize CALL practices
were directly related to the barriers they faced. Most of these barriers are first-order barriers
(Ertmer, 1999). Firstly, sufficient technology, both hardware and software, should be available to
teachers as well as students. In addition, both teachers and students require updated training
programmes whenever new technology is available. Administrators should maintain adequate
technical staff to support the faculty. As suggested by some researchers (Northrup & Little 1996),
follow up activities and retraining are required when new technologies and materials become
available. As suggested by Hubbard & Levy (2006), the production of training and support
materials directly oriented towards classroom teachers is an important area that needs to be
addressed. This study endorses previous studies that suggested importance of training in
implementing CALL (Samuel & Zitun, 2007). In the line of previous research, the focus group
discussion view that teachers need to be familiar with a variety of information regarding basic
computer, hardware, software and lab operation in order to make informed decisions regarding
CALL use (Chapelle & Hegelheimer, 2004).
5. CONCLUSION
Although The EFL Teachers In This Study Were Aware Of The Benefits Of CALL Technology
To Improve Students’ Language Skills, Their Actual Practice Was Limited In Nature. In
Addition, It Is Found That The Current Facilities In The EFL Context Under The Study Were Not
Sufficient For Adequate Technology Integrated Language Teaching. Teachers' Pedagogical And
Technological Concerns Need To Be Addressed By The Administrators. As Lack Of
Administrative Support Has Been A Recurring Theme In Many Previous Studies, Educational
Administrators Need To Equip The Workplace Of Our Time In Such A Way That Enhances Easy
CALL Integration In EFL Contexts. Timely Administrative And Technical Support Is Essential
To Integrate CALL In Actual Teaching-Learning Process. Lack Of Training Plays An Important
Barrier, So Continuous And Comprehensive Training Programmes Need To Be Planned. In
Addition, Some Teachers Have Concerns Regarding Students' Access To Inappropriate Materials
And Deviation From The Objectives Of The Course. This Shows The Administrators And
Policymakers Need To Concentrate On Creation Of Suitable Courseware. The Study Reiterates
The Need For A Holistic Approach At The Institutional As Well As Inter-Institutional Levels To
Successfully Implement Technology Enhanced EFL Practices.Acknowledgements
This project has been funded by the Deanship of Scientific Research, Najran University, grant
No. NU/SHED/14/155
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Authors
1-Taj Mohammad, PhD, is an Assistant Professor at Preparatory Year Program, Najran University. He has
been a Fulbright fellow at North Carolina State University, Raleigh, USA. He got his PhD from AMU,
Aligarh and TESOL from University of Wisconsin, USA and a few courses in ESL/ EFL from NCSU,
USA. He has been a teaching assistant at NCSU, USA for one year. Before he joined Najran University, he
worked at GLA University, India on the same post. He has also been engaged in teaching at English Access
Micro scholarship Program in India funded and supported by US Government. His research interests
primarily are on Indian writing in English/ EFL/ESL/CALL.
2-Shafeeq C.P., M.A., M.Ed., Lecturer of English at Najran University, KSA, has submitted his PhD thesis
in ELT at Bharathidasan University, Trichy, India. He has been teaching English for the past ten years at
different levels. He received his academic credentials from University of Calicut, Mysore University, and
Aligarh Muslim University. His research interests include ELT and literary studies.