Background to the study
Online learning was known as a new educational institution in 1967 by British government (Moore & Kearsley, 2011) At first, it was the use of television and radio to direct access for higher education Two years later in the UK, the Open University began to take shape with a role in supporting the development of the new institution that was the world’s leading national distance education university This Open University enjoyed economies of scale by having more students than any other universities It’s having a strong level of funding, and makes full use of communication technologies to teach a full university curriculum to any adult who wants such an education The UK Open University emerged a world class university as a model of a total systems approach to distance education According to Moore and Kearsley (2011), in the part due to those achievements, online learning has been widely emulated in other countries because of the large scale needed to achieve both quality and cost effectiveness There were many other open universities in the world such as at the Asia area is Al Quds Open University in Jordan, the Andra Pradesh Open University in India, the National Open University in Taiwan, the Open University of Israel, the University of the Air in Japan; at the Americas: Athabasca University in Canada, the Universidad Estatal in Distancia in Costa Rica, the Universidad Nacional Abierta in Venezuela; at the Europe: the Open Universiteit Heerlen in the Netherlands, the Fern University in Germany, the Universidade Aberta in Portugal and at the Australia: the Open Polytechnic of New Zealand Despite of differences, these institutions had important similarities in that they were all single-mode distance teaching
2 institutions The organization focuses exclusively on this method of teaching and learning, recruiting teams of experts to design courses with large enrollments
Online learning in higher education has only recently been introduced to Vietnam However, there were only a few fully functional online universities in Vietnam (Do, 2017;
Le, 2018) Among them, Funix University was the first online university in Vietnam, officially opened and put into operation in November 2015 Funix University organized and managed teaching and learning activities with a new method called Funix Way Funix University has cooperated with other universities and educational institutions to update expertise and acquire leading experts Another online university in Vietnam was Topica University which opened for higher education in March 2016 Topica Edtech Group is the leading online education provider in Southeast Asia This organization has cooperated with
16 universities in many places in the United States, Philippines and Vietnam
On 31 st December 2019, one historical coronavirus named as COVID-19 appeared in Wuhan, China (World Health Organization, 2020a) At first, the humans simply assumed it as a common flu as ever After that, the infection rate increased and the infection rate spread rapidly, seriously affecting the health of people in Wuhan The situation at that time was that the hospital was overloaded There was a lack of medical equipment and were not enough doctors causing the number of deaths increase continuously At this time, the WHO pointed out that COVID-19 is a worldwide pandemic from March 11 th , 2020 Since then, it has had a serious global impact on human health, the global economy and education cannot avoid of influence The COVID-19 pandemic has caused to the imposition of strict methods to prevent the spread of the disease on a large scale Social distancing and blockade measures have changed people routine, at the time that the internet plays an important part in assisting work-from-home, online learning, collaboration, social media, entertainment, videos,… (Favale et al., 2020) Along with creativity and adaptation to living in conditions affected by COVID-19 disease, humans have transferred from face-to- face (F2F) formality to other channel such as online learning to support human educational development in the time of social distancing
Higher education in many countries around the world was undergoing a transformation since the COVID-19 pandemic occurred The education sector had to face
3 to a situation of sharply increasing enrollment with relatively reduced resources, while still ensuring educational quality (Harvey & Knight, 1996) As this innovative field of education strived to foster active, autonomous, and lifelong learners (Candy, 1998); that required learners be equipped with the essential knowledge to achieve the potential of technology Therefore, it was necessary for educators to deeply understand who the learners are and how they learn in this changing situation (Byrne et al., 2002; Price & Richardson, 2003) The transformation was especially relevant when educators concentrated to the issues of improving student learning, rather than racing to meet school or government goals (Kirkwood & Price, 2005) Another highly appreciated driver of educational transformation was advances in digitalization Those advantages included words, sounds and moving images that can be stored, integrated, transmitted and presented as digital media By being able to store data, both teachers and learners can use and reuse them more easily as communication via computers and telecommunications becomes increasingly popular Aspects of education were increasingly mediated through information and communication technology (ICT), both in and out of school On the one hand, this was driven by changes in student characteristics The distinction between full- time and part-time study was becoming faded because many of the constraints that distance education students are now facing are same to those ostensibly engaged in full-time study The characteristic of institution was also changing in higher education On the other hand, modern communication systems and the advent of the website have made its necessary to reconsider the gap associated with higher education, as schools increasingly enroll students from many different places Many based universities now offer study programs to students in different geographical regions A number of global university consortia have been established to offer transnational courses via website in recent years Numerous universities are adopting a blended learning approach in Western countries, which is a merging of F2F and technology mediated learning At present, independent learners can be supported with higher flexibility as their location, accessibility and interaction to educational resources They are also engaged with teachers and peers in various ways which were not possible to be conducted before In sum up, the provision of higher education is changing in both perception and implementation Research and development
4 in online learning by educators, such as the Open University, is setting the agenda for the use of ICT currently in higher education generally
Although online learning is one of the learning models grew fast in the markets worldwide, it has played a peripheral role in the formal education systems related to higher education in Vietnam Previously in Vietnam, distance learning was used to describe online learning Following the Open University model in the UK, in the early 1990s, online learning was taken shape in Vietnam - the Vietnamese Government opened two Open Universities in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City These two universities offer distance learning and facilitate the growing demand for higher education among young people and those in rural areas At the same time, most of higher education institutions opened courses in big cities and enrolled students of higher education in Vietnam George (2010) & Thuy (2016) reported in their research that unlike traditional universities, two Open Universities implement distance learning in rural areas Furthermore, specific learning materials would be sent offline to students within just two weeks
As people's access to computers has increased since the late 1990s (Boymal et al., 2007), distance learning has evolved to include CDs and software Nowadays, online learning mainly consists of online materials However, the term distance learning is still officially used to refer to the unusual trend of higher education (MOET, 2017) Therefore, in generally, online learning in university’s courses in Vietnam is still limited Nevertheless, belong to the unprecedented outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the application of online learning in higher education is poised to become much more prominent in Vietnam's learning institutions While the Covid-19 outbreak, some higher education institutions in Vietnam had introduced special policies for students such as tuition reduction, support for laptop purchases and supply broadband internet access Similarly, Vietnam Posts and Telecommunications Group provided free internet to more than 43,000 schools Despite receiving various supports such as internet and laptops, in reality, some students living in rural, mountainous and coastal areas could not keep up with these rapid changes Therefore, traditional distance learning techniques have been applied, such as sending documents to the student's study address The lecturers had also created groups using online chat tools such as Zalo and Facebook to answer students' questions or
5 advise on assignments From these issues, the MOET (2020a) issued an official document No.1061/BGDDT-GDTrH guiding teaching via the internet, on TV and providing online learning results The COVID-19 crisis has sparked an innovation in Vietnamese higher education, expanding education policy into practice These policies strengthened the efforts of Vietnamese higher education institutions to apply blended learning to their academic approach after the COVID-19 pandemic
Belong to the renovation of information technology and to deal with the emergency of COVID-19 disease, Ba Ria - Vung Tau University (BVU) in particularly and other schools in Vietnam in generally had to make decision to adapt with changing situations Starting online learning brought many difficulties for both educators and learners in teaching and learning This opens an opportunity to explore variables and continue the education, (Hargis, 2020) However, there are additional variables encountered, which included the different frameworks, the considerable number of teachers and students involved, school lacked equipment, teachers lack online teaching experience, students are not have perspective towards learning online and challenges for them to acquire knowledge This brief review of background informs the present study to investigate the online learning challenges of English major students in BVU.
