Abstract:
Online communications have been widely researched in different education contexts during the last two decades. Together with the development of emerging technology, educational applications have witnessed a huge change in e-communication modes, from unidirectional to interactive websites, asynchronous to synchronous exchanges, and stand alone to networked real-time simulations. These have constituted a platform for the development of online social life and communities where members perceptively communicate with each other regardless of mutual visibility (Gotved, 2002). The young generation nowadays grows up with those dynamic networks, and it has been reported that they have emotional effects on the users and become part of their daily life. Therefore, understanding current students' e-behaviors and their e-communities is considered to be crucial for designing a suitable curriculum for the new generation of students. Assisting educators to make informed decisions in these new learning spaces is part of the research reported in this paper.
In particular, this paper attempts to investigate the habitual behaviors of undergraduates in Vietnam who study English as a Foreign Language when they interact with a Moodle site during an English course. It specifically focuses on students' expectations and awareness in online communications; their preference on instant messenger and blogging, and influential impacts on the formation of the online communities. Qualitative data from individual interviews and document analyses has shown that students prefer to use synchronous communication modes and look for instant responses regardless of how often they go online. In addition, the shaping of the online educational communities need a lot of supports, reinforcement, and nurtures from the facilitators. Finally, the discussion focuses on a number of pedagogical suggestions and demands for the process of integrating technology in education.
Key Phrase: English Education, Literacy and Languages (including TESOL, LOTE and ESL)
In particular, this paper attempts to investigate the habitual behaviors of undergraduates in Vietnam who study English as a Foreign Language when they interact with a Moodle site during an English course. It specifically focuses on students' expectations and awareness in online communications; their preference on instant messenger and blogging, and influential impacts on the formation of the online communities. Qualitative data from individual interviews and document analyses has shown that students prefer to use synchronous communication modes and look for instant responses regardless of how often they go online. In addition, the shaping of the online educational communities need a lot of supports, reinforcement, and nurtures from the facilitators. Finally, the discussion focuses on a number of pedagogical suggestions and demands for the process of integrating technology in education.
Key Phrase: English Education, Literacy and Languages (including TESOL, LOTE and ESL)