Context of the study
The widespread of the COVID-19 epidemic has led to the government's decision to close educational institutions around the world, (Mukhtar, 2020) This assessed the readiness of educational institutions in a emergency response situation To cope with this difficulty, people needed the help of modern technology including hardware, software and the internet to enable effective online learning Such closure has created a new transformation for the learning environment and all above was online learning, so that learning was not interrupted Many organizations have been interested in the way how to ensure delivering content via online, how to engage learners, and how to evaluate learners' competency Although the COVID-19 epidemic has been a danger to global humanity, on the contrary, coping with difficult situations has motivated organizations to invest in online learning
6 Online learning systems are comprised of web-based software for delivering, monitoring, and managing classes via the internet This system involved implementing advances in technology to orient, design and deliver learning content Moreover, this system also facilitated exchanged communication between students and instructors Online learning systems contained various attributes such as bulletins, whiteboards, polls, surveys, quizzes, discussion forums, chat rooms, that allowed instructors and students to communicate online easily They can provide effective and convenient ways to reach learning objectives Mukhtar (2020) described in Pakistan, the universities were using Edmodo, Moodle, Microsoft Teams, Google suites as LMS by the side with local applications for video conferencing Other video conferencing solutions were used usually were included Zoom, Skype, WebEx and Adobe connect, etc
COVID pandemic happening from 2019 is a motivation on pushing online learning by applying technologies into education which create the online environment for learners Terọs et al (2020) showed the research on the unprecedented impact of learners, there were more than 1,500,000,000 students worldwide from primary to university level out of school on 9 April 2020 Due to the closing of all activities that gather a large number of people, affected over the world communities have been forced to seek quickly adapts in different digital learning platforms (Jandrić, 2020) Most of organizations have make rapid transfer from direct method to online approach This have set many requirements related to national educational policies, facilities, theoretical basic and premise While teachers have to change their working environment to online teaching instead of traditional types of classrooms and lecture halls The rapid transition has also exposed gaps and shortcomings in the approach online learning has not been applied in educational institutions before (Terọs et al., 2020) Online learning can take many different forms, including more innovative and engaging forms of pedagogy than the more commonly used knowledge delivery and assessment processes Therefore, online learning should not be considered a pedagogy in its own right
Online learning is an approach which is used in many countries around the world as a method to keep continuous development of education Online learning often understood as distance education where both teachers and students work on a media with the support
7 of internet connection to delivery study materials, instruction, and students’ performance from separate places of participants Online learning is also considered as self-study when students receive tasks and assignments from instructors by technology applications Short term of quick applying online platforms may cause to challenges for all teachers and students
Dhawan (2020) reported the educational institutions included schools, colleges, and universities in India were based on traditional platform of learning They followed the ordinary format of F2F lectures in existing courses Even academic institutions had also started blended learning, however, there were still various schools stuck with teaching pedagogies The outbreak of a disease called COVID-19 caused by a Coronavirus arose suddenly This status created challenges for the whole education system around the world and required academic institutions to switch to online teaching methods quickly Previously, a large number of educational facilities were hesitant to shift classical teaching methods, however, they had no other choice at that situation but to completely switch to online teaching and learning
Digital transformation is not a novel phenomenon, and it has been accompanying higher education institutions for some years (Kopp et al., 2019; Leszczyński et al., 2018) Kopp et al (2019) expressed in the context of higher education institutions, digital transformation can be seen as the synthesis of all the digital processes necessary to implement the transformation, by giving higher education institutions the opportunity to actively apply digital technology in an optimal way Cameron & Green (2019) also mentioned that this process consists of preparing a complete strategy, establishing the trust, thinking about processes, integrating and strengthening all stakeholders In the other side, Hiltz and Turoff (2005) proved that these modern transformations in the education field would be seen as revolutionary and progressive changes to the characteristics of the higher education sector This transformation was also seen as a process of fundamental change in educational institutions over the next 50 years Whereas the transformation has shifted F2F curriculums that use objective, teacher-centered teaching methods for thousands of domestic universities to online programs what use the integration of digital technology to enhance collaborative, learner-centered pedagogy for hundreds of universities operating
8 worldwide The COVID-19 pandemic has kick-started the digital transformation of higher education Due to the crisis brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, transformation in higher education often take years cause of different regulations and management has been presented rapidly in a limited number of days (Strielkowski, 2020) This has also turned the building of online learning as a disruptive process
The widespread outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic forced most educational institutions globally to transfer traditional learning style to online learning form, Thach (2021) mentioned This situation of pandemic leads to many great changes in humanity, especially in educational field A large number of class and school at all levels were suspended and started to conduct online pedagogies In the process of implementing this online academic, all countries affected by the COVID-19 pandemic became testing site for online learning activities This has created a large scale for testing online teaching and learning over the world It caused to a significant influence on students and most serious for those who were previously unfamiliar with online learning Thach (2021) determined main factors of prediction to learners’ satisfaction The findings showed that although learners evaluated online learning opportunities the most in historical times, they mentioned to the collaboration and interaction were limited Learners were also expected instructors could improve teaching methods Meanwhile, educational institutions in the West had conducted online learning programs before and were ready to cope with the change, many educational institutions in developing countries were starting to approach these online media through free applications like Zoom, Google apps, MS Teams or others to delivery classes However, these temporary online lessons were unlikely to match with learners’ satisfaction of who has never been trained in online academy before Lowenthal et al (2020) & Nagar (2020) described a number of studies were conducted worldwide during this time In many different aspects of online learning such as technological achievements in implementing online teaching as well as the effectiveness of online learning for participants In terms of technology, it seemed that applications such as Zoom,
MS Team, Google Meet and Skype have been chosen by numerous organizations, however they also had problems with the security of internet and bandwidth for not only learners but also teachers, talked (Joseph et al., 2020; Mukhtar et al., 2020) The major aim of
9 delivering these applications was to hold on ordinary courses in online environment during social distancing Moreover, this aim also met the needs of learners and instructors that to be seen and support each other, reported by Lowenthal, et al (2020) Along the same lines of statement, one research by Nagar (2020) was conducted on students' perceptions towards e-learning (EL) and the effectiveness of online lessons was found That result was highlighted to the use of learning technology equipment appropriately which were the main factor contributing online learning effectively Vietnam was praised by world news as one of country had good organized disease control program in the world, but such as many other countries, this rigid method had negative impact to people of all stripes, social classes and special to those who were studying Vietnam country has had a longest holiday in modern life Therefore, the government offered many educational institutions begin to enlarge online classes for students, and television stations also supported to delivery online lessons on TV Bich (2020) revealed in her research about the statistics according to the Ministry of Education and Training (MOET), even though universities responded promptly to the epidemic situation at that time, half of these institutions could not conduct online teaching in a systematic and professional way due to lack of careful preparation for the system using for teaching and learning online
Most Vietnamese higher academic institutions tried to switch to online platform during the COVID-19 outbreak (Thach et al., 2021) Vietnam's MOET issued official documents guiding the teaching of most subjects on TV shows (MOET, 2020) At a higher level of education, while some institutions were familiar with this form of online teaching with a certain level of readiness, such as having a LMS, but most other institutions had not been approached delivering lessons to the online program by the use of digital and technical devices like Google applications The applications using video for meeting were preferred by most institutions as a good choice because not every learner and instructor were well equipped LMSs in their schools As well as the Zoom or Google applications were more economical, user-friendly, and capable of providing multiple educational tools in one application Educators and teachers considered delivering these emergency courses via internet using devices, the experts in educational sector said meeting through video application and equipment could not interchange the full function of LMS The conversion
10 of courses from F2F to online responded to the policy of government that even though schools were closed, classes continued to be maintained Along with this online learning program, many obstacles were highlighted including the available of technological and digital of institution for both learners and instructors, the environment for teaching and learning, the interaction and collaboration to ensure online learning quality as well as learners’ perception or the support for all everyone involved in this process Once students were brought to the center of the learning, it was important to proceed research on the issues that impact learning quality in online learning to inform investment, correct and deploy online teaching and learning in the future
Belonging to Cox et al (2015) & Kuo et al (2014), students experienced and expressed their satisfaction in online learning through various aspects Nevertheless, the studies in online interaction were depended on Moore’s (1989) design defined the root specifically Moore's (1989) distributed online collaboration into three major kinds: content to learner, learner to learner and instructor to learner They discovered these kinds of collaboration were the main factors that contributed to improving students' ability and competency Thereby, it should be conducted to increase the satisfaction of all people involved in online process Kuo et al (2014) also provided that the interaction was always been considered as an important factor for learners’ satisfaction which built learning effectiveness by the use of internet, digital technique, self-modification, teaching methods as long as support from educators for ensuring online learning
Dinh & Nguyen (2020) showed that the pandemic has had a tremendous impact on various areas of human life and especially affected people health and social life in over countries In Vietnam, nationwide social distancing regulations have shifted traditional F2F learning to online learning for at least few months, creating significant challenges for both lecturers and social work students Based on the reality that most social work courses require practical form and F2F interactive components while many students have limited access to technological resources simultaneously The results of Dinh & Nguyen (2020) showed that students encountered many problems when participating in online courses due to the quality of internet access such as interrupted connection and low sound quality Despite being new to online learning, most students reported not much difficulties and
11 institution’s support was available for their online learning Therefore, there was a need to establish a long-term strategy improve interactive activities and practices for online learning
Purposes of the study
Online learning in current is not only a channel for teaching and learning by the deal with COVID-19 disease but also can be integrated into official curriculum at the higher
12 education Online learning can be signified as instruction conducted on a digital and technology device to support learning (Clark & Mayer, 2016) This definition included three parts related to the what, how and why of online learning Regarding to what, it was presented like material includes words in spoken or printed form and in graphics such as diagrams, photographs, illustrations, animations and videos In the term of how, the online learning was mentioned as a device which was using computer-based such as a desktop computer, laptop computer, tablet, smartphone, or virtual reality devices Concerning to why, that was the goal of instruction which caused specific changes in learners' knowledge Online learning has grown as teaching increasingly has moved from ordinary media such as books and F2F lectures to computer-based media such as animation, instructional videos, hypertext, illustrations, educational games and simulations, (Clark & Mayer, 2016) Online learning enables more flexible and easier learning using a variety of innovative approaches that support learning wherever students are, but what is needed are research- based principles of how to best take advantage of these new features The problem of facing these challenges in online learning includes many influencing factors such as advances in teaching technology that have outpaced advances in the necessary science of teaching, attitudes students' online learning, the learning environment, the collaboration and interaction between teachers and learners as well as the support of educational institutions to determine the best use of online learning
This study is aimed to find out the challenges that BVU English major students are currently facing when learning English via online learning environment, which is an urgent issue to figure out the quality of learners' learning In addition, the research results revealed the perception of both English students and teachers to those difficulties On that basis to make suggestions to find acceptable solutions to make the online learning effectively.
Research questions
The purposes of this study are to explore the challenges English major students face during online learning at BVU To achieve the aforementioned objectives, the following research questions are addressed:
13 (1) What are the challenges English major students at BVU face during online learning?
(2) How do English major students at BVU perceive these challenges during online learning?
(3) How do teachers at BVU perceive these challenges during online learning/teaching?
Scope and Significance of the study
The study was conducted at BVU in Vung Tau City, Ba Ria – Vung Tau Province BVU was established on January 27, 2006 according to Decision No 27/2006/QD-TTg of the Prime Minister BVU is currently the only university in Vung Tau city, which has the high marine economic and tourism potential in Vietnam When established, the school had
02 training facilities at No 80 Truong Cong Dinh, Ward 3 and No 01 Truong Van Bang, Ward 7, Vung Tau City In 2009, BVU built another facility at 951 Binh Gia, Ward 10, Vung Tau City, bringing the total number of training facilities of the school to three Based on these 3 facilities, BVU fully meets the needs of classrooms, practice rooms, experiments, entertainment and activities for more than 7,000 students
By this study, it was focused on the aspects of English major students’ challenges in taking part in learning online Online learning was seen as a channel to delivery lectures and to support teachers and students’ interaction This domain was implemented since the year 2020 From the year 2020 to 2022, students have to acquainted and adapted with this online learning flatform, therefore, there existed advantages and challenges for both learners and instructors In the period of late 2022 to present, students were set up the perception on online learning system A survey was processed on 160 participants who are English major students in foreign language faculty of BVU The questionnaires were designed by closed-ended questions leading aspects of difficulties for English students when joining online program Besides that, 15 students in those reported their experiences, attitudes, and awareness of online learning program via an interview by open ended questions Further, another interview with 10 English teachers supported to bring out
14 qualitative result for this research The result reveal what types of challenges in learning online that English students had to deal with mostly and then delivery suggestions to improve inconvenient situation aim to enhance education quality
However, there also have the limitation in this research such as the variable was focused on English major students at the context of BVU merely This research resource was developed from previous domestic and foreign studies, which would be mentioned in more detail in chapter 2 The researcher pointed out main factors that have a significant impact on online learning of majored English students However, this research does not investigate specifically the challenges of instructors or educators and non-English major students towards online learning Therefore, future researches can be directed towards solving the difficulties for non-English major students or the challenges of teachers in conducting online teaching in order to promote students’ learning result through the online environment
This research was necessary to conduct because online learning is seen as an official learning style in the world in general and even in Vietnam as well as Asia countries in special Since the epidemic appeared in late 2019, students have to gradually get used to the new way of learning At first with much confusion and lack of training, students saw online learning to deal with the epidemic in a brief time However, the circumstance of the epidemic was getting worse in Vietnam, especially in the southern provinces, including Ba Ria - Vung Tau province from the middle of 2021 at when people were prohibited from leaving their homes, social distancing policy was imposed without prior notice of the expiry By the actual status, students had to accept online learning as an official learning method with the instruction from the MOET At this time, there were many schools, businesses and other establishments using the internet causing network congestion, disconnection, or unstable connection Therefore, the psychology of the learners was depressed, the learning results were reduced also In addition, students had a lack of knowledge due to the time limitation of online classes and the incomplete methodologies of communicating online Special, academic achievement had not been evaluated fairly and objectively Therefore, it was urgent to find the challenges of students in online
15 learning When figuring out the factors affecting English learning through online learning programs, it supported the educators to offer specific and prompt support plans to motivate learners to achieve better results in their study
In theoretically, this study contributes to the theory of challenges that students had to face to in online learning process Getting results from the findings of online learning challenges contributed to solve difficulties and enhance learners’ perception in online learning The research also discovered the awareness of teachers and learners on these difficulties which is the key to figure out backlog issues in BVU that helps the educators to increase English teaching and develop English skills for learners The expectation in this study is for the educators to distinguish the difficulties of English language students, thereby creating conditions to help students overcome difficulties and be able to use the online learning effectively for future study
The results of this study benefit other studies for its conclusions and further recommendations for future analytical considerations Taking the research results on students’ perceptions addressed an overview through online learning that encouraged the higher education to boost technological sector moving forward Findings from this study may provide insight into the common factors influencing English major students in online learning as well as how these factors influence online learning in the context of BVU In practically, this research result can be applied for teaching and learning English major or even to develop online learning in unspecialized English faculties Furthermore, this search results are expected to contribute to other schools in Ba Ria – Vung Tau Province Thus, this study is absolutely important and necessary to be conducted accordingly.
The organization of the thesis
The thesis is presented in 5 chapters: Introduction, Literature Review, Methodology, Findings and Discussion, Conclusion and Recommendations
This chapter introduces the overview of the research including background, context of the study It determines scope, research questions and significance of the study
16 The thesis shows the findings from reviewing the literature related to online learning The article describes the definition, types, and the development history of online learning as well as advantages and challenges for students majoring in English by learning online
The thesis presents the methods which was used in the research such as research design, specific participants, instruments, description of data collecting methods, data analysis and research processes
The thesis presents research results, analyzes research results, discussions and evaluations
The last chapter is the conclusion of the thesis It includes the main points presented in the previous chapters, the implications of the findings, pedagogical implications, the limitations of the study, and some suggestions for further research
Definition of online learning
Online learning is understood as accessing learning through the use of technology, (Moore et al., 2011) There are the common between the name calling as distance learning,
EL or digital learning and online learning The origin of the term EL was coined in the 1980s as a term for the use of web-based, web-delivered or web-hosted technology tools
EL not only covers content and instructional methods delivered via CD-ROM, the internet but also includes audio, video and interactive TV While distance learning is used as an official program by distance education It is used to describe the providing access to learning for those who are geographically distant As computers became involved in the delivery of education, distance learning was defined the delivery of instructional materials which using both print and electric media Though distance learning is held at various times in separate places and uses various forms of instructional material, there is the limitation associated with distance
According to Kumar et al (2018), digital learning is perceived to be an educational tool which has capable to change the way of higher education It is recognized as an instructional practice that is effectively used by technology to strengthen student’s learning
18 experience Digital learning can facilitate new strategies and formats for online learning environment The similarity among these different naming is the internet-based Online learning can be described as wholly online learning whereas others simply reference the technology medium or context with which it is used Currently, online learning is considered an updated version of distance learning that improves access to educational opportunities for learners who are not eligible for traditional schooling All these learning methods are digitized and used in the education environment Instructional materials are the text, image, video, lecture currently can be delivered via digital technology such as internet media These models of learning provide opportunities to facilitate educators and students in teaching and learning
By the impact of COVID-19, online learning is highlight as a medium for delivering material and instruction from teacher to students Learners use many types of technology applications to support their learning which create collaboration in online learning environment According to Clark and Mayer (2016), online learning is related to instructor’s guidance conveyed on media or equipment via internet that is expected to keep learning continuously The delivery can range from computer, laptop, tablets, or smartphone to achieve instructional goal Imania (2019) views online learning as a form in the delivery of learning program which is reflected on technology through the internet connection The accesses for learning are taken place in many places out of school with the hope that can facilitate learners to achieve knowledge (Watson et al., 2012)
Online education is defined as a form of distance education using an integrated computer and the internet as a distribution channel, where the interaction time must span at least 80% of the course content delivered online (Allen & Seaman, 2008; Shelton & Saltsman, 2005) The other names which are considered as online learning and are used interchangeably covers EL, digital learning, cyber learning, or even virtual learning (iNACOL, 2011) Online learning facilitates education environment from creating interaction or communication between the learner and their instructor or peers using digital equipment Collaboration of multimedia technologies and the internet supports to improve the quality of learning by facilitating access to resources and services Learner can get learning materials or watch learning program through video via this kind of learning The
19 communication becomes easier to arrange by discussion about the time only, thus, with only one click of the mouse, all participants can start learning immediately
In this research, online learning is mentioned as a model of distance education in which a course is established and designed to delivery fully knowledge, keep education continuously and adapt to social distancing because of Corona disease The online learning program was conducted at BVU at the beginning of COVID-19 appearance, it was used to create the spaces for communication, transfer learning material to students, delivery teacher’s instruction, and make interaction to engage learner.
Types of online learning
There are theoretical models and implementation models of online education proposed by scientists around the world in different approaches Some typical models can be mentioned as synchronous, asynchronous, blended, and massive online open courses (MOOC)
Synchronous works like F2F course, classes are scheduled for a specific day and time In synchronous approach, students must commit to being able to attend online classes follow schedules However, both teachers and students have the flexibility to log into classroom from any location in case of internet covering (Benshoff & Gibbons, 2011) Each person who enters the online classroom have to visible to every participant staying in the room The computer screen is divided into three sections: one section is used to present instruction and content like PowerPoint, video, learning materials; other section displays participants where teachers can manage and monitor learners’ manner; and one section provides a place for instructor and students to compose their comments Watt (2016) reported that teachers used live streaming video and audio for synchronous interaction Although the geographical distance is narrowed thanks to the internet, the synchronous approach cannot be considered F2F learning because the term “distance” still exists in this approach
In asynchronous approach is known that teachers and students do not have regular classes This approach allow students are able to access to the course through the internet at any convenient time Teachers’ instruction and communication are almost conducted by
20 email, school’s website and task or assignment via many kinds of digital applications Garrison (2000) addressed asynchronous collaboration may well be formulated from distance education The lectures are designed to allow work group to share and exchange knowledge, ideas, opinions on various themes The topics are submitted into the discussion which is organized and viewed by author All members of the course have the same opportunity to submit their discussion, respond to an item already submitted, and give the comment on responses In the asynchronous mode, participants are able to read and respond to each other without being logged in at the same time, Jaffee (1997) The teachers or educators applying asynchronous model are in a flexible mode to operate the discussion at any time They may also respond to the students’ submissions or create new assignment topic conveniently
The approach of blended learning is the combination between two above mentioned approach as well as F2F classroom and online learning experiences integrated Blended approach is used in many countries including Vietnam (Loi & Oanh, 2020) This model combines F2F and online learning, students can both experience online learning and participate in direct classes that taking advantage of both learning methods while minimizing the disadvantages of both Blended learning is a type of formal education where learners receive partial delivery of content and instruction online under the control of time, place, learning schedules and part of it is a direct classroom learning experience Garrison & Kanuka (2004) settled blended learning as an effective and low-risk strategy for universities to launch digital technical equipment to the forthcoming of education There is considerable the concept of integration filters out strengths of synchronous and asynchronous learning activities Garrison and Kanuka also revealed the particular effectiveness of blended learning is its ability to facilitate a community feature Community brings stability, cohesive influence that balances open communication and limitless access to information on the internet Communities also facilitate free and opened dialogue, critical debate, negotiation, and agreement, which are highlight in higher education
A MOOC integrates the connectivity of social networking, the facilitation of an expert in the specific field and the collection of accessible online resources for free, McAuley et al (2010) The most important of MOOC is building up the active engagement
21 number of hundred to thousand participants Although it may share the conventions of a regular course, such as predefined progress and weekly topics to review MOOCs typically charge no fees, have no prerequisites other than internet access, have no predefined expectations for participation, and have no formal recognition MOOC would spread through an online social network The main web address can be used to establish the application process, outline proposed course schedules, provide support and communication methods However, individuals can continue to use the hub website to strengthen their engagement, or they can turn it into their own blogs to grow and maintain relationships via social network applications They negotiate and identify collaborative topics, networks, and goals with people who share common interests and concerns
This study focuses on the synchronous approach as well as the platform is mostly popular used by many organizations, public and private schools at the current situation with the impact of Corona epidemic BVU in particularly, both teachers and students communicate and work through synchronous approach to delivery learning material, give instruction, make presentation, and create group discussion Asynchronously mode is opened based on task or assignment The other issues of material are exported by digital application by online environment.
History of online learning
Online learning (OL) is one type of electronic learning (EL), it derived from EL In the 1990s, people started using electronic learning in teaching and learning, it included applications which support educated environment such as software, tools, video, e-book, CD-ROM, radio, and so on In the late of 20th century, people approach to internet connection along to website, the key word online learning appeared belonging to learning activities with the help of system software such as LMS and learning content management system After that to the current time, by the development of mobile devices, learning through technology called mobile learning is the trend of education (Duc, 2020)
Kentnor (2015) recommend distance education is defined as a method of teaching where the student and teacher are physically separated It can be used a combination of technologies, content, and internet in which including email, audio, video, digital devices,
22 assignment, and the internet (Roffe, 2004) Current version of distance education is online learning, which uses computers technologies and the internet as the delivery platform with at least 80% of the course content delivered online (Allen & Seaman, 2011; Shelton & Saltsman, 2005)
A study of Kentnor (2015) report features of online learning history in the United States The use of computers in education increased during 1980s as the evidence that many companies used computer program for meeting and training (Rudestam & Schoenholt, 2009) In 1989, online educational programs began using CompuServe at Phoenix University Since then, in 1991, the World Wide Web was announced, and Phoenix University became one of the first schools apply online learning program by the internet (Kentnor, 2015) From that created the premise for other organizations and colleges or universities to follow One charity, the Alfred P Sloan Foundation, a nonprofit organization, developed an asynchronous learning network in 1992 to explore alternative educational options for those unable to attend traditional classroom According to online education continues growing, this foundation also funded organizations that provided online programs to maintain and improve the quality of online learning environment Schools in higher education began experimenting online learning in the early to middle of 1990s
Nowadays, students are increasing approach to online learning both in formal and informal contexts, (Mayer, 2019) So, the design of online learning will continue to be important practical and theoretical challenges.
Advantages of online learning in English language learning
When considering the use of modern and innovative technologies, it is essential to consider the extent to which these technologies support learner-centered teaching Papalia (1976) pointed out that education has been moving in a learner-centered direction for decades The approach to redesigning lesson plans and teaching methods to create a foreign language classroom was more student-centered than 40 years ago These methods provided the foundation for communicative methods in language teaching and learning Current technology allows language educators to effort toward greater learner-centeredness and
23 personalization Learner-centricity is an approach that benefits from technological innovations that impact personalized experiences, social activity and enhanced accessibility to digital data Teachers must become familiar with a variety of online and F2F learning contexts to be appropriately prepared for future more difficult and complicated issues in this area The online platform had guidance which cover all the rules of grammar to learn foreign language, especially English language skills The audio function of online learning allows students to hear the voice of a native English speaker, then they read along mentally, and finally they can practice reading aloud or interact with each other They can improve their ability by reading a variety of article topics in their courses The result will help students improve their accent, reading comprehension skills and communication practice The students will listen and find answers to check their understanding of the learning material Lessons progress from easy to be advanced and provide tutorials by many topics At the time learners decide to take part in a course, they have to review learned material previously cause each lecture is built on the previous one
Nedeva & Dimova (2010) summarized the general advantages of online learning in English learning were that students can join comfortable at anywhere as long as they have computer connected to the internet, learners have the flexibility in time arrangement to participate in discussions at any time of the day, students can also learn at their own place by providing different methods of learning activities Flexibility is seen as the most advantage of online learning because it can facilitate the education available in everywhere and at any time based on the learners’ need Online platform can be taken at home, at the workplace, on travel, everytime of a day which convenient learners Learners interested in online learning because it accommodates diverse types of learning styles They earn the advantage of technology when learning at their own place Students can also learn through a variety of activities that they can apply many different learning styles on it Learners can integrate online learning into their busy schedule such as incorporate online learning to their trip, business, vacation, or other classes Even they have a job, they could also arrange and participate in online learning right at their desk Several decades ago, technological Online learning freed learners from the limitations of time and space which were used in F2F learning It was expressed that online learning has been shown to develop database
24 and take less time As Lee (2002) said that similar to F2F dialogues, synchronous exchanges via online provide a receptive learning environment where learners get the input, participate in suppling comments and provide outputs The interactive exchange via online benefits the learner variety opportunities to use the target language by using both words and structure in different situations, which is crucial role for second language acquisition Indeed, using synchronous approach enhances communication skills as well as second language acquisition of learners
Various studies indicated that English learners were interested to take different advantages by online learning Warschauer (1999) pointed out students engaged written conversation to discuss ideas, reflect and ask questions about their online learning experiences with the use of computer support Computer-assisted discussion aided the transmission of interactions by helping to overcome the traditional dichotomy between speech and writing Therefore, in effect, computers and technical devices allowed students to collaborate, interact, respond quickly to each other, was even more responsive than speech in that multiple students can write their comments at the same time without need to wait for each person to give feedback Online learning also had long-term retention as learners can read, review, or response on written comments either in direct conversation or analysis later The English students earned from computer-assisted discussion, it has proved especial effectiveness with who are hesitant to take part in speaking exchanges but join in communicating via online devices more frequently, (Warschauer, 1999) These benefits enable fuller and more democratic participation by all involved people as it creates the reflective collaboration that is a key component of successful learning programs
Yang & Chen (2007) and Mutambik (2018) testified that learners using online learning to get English language in the skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing Al-Menei (2008) examined the effectiveness of computer-assisted English writing skills toward in Saudi Arabian students His research demonstrated a significant improvement in the writing ability of Saudi EFL students when they used computer-assisted programs to correct their grammar and write their paragraphs, because the setting of online learning provides plenty of time for students to reflect and focus Online learning offers an unprecedented opportunity when it comes to develop learners’ reading skills thank to the
25 unlimited online materials (Brandl, 2002) Online information allows learners to push the boundaries of textbook-based learning by the way of promoting access to knowledge from anywhere and at anytime Authentic language listening opportunities were also exuberated on the resources online Romeo (2008) found the importance of listening exercises for understanding sentence and sound available through online applications He supplied evidence showing that when using syntactically complex propositions, learners change their approaches to studying and understanding Furthermore, Yang & Chen (2007) mentioned that online learning supports learners to enhance their competency in English speaking skill through connecting with other people in digital world Students interested in online course more than the ordinary environment because the traditional English platforms were fully domination of the mother language Farzi (2016) stated that computers and software can supply guidance for students to fix their mistakes in second language learning Besides, technology applications enabled learning English quickly and take positive aspects of linguistic property In addition, it can also help learners engage in their pronunciation by the way of verbal exchange, then learner can recognize the real English language by that environment (Yang & Chen, 2007)
When online learning is personalized, it encourages students to seek out information using relevant links and websites around the world Learners can find information suitable for their personal circumstances and situations by referring to them Online learning allows learners to choose learning materials that suit level, personal interests to get the learning goals When talking about personalization, online learning is understood about making more interesting for the participants because it only concentrates around needed information
Applying online learning can enhance technological competence for groups of people participating together Gaming has also been discovered as an instrument to promote collaboration in experiential learning contexts for genuinely use of the target language (Gee & Hayes, 2011) Practical activities based on game proved to support autonomy and promote engagement (Gee, 2003) Studies determined that learning using games can promote participants' willingness to earn its advantages such as engagement, comfort, confidence and interaction to achieve curriculum goals
26 Students can build a group to delivery tasks and exercises then take discussion With the text notes inside this group, learners try self-study The construction of electronic material for learning English is made follow each stage of schedule and conform to the curriculum of the English program The students also take an active part in conducting English language study during the development stage of online learning Self-study through electronic content can be absorbed and reinforced for English skills such as diversifying vocabulary, developing reading comprehension skills and learning grammar through integrated lessons.
Challenges of English major students during learning online
Although online learning is widely known, the applying of online learning into teaching and learning is still a new field In formal training, online learning is used in the form of support or combination for traditional classroom learning As Kirkwood & Price (2014) said that technology and media using in online environment can enhance learning and teaching in higher education Recently, under the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic, most of countries around the world began to take a serious view at online learning, the government began to introduce policies on online teaching and learning to meet the needs of learner and respond and maintain human learning during the long-time period of social distancing
The results of other studies declared online learning program can be used in higher institution and school successfully It also showed the reliable technical environment and the available support in this environment Bacow et al (2012), Bolliger & Wasilik (2009) reported there were some institutions which may be hesitant to adopt different models of online learning method Cause of the fear of change, these schools concerned to students’ outcomes in the new learning environment, worried about the reliability of technologies, workload issues and many other factors related to the internet By Betts & Heaston (2014), they stated that the university has not placed instructors and learners on training for online curriculum previously Educational facilities may not have enough resources including recording platforms at schools and at home as well as lack of instruction to record and present in a way that is accessible to learners The issue is not only mentioned to the ability
27 of educational facilities to deliver online learning, but also concerned to the need of learners to access to the internet, such as a computer, a laptop or a smartphone what not all learners have The high cost of initial online development and distribution was a barrier to those planning to offer online services, Allen & Seaman (2007)
Figure 2.1 Equipment: One of online learning’s challenges
The life of students in college cannot be narrowed down and bounded to a conversation or exchanged series of dialogues via messages, claimed by Skulmowski (2020) Biswas (2020) argued that demonstration based on student reaction to social media they experienced challenges related to a lack of appropriate attitude in learning, discipline and convenient environment for online learning Shlossberg & Cunningham (2016) noticed that one of the obstacles in online learning was to improve the awareness of community
In order to explore good learning environment, Shlossberg & Cunningham (2016) declared findings showed the importance of enhancing perception to digital engagement and collaboration Bao (2020) pointed out that an article in a Chinese university inspected that overlooked factors, such as body language, tone of voice and other aspects are virtually impossible to convey through text-based EL forms for an EL to achieve the same educational goals as traditional goals It is essential to delivery multimedia to achieve semi- realistic interaction by the teachers’ gestures, body language and voice Moreover, the
28 important is that students need to keep suitable attitude to work with instructors to create an effective online community Belonging with that, English major students have to face to a challenge of enhancing perception toward online learning about having a good attitude and discipline It is the cause that attitude should be considered as a vital part of the online learning process
Figure 2.2 Perception: One of online learning’s challenges
Skulmowski & Rey (2020) claimed that interactive learning media which permits a responsive plan of instruction yet interactively has been seen as a reason for the cognitive load Using video technology these days can be seen as an indicator of the interest in multimodal learning The evidence is that tools and programs that provide online courses and the social sense began to be used strongly after COVID-19 pandemic However, according to Kizilcec et al (2015), they stated a large-scale study found that seeing the instructor’s face in educational videos did not affect learning It proved trying to recreate real-world classrooms faithfully by digital methods is a mistake, and it also showed that digitalization requires university instructors to rethink about their online teaching Educators should change teaching plans according to real situations to create a learning environment that attracts student cooperation Thanks to that, it helps students interact more with the content and topics of the lesson as well as interact with classmates through the support of modern technological devices The challenge of collaboration should not be only about shaping the form of classes digitally, but students have to find effective methods to provide themselves with information they need and suitable chances to apply knowledge
Figure 2.3 Collaboration: One of online learning’s challenges
Further, Kizilcec et al (2015) proved that virtual classes have especially significant student populations This can affect their communication with the teacher negatively Therefore, students cannot be provided with a suitable environment for English learning The educators also need to be aware that the quick cyberspace interactions impeded students from producing correct and coherent discourse, especially during learner-to- learner interaction There is also a difficulty for students to find study skill suitable to motivate themselves One corrective technique is to make students to reexamine and revise their exchanges with guided instruction by conducting presentation and group work
Many students around the world are facing difficulties with technical support, especially in poor and developing countries However, education remains an important and necessary right for any students far from their means We have to aware about the technological capacity and the important of knowledge in our efforts to improve the efficiency of higher education institutions The problem of this study was the rapid and unplanned transition due to the epidemic for universities and educational institutions forcing them to switch from traditional forms to EL as the best alternative and sustainable option to improve students' educational programs during the COVID-19 pandemic, by Skulmowski & Rey (2020) The sudden change caused a sense of general tension among students themselves about the difficulties in providing the necessary technical support to complete the educational process This support included network services, the provision of appropriate technology devices and the train of technology skills Some institutions applied integrated learning previously though this was still challenges for both educators and learners in the world
Figure 2.4 Support: One of online learning’s challenges
Additionally, environment or space of learners may cause difficulties for students in their learning As Dung et al (2021) revealed when studying at home, students stated that “I am affected by ambient noise during online learning” The opinion of some students that they proceed learning online was not difficult, except the environment around their house was sometimes noisy because the accommodation is near specializing such as selling and repairing electrical appliances, the shop regularly fixes speakers, try out music, or broadcast radio announcements, mechanical fabricated company So, these students demand to interact via texting According to the issue of the environment and space, there was the problem of mental (Dong & Li, 2020) and physical (Laar et al., 2021) to students such as risk of eye diseases, headache, scoliosis or neck and shoulders pain due to wrong learning posture
Figure 2.5 Environment: One of online learning’s challenges
It can be seen that students are being challenged by many internal and external factors currently In general, the main reason causing to the problem of online learning process could be equipment, collaboration in the study, expression related to psychological factor of students, the support for students from expert in the use of technology equipment and the internet connection, and learning environment such as study space Therefore, it is necessary to propose solutions to encourage, motivate and support students overcome challenges when conducting online learning Especially, there should be a preparation from educators in the complicated context and further problems in the far future.
Previous studies
Muilenburg & Berge (2001) determined the underlying constructs that comprise student barriers to online learning through the survey was released on the website to university students and persons working in elementary and secondary schools The factors found were administrative issues, social interaction, academic skills, technical skills, learner motivation, time and support for studies, cost and access to the internet, and technical problems To the specific aspect of instructor, Mahmud et al (2010) investigated the problems faced by former serving teachers in distance education The research included teachers who were trained at the faculty of education of a public university in Türkiye during the 2019-2020 school year Participating in the survey, teachers said they mainly
32 encountered problems such as failure to establish contact with students, lack of internet, and meet technological related problems
Tallent-Runnels et al (2006) and Schrum & Hong (2001) researched on online teaching and learning Four topics were surveys: course environment, learners’ outcomes, learners’ characteristics, and institutional and administrative factors The conclusions overall suggested that few universities have written policies, guidelines, or technical support for faculty members or students
Gillett-Swan (2017) was report that group work is a principal element of education within supporting participants to develop numerous skills and transfer to each other in the group work However, when applying to the online learning environment, researcher had also found inadequacy problems as potential barriers which causing learners’ disengagement or withdrawal from courses and associated learning activities The researcher showed on main objectives of learners’ challenges in online learning First and all above that is the engagement Because of the sudden situation, teachers were not trained about teaching method on online environment before, therefore it is inevitable they are using one approach to instruct all different competence learners At the beginning of applying online learning, it is focused on collaborative learning tasks, but less be focused on delivery and making attention to the content of tasks Moreover, related difficulties such as equipment, access, community, learning environment, support, and attitude as well as students’ perception on online learning The second keyword that Gillett-Swan (2017) reminded in the research was collaborative learning tasks All of learning activities like group work, presentation and group assessment might lead students face to trouble of using new and different technologies, staying out of comfortable zone and inequity evaluation, exclusive group assessment In particularly, peer interaction is found that inability and difficulty in presentation cause of team workers are staying in various places, they have different competence and ability of technology skills and learners join online learning environment through different LMS Individuals cannot manage to navigate the system on their own, making it even harder for them to navigate the complex environments of group collaboration The third problem is as above recommendation, it is difficult to establish a standardized assessment system for online learning Even online learning has increased
33 knowledge and understanding of participants about interact and experience of using technology as the preparation for future collaboration, assessment practices are limited in variety and mode of online learning environment
Online learning is a comprehensive learning method, it has capable of connecting and sharing knowledge effectively (Bieu, 2012) The release of online learning has marked a turning point in the application of ICT in the field of education and training Additionally, Bieu (2012) raised three aspects of challenges in applying online learning in Vietnamese educational context that are to build up the information technology system of education, to invest into technology and oriented development, and to increase both teachers and students’ skills of using technology In another research in University of Science, Hue University in Vietnam, Dung et al (2021) reported on their study which was conducted by students via Facebook application When fully changing from traditional way of learning into online environment it causes difficulties for learners due to the lack of necessary skills such as shortage of interact with lecturers, limited equipment, and lack of skills in using technology in online learning Students expressed uninterested in online learning accounts below half of participants as the answer of online learning effectiveness One of theories is that student’s study in online learning environment for a long time, spending a lot of time in front of devices’ screen so they may lack of communication to lecturers and other students Lacking of interaction may cause to psychological issues of most students The fact that students felt wearisome and uninterested which was one of the major disadvantages of online learners Because of the lack of direct interactions, it hinders student interaction in the learning process and can make students feel unmotivated Motivation was an element that greatly affects the quality of student learning, because psychology was considered a nuclear that plays a very important role in determining learning effectiveness Therefore, the psychological factors that create the learners’ attitude or the learners learning environment need to receive more attentions and concerns in the future
According to Dung et al (2021) showed support learning devices and spaces are named as one of obstacles for students in online learning In which, the unstable network connection may cause to difficulty for students participating in the courses For students
34 joining in online learning, a reliable internet connection is a prerequisite for their own learning The weak internet connection can greatly affect the monitoring and acquisition of knowledge by students during the lessons Dung et al (2021) also described other difficulties in learning environment such as uncomfortable learning space, insufficient learning equipment, etc that have significantly effectiveness to the online course for students In addition, studying at students' place, a number of participants commented that they are affected by the noisy surrounding sounds
In addition, Feldman and Zucker (2002) investigated the benefits and limitations of online instruction with the use of Telegram, a widely used mobile application by Iranians This study demonstrated the views of some teachers towards online collaboration and analyzed the limitations and benefits of online tutoring via Telegram Research has found a lack of interaction and feedback from students during online course progress The results confirmed that modern technologies such as Telegram, WhatsApp, Skype or Moodle arouse students’ motivation and interest in learning The support of pronunciation skills of native teachers is appreciated by learners and more interesting when practicing audio files Similarly, Hepp, Fernandez and Garcia Citation (2015) surveyed primary teachers in Ireland about their use of technology and internet in the impact of Covid-19 on their teaching The findings revealed awareness of teachers by their own competencies and abilities to challenge using modern technology devices The study highlights the technology requirements for successful online teaching School closures due to the pandemic have increased teachers’ interactions with technology and, for the most part, made them more confident in using technology Hollebrands (2020) also expressed concern about the difficulty in implementing aspects of the task-based curriculum that rely heavily on discourse and classroom interaction; and the challenge of finding quality and usable resources for remote instruction This study also points out several factors affecting teachers’ use of technology during distance learning due to COVID-19
Hermansyah and Aridah in the Indonesian Journal of English and Linguistics (2021) described teachers’ perceptions of the challenges in implementing online learning in teaching English subjects and delivered recommendations to overcome those difficulties Research data was collected through in-depth interviews, descriptive analysis using
35 interactive techniques Data analysis results showed that English teachers were initially unfamiliar with online learning, so they still encountered many barriers in teaching using applications or online platforms There was a number of challenges, such as the use of applications or media platforms, teacher knowledge, schedules, teacher and student engagement To implement online learning, these obstacles need to be overcome.
Framework of the study
In this chapter, online learning is referred to as a model of distance education in which a course is established and designed to provide adequate knowledge, maintain continuing education and adapting to different situations This is also an online learning program implemented at BVU, online learning is used to create a communication space, transmit learning materials and teacher guidance to students, and create interact to engage learners
The common advantage of online learning in studying English was the flexibility that students can study comfortably at anywhere as long as they have a computer connected to the internet, they can also arrange time to participate in discussions at any time suitable, Nedeva & Dimova (2010) addressed Personalized characteristic of online learning benefit students to look for the information by using hyperlinks and sites where they can find information related to their personal situations and preferences There was a fuller and more democratic participation among all participants when joining online learning to study English Because online learning creates a better possibility and environment for collaborative reflection, (Warschauer, 1999) Gathering form previous researches, Yang & Chen (2007), Mutambik (2018), Al-Menei (2008), Brandl (2002) and Romeo (2008) believed students can earn online learning methods to acquired English language at all skills such as listening, speaking, reading and writing Using online learning module supported to increase technology competence for learners by playing online games, doing tasks, conducting activities and discussion via digital applications
Beside advantages gained from the online learning for learners around the world and for students in BVU typically, there were still problems that cause difficulties for English major students at BVU One of the basic difficulties for students that is the ability
36 of learners to have internet access equipment, such as having a smartphone or laptop, Allen
& Seaman (2007) mentioned Therefore, the difficulties for the educator in implementing online learning is the prohibitive costs for sync online development To students, factors related to attitudes, awareness, and discipline are mentioned as the main challenges for them when they have fully equipped online learning support facilities Biswas (2020) revealed that a study was analyzed based on students’ responses to social media evinces that student complained there was the lack of a suitable learning attitude, discipline or comfortable learning environment during covid period Biswas (2020) stated that it was recognized one of the major challenges in online learning is improving the sense of community Moreover, other factors such as study skills, support about technology from the school and learning environments are important also All these difficulties are discovered and experienced in the chapter 4 of this research
Therefore, the objectives of the present study are to explore the challenges that BVU students are currently facing when learning English for majors via online learning environment Based on the previous studies the author has reviewed so far, this study aimed to check the perception of both English students and teachers to those difficulties From which, the author suggested some effective ways to help students to make the online learning effectively The theoretical framework of was relied on the theoretical framework of the previous studies and literature
The conceptual framework of the present study is presented in Figure 2.6 as follows
Figure 2.6 Challenges of online learning encountered by English major students at
Summary
This chapter provided an overview about types of online learning or different names of online learning and the development of technology in use of teaching and learning, especial in English language education In addition, previous studies on challenges, and participants’ perception toward challenges on online platform in the world and in Vietnam was presented Next was the conceptual study that was used in this research The research methodology used in this study is discussed in chapter three
Challenges of online learning encountered by English major students at BVU
Equipment Attitude Collaboration Support Environment
Research design
The study was a survey research design to examine challenges of English major students face during online learning They were studying in the Foreign Language Faculty at BVU The questionnaires and semi-structured interviews were employed to support the mixed method Mixed method research referred to an intuitive way of doing research (Creswell, 2011) and it was also a practical approach that bring out strength on both qualitative and quantitative study Qualitative research was conducted by interview questions and quantitative method was implemented to measure the statistics of the survey Moreover, the semi-structured interview to English teachers would support to accomplish this approach
The study used mixed methods to answer three following research questions:
(1) What are the challenges English major students at BVU face during online learning?
(2) How do English major students at BVU perceive these challenges during online learning?
(3) How do teachers at BVU perceive these challenges during online learning/teaching?
In the present study, the quantitative methodology would be beneficial for figuring out the answer for question 1 and question 2 In addition, the question 1 and 2 would be
39 addressed by qualitative data in the students’ interview also The answer for research question 3 were collected from English teachers’ interview The inferential statistics facilitated to find out the conclusion for the influence of challenging factors to English major students at BVU Regarding to research questions 2 and 3, it aims to investigate perception that English major students and their teachers reacted to difficulties and explore the solutions were used to boost learners’ motivation and teaching quality The semi- structured interview was believed to create an opportunity for the participants to express and share their opinions as well as ideas which would bring a valuable contribution As such, the qualitative data were collected and analyzed In short, the final conclusions were drawn from both quantitative and qualitative data collections and analysis
The current research was implemented with the pilot for both students and teachers including questionnaires and interviews Johanson & Brooks (2010) declared that scholars and consultants recommended the pilot studies to mention a variety of issues which were including preliminary scale or instrument development Detail concerns such as item difficulties, discrimination of items, internal consistency, response rate and parameter estimation are all relevant in generally
With the purpose of examining the clarity of questions and ensure that they are clear and appropriate enough, a trial survey and interview, called the pilot There was a small quantity of students and teachers joined, it was totally fifteen students and three teachers taking participating in this part According to Johanson & Brooks (2010), the pilot study sample size depended on the particular purpose of study All participants are Vietnamese who are also English major students of BVU, and their English proficiency is at pre- intermediate level and above The questions for the survey and interview would be translated into Vietnamese The pilot stage was conducted with bilingual questionnaires in order to make sure the equivalence of the translated questionnaire and the original version about challenges of online learning to learn English for English major students at BVU As soon as the participants of the pilot survey finished discussing about the use of words in the questionnaire, the researcher revealed the guided questions for the interview Later, there was two contents of semi-structured interview carried by 3 English teachers and 15
40 English major students The comments of pilot participants support to help the researcher adjust the wording of questions for the interview more understandable In the end, the researcher would make necessary adjustments and start carrying out the survey and the interview a Questionnaire
The questionnaires were designed in the multiple-choice questions A questionnaire including 3 sections with different questions and factors, was distributed to the participants directly The questions were created based on the five factors of challenges influencing English major students in online (section B), including equipment, learners’ attitude, collaboration, support, and learning environment All questions were to explore the difficulties cause to challenges of English major students through learning online at BVU Moreover, the last section of questionnaire (section C) helped to discover the students’ perception on online learning program The participants in this section were English major students who are studying English at the first year, second year, third year and fourth year of BVU as the general information in the first section (section A) The quantitative data were later collected and analyzed by using SPSS statistics The data analysis of this survey aimed to the answers for the first research question (section B) and the second research question (section C) of this study b Interview for students
The interview was organized after the survey had been completed The interview was conducted to clarify the types of challenges that English major students reported and their perception toward online learning program The interviewees for the interview were chosen English major students who had also joined in previous survey These 15 students were recommended by teachers as the convenient sample for doing pilot and research interview As well as the pilot survey, researcher conducted pilot interview to ensure evaluation interview questions correctly about wording, trustworthy and understanding The interview was designed in semi-structured formality with 3 in-depth interview questions for English major students to ask participants about their experiences and expectations related to the online learning program, the thoughts they have concerning
41 program and about the changes they perceive in themselves as a result of their involvement The collected data would be summarized by wording code for analyzing qualitative data Finally, the researcher was able to collect detailed answers as the results to confirm the accuracy and reliability for research questions 1 and 2 c Interview for teachers
The interviewees for this interview were English teachers who had experience of teaching English major students at BVU The researcher chose ten teachers based on convenient sample to participate in the interview because of the time was limited and participants joining this section have to match required criteria of English teaching experiment There were 3 experienced teachers agreeing to take part in the pilot interview
As same as other pilots, researcher conducted pilot interview to ensure evaluation interview questions correctly about word meaning and trustworthy The interview was designed in semi-structured formality with 3 questions for English teachers They were encouraged to honestly share their opinions on each question so that the research could have the most accurate and reliable conclusions The discussion was conducted in English language The qualitative data collected would be analyzed from the discussion In the end, the researcher was able to collect detailed answers as the results to reply for research question 3.
Research method
The survey was built up based on questionnaires then it was checked the validity and reliability via a pilot examination before conducting on participants Totally 30 close- ended questions were conducted in the survey within 30 minutes for completing fulfilling The advantage of applying close-ended questionnaires in this research is that items are not required to produce respondents by adding free writing, instead, close-ended questionnaires can easily to mark the code on each alternative (Dửrnyei & Taguchi, 2009) All participants of this study were studying in major of English, therefore, the main language was used in questionnaires is English which was designed at basic level to make it easy in understanding The collected data was analyzed by SPSS software version 29.0 to exam the validity and reliability of the approach
42 Semi-structured interview was conducted by questioning both English major students and English teachers in two sections of questions There was also the guidance of the interview as well as the introduction about the purpose of this study The first stage of question was used close-ended questions to ask participants about general information such as educational level and working experience (for teacher only) Later in the second part, the participants took part in the open-ended interview Using open-ended questions was hoped to explore challenges of students in online learning depend on many aspects which led to a sight of the research Dửrnyei & Taguchi (2009) had also claimed that open-ended questions will work particularly well if these questions were not completely open, it can contain certain guideline for the answer of participants
Data was examined from all questionnaires of the survey and semi-structured interviews Firstly, the questionnaires were collected to score and later it was analyzed by IBM SPSS Statistics software version 29.0 Based on the result of survey, the research found out challenges of students in online learning from each specific question After that, the interview was conducted and recorded as evidence to analyze data The questions which are used for interview were deviced into two stages The first stage was used close-ended questions to get general information about participants The second stage was open-ended questions to exploit challenges of student which goes over the estimation and suggestion for enhancing English studying via online learning These semi-structured interviews are recorded to conduct qualitative content analysis process The results were compiled from questionnaires and semi-structured interviews The researcher combined the challenges and perception of English major students in online learning based on analyzed data from both side of students and teachers.
Participants
The research was processed in three parts by the questions review, pilot stage for testing and the official survey and interview
To the questions review part:
The participants who invited to support this current study were an English teacher who had Master degree of English Linguistics and above One was English teacher who
43 was teaching English for English major student at BVU and the other was supervisor of researcher All questionnaires and interview questions were built by searchers then were transferred to two these teachers for reviewing English teachers gave comments to edit questions adapt with three initial research questions as well as the purpose of study Researcher had to collect information in order to complete questionnaires before processing to pilot part
The participants for the pilot were selected by convenient sample The invitation was sent to 15 English major students and 3 English teachers at BVU The students are learning majored English at the BVU By the email, the researcher explained carefully about study’s guidelines that participants have to notice The participants who joined pilot are also in the group of participants of official survey and interview It is essential to choose right students joining the pilot stage so that they could give comments on use of words in the questionnaire and check the understanding of questions before proceeding on a large scale Depending on those comments and feedback, the researcher could adjust the questions for the surveys and interviews then complete the last version of the questionnaires and interview questions
After sending the invitation via email, the researcher got 15 emails replied from 15 students and 3 emails from 3 teachers They agreed to participate in the pilot The students who joined the pilot were chosen by researchers including 4 students in the first year, 4 students from the second year, 4 students from the third year and 3 students from the fourth year The English teachers who took part in pilot interview are tutoring these students
To the official research: a Survey for students
The researcher chose students in total 160 English major students by the convenience sampling based on the convenience or accessibility of the subject, according to Dửrnyei & Taguchi (2009) These student samples are in the age of 18 to 22 who are studying English major in BVU Convenience samples are usually intentionally due to the opportunity of accessibility and certain characteristic of joiners Selected students are the
44 participants in the study who have good awareness and behavior in learning They are willingness to contribute to make the research valuable
First of all, researcher asked for the permission and support from BVU Then, thanks to the recommendation of the master class dean, researcher contacted to Foreign Languages and Social Sciences Faculty to get information for the total number of majored English students at BVU and the totally number of four level classes for these students Finally, after discussing with Foreign Languages and Social Sciences Faculty, there was a suitable schedule selected to conduct surveys
The total number of English major students who have learned English at Foreign Languages and Social Sciences Faculty in BVU is 180 students They were separated into four classes This study was processed on these four classes However, there were some absent and reserved students, the samples of study were limited at 160 students as the choose from researcher depend on the use of convenience sampling Ending up with 4 chosen classes, there were totally 160 samples for the questionnaires (including 52% of females and 48% of males) These students had joined in online learning to learn English at least haft-year for the freshman and more in upper classes Therefore, these students would have experience using online learning in their English learning at BVU and they also had knowledge of English enough to understand English language using in questionnaires Furthermore, at the beginning of each survey, researcher had introduced and explained to purpose of study to students as well as given guidance and took care of questioning from these participants The collected results were reliable The final quantity of 4 classes was 153 questionnaires misused 7 people because of student absence and invalid responses b Interview for English major students
The participants of this semi-structured interview are 15 students The interview with the students is used for the purpose to know clearly about students’ challenges and understand their perception towards these challenges Additionally, in order to ensure the objectivity in all the answers of the respondents, the researcher carried out the individual interviews in which F2F conversations with the researcher helped encourage English major students in BVU to share their challenges as well as perceptions of challenges in online
45 learning Thanks to those personal interviews, the researcher had more understanding of external and internal students’ obstacles in their learning process c Interview English teachers
The interviewees were the English teachers who taught English for English major students in BVU directly At the beginning of study, researcher had contacted Foreign Languages and Social Sciences Faculty to ask support from English teachers in this faculty There was an invitation to teachers via email After receiving their reply, researcher created interview plan for totally 10 teachers within 4 teachers were teaching at the same time frame with surveys The 6 other teachers joined interview according to researcher’s plan that was right after completing survey The 10 chosen teachers were in a group that had most frequency of online learning than others These English teachers also had long time experience teaching around 5 to over 15 years Thus, they could represent for the considerable number of English teachers who taught English language for English major students at BVU
The participants in the semi-structured interview could not only freely share their opinion, experience, knowledge but also express their viewpoint and suggestion to the challenges of student in online learning The interviewees were expected to feel comfortable participating in the discussion, contributing honestly, and making some opposing point of view to reach meaningful and valid results Researcher had to record their answers so that was the evidence contributed to the study by translating and analyzing after then The record would be as the believable verification of collecting reliable information about the challenges and attitudes of students in learning online, the difficulties that English teachers had to face to teach English online and the suggestions to motivate English students learning effectively.
Research instruments
The study would be examined in term of questionnaires and semi-structured interviews as research instruments The questionnaires helped to get the information answering research question (1) about the challenges of English major students in online learning and question (2) about the perception of these students toward challenges The
46 semi-structured interviews were expected to contribute comments to reply for question (3) in deeply discovering difficulties of English teaching via online learning program Moreover, these interviews supported to confirm what were the main factors causing challenges for English major students (question 1) and propose solutions for these challenges That were 2 main instruments were employed in this research for data collection
Researchers tried to design questionnaires and questions following basic letter and simple structure because she expected interviewees could understand its meaning deeply All participants could use English at least in the intermediate level However, to adapt with researcher’s expectation, all the questions and options in this instrument were translated into Vietnamese Belong to Harkness et al (2004), they stated an insignificant change in formulation or suboptimal design have been shown to affect respondents’ understanding of the question asked or the accuracy of the measurement or count Questionnaires were designed go to considerable effort to try to ensure that the intended meaning of questions was also what respondents understand In cross-cultural research, too, the slight differences in formulation across languages can affect understanding and that inappropriate design or inappropriate translation can result in respondents not being asked what the researchers intended to ask Therefore, translating instruments was necessary
To begin with the process of translation questions used in the survey as well as the interview should be carefully implemented and completed There were three steps of translation, consisting of (1) the preliminary phase, (2) the translation phase and (3) revision or quality assurance phase English designed all questions firstly, then, it would be reviewed to translate to Vietnamese and changed words to match with three standards mentioned above
In order to ensure the quality of translation, after the accomplishment of translating process, the researcher had it reviewed by two English teachers who have got Master degree of English Linguistics including the supervisor of this research They are experimental instructors who have been working as English teachers at the institution for more than 10 years The researcher believed on the ability of translating documents, which
47 facilitated the researcher to modify the wording and get the most accurate version of the questionnaires and issues for the interviews
Questionnaires were designed for participants to fill in responses as result of quantitative research The questionnaires were a highly structured data collection instrument, it had most items asking about extremely specific pieces of information or giving various response options for the participants to choose from Questionnaires would be also designed by constructing close-ended question and using Likert-scale model to define level of object on each question By the result of questionnaires, it could be used to compare the responses together Questionnaires’ responses had advantage in conducting survey as it creates an opportunity for researchers to collect a great number of information without spending too many expenses and a big amount of time, it is easy to measure and show on chart, and the resulting data was easy to analyze, especially when questionnaires contain many choices of items that need to be checked, (Patten, 2016)
The questionnaire included 2 main parts The first part was asking about the challenges of English major students in online learning There were 5 terms in this part to learn about the factors causing majored English students’ challenges The second part of questionnaire influencing English major students’ perception to learn English by online learning program in BVU The 5 key terms about 5 main factors framed in the conceptual framework, namely equipment, attitude, collaboration, support and environment Each term included 4 designed questions concerning to the most difficulties collected in the form of statements with five options from 1 to 5 Regarding to 5 Likert-scales defaulted strongly disagree (1), disagree (2), neutral (3), agree (4), or strongly agree (5) for each statement It was used as the same way of Likert-scales to second part of questionnaire that the participants answered each question by choosing one number from 1 to 5 representing for one level of agreement This second part was designed with 2 terms to explore English major students’ perception in online learning at BVU There were also 5 scales: 1 (strongly disagree), 2 (disagree), 3 (neutral), 4 (agree), or 5 (strongly agree) depending on participants’ practical experience and assessment
The second instrument which was applied in this current research was interviewing This research was used semi-structured interviews to collect data for the qualitative
48 method Besides the questionnaire was beneficial to gather a large amount of data from a considerable number of participants, the researcher expected to have a deep understanding of students’ difficulties through interviews Moreover, conducting these interviews support to extend to teachers and students’ perception into online teaching The semi-structured interview was set up from the structure of open-ended questions and closed-ended question, the data would be collected by recording responses Therefore, that should be a flexible approach because the responses may not in the framework of the investigation Regarding to this, McIntosh & Morse (2015) reported the research using semi-structured interviews is epistemological versatile and compatible with mixed-method approach Therefore, the interview needed employing, which enabled the researcher to build up an extensive view of the factors have impacts on online learning and what types of challenges that English major students at BVU are presenting In this instrument, a total of 3 open-ended questions were designed in each interview for English students and teachers (see Appendix B & C) The participants had the opportunity to have deep talk about factors that cause their difficulties in English learning online at BVU so that the researcher could have an overview of those factors The qualitative data gathered from participants would contribute the researcher to find out reliable answers for research questions 1, 2 and 3.
Procedure and timeline
There were three sources of data collecting activities: the first was questionnaire from the survey of English major students, the second was interview data gathered from English major students also, the third was data collected from English teachers’ interviews
Before going to the official surveys and interview, researcher totally spent 1 month to conduct questionnaires review and pilot stage One first week was used for questionnaires review and the next week for conducting reviewing interview’s questions Researcher carefully reviewed all questions then transferred to uppers like Master of English Linguistics and the supervisor Receiving feedbacks from uppers was considered as a basis to ensure students’ understanding concerning the next step of pilot stage It took
2 weeks after that to proceed questionnaire pilot for students and interview pilot for teacher Due to the review questions, the pilot stage could run smoothly following set up procedure
49 The survey was be built up based on questionnaires then it was reviewed and checked the validity and reliability by questionnaires review and a pilot examination before conducting on students Totally 30 closed-ended questions would be conducted in the survey within 30 minutes for completing fulfilling The advantage of applying closed- ended questionnaires in this research is that items are not required to produce respondents by adding free writing, instead, close-ended questionnaires can easily to mark the code on each alternative (Dửrnyei & Taguchi, 2009) All students were studying in major of English, therefore, the main language was used in questionnaires is English which was designed at basic level to make it easy in understanding However, in the aim of collecting reliable and valuable, the researcher had also designed a Vietnamese version for deeply understanding the content of current study The collected data was analyzed by SPSS software version 29.0 to exam the validity and reliability of the approach
Semi-structured interview was conducted by questioning students and teachers in two sections of questions The first section of question was used closed-ended questions to ask participants about general information and their background Later in the second part, the participants took part in the open-ended interview Using open-ended questions was hoped to explore challenges of students in online learning depend on many aspects, the perception of students towards online learning and proposed solutions for these challenges which would lead to a sight of the research Dửrnyei & Taguchi (2009) had also claim that open-ended questions will work particularly well if these questions are not completely open, it can contain certain guideline for the answer of participants Therefore, researcher could benefit from this second part by going in-depth discussion about challenges of online learning, perceptions of participants on online learning program, and exploration towards solutions in both side of learners and instructors
Questionnaires and interview questions review Master of English
Pilot stage English major students/ English teachers
Official questionnaires and interviews English major students/ English teachers
Table 3.1 A summary of study procedure and timeline
Data analysis
Data would be examined from all questionnaires of the survey and semi-structured interviews Analyzing data embraced analyzing the quantitative data collected from the survey with questionnaires and the qualitative data gathered from the interview
Quantitative data was considered as the data built on the questionnaires from the survey After the completion of collecting answers from the respondents, researcher would score and later it would be analyzed by SPSS software version 29.0 – a specialized tool for statistical analysis The statistical analysis of the questionnaire was implemented accordingly To achieve the study’s targets and figure out answers for research question 1, the researcher used the keys analysis commands in SPSS, consisting of analyze and compare means These orders would assist the author to compute variables, count frequencies and percentages of each item’s replies in the questionnaire and investigate the average rate of all responses The mean scores as well as the standard deviation were analyzed and calculated for each variable or question to have an overview of the results Based on the result of survey, the research would find out challenges of students in online learning from each specific question in the SPSS’s statistics The frequencies of each level of agreement for each variable in the questionnaire was calculated to find out whether challenges of online learning to English major students at BVU The present of the most answer among 5 levels of agreement was calculated, then, the researcher could reveal the types of challenges that English major students at BVU were presented and neither common factors have strong influences on their online learning perception This analysis resulted to reach the findings for research questions 1 and 2
Qualitative data was established from semi-structured interview When the interview had been accomplished, the researcher collected data and imported to the computer by using a Word file Each answer was then encoded the answers so that she could analyze the correlation as well as make comparison among the answers in terms of words and phrases These qualitative data were gathered by English language and recorded in Word file The records were settled as valuable evidence to analyze quantitative data Eventually, the researcher started to analyze the information by means of discovering same
52 expressions and similar meaning words The findings were withdrawn from interviewees’ answers or extract from their direct responses On the authority of the analysis and synthesis, the researcher was able to seek for the better understanding and deep insights for research questions 1, 2 and also had the answer for question 3.
Summary
In generally, this current study was used the mixed methodology to ensure the reliable as well as authentic of data collection The researcher could have an incisive understanding towards students’ challenges in online learning and impacts from their perception on BVU English online learning The mixed methodology includes the quantitative approach which helped figure out how much difficulties influent to the online learning of English major students and the qualitative method which guided to better understanding of the ways each factor has impacts on English major students to learn English online, what solution could contribute to enhance students English learning in the program of online learning at BVU
This research was conducted with the participation of a large number of students in the survey using questionnaires and the interviews, therefore, the ethical consideration was extremely concerned It was required the researcher to ask permission from BVU before conducting the study The researcher was not only informed study purpose but also notified all participants about joining in this research was completely voluntary In the questionnaires were including various questions but there were not contained personal question such as name, identity code, address So that participants were kept safe for their provided information
This current study was conducted based on previous studies which were recommended in Chapter 2 It was earned from the advantages of these collected data, however, this study also contained limitations One is mentioned that is the scope of study This research was conducted at the BVU scale but other universities Depend on that, it might concern to the lack of information and difficulties to declare the findings are appropriate to other universities in Vietnam That being so, the future research can be
53 mentioned at other similar scopes to extend essential findings about online learning challenges of English major students to raise English language learning ability
Findings
This section used both quantitative and qualitative data collected from the questionnaire and the semi-structured interview The findings reported based on the following research question:
Research question #1: What are the challenges English major students at BVU face during online learning?
This section provides data analysis of the challenges of English students in online learning The results were analyzed quantitatively and qualitatively by using questionnaire which the author wants to investigate, including challenges in Equipment, Attitudes, Collaboration, Support and Learning environment in identifying main ideas and specific information Then the qualitative data obtained from the author’s records after interviewing was also analyzed with content analysis to confirm the quantitative data
4.1.1 Challenges in online learning of English major students
As mentioned in Chapter 3, challenges in online learning of English major students were divided into five aspects, namely equipment, attitude, collaboration, support, and environment In each aspect, challenges in online learning related to subjective and objective factors were put into research This aimed to find out the profound insights on challenges in online leaning which English major students had to face to in their own learning contexts
No Challenges in online learning of English major students N = 153
Table 4.1 The overall results of challenges in online learning of English major students Table 4.1 illustrates the overall result of challenges in online learning of English major students in five aspects The overall mean score of challenges in online learning is 4.14 (out of 5) To put it differently, English major students had to face with obstacles in their online learning process Also, based on the mean scores in the students’ responses to each aspect of online learning were a little different Particularly, the mean score of challenges in aspect of support is the highest (item 4: M=4.29; SD=.55) while the lowest mean score (item 5: M=4.06; SD=.64) belonged to the challenges in aspect of the environment Compared with the five components mentioned above, the challenges in aspect of collaboration were at the second position in the table with its result (item 3: M=4.13; SD=.73) and the third position is about students’ attitude towards online learning (item 2: M=4.12; SD=.58) About challenges relating to equipment, the result was at a rather high rate with item 1 (M=4.11; SD=.74) It can be indicated that the results of obstacles mentioned in table 4.1 which English major students at BVU had in online learning were quite close to each other a Challenges in equipment
Table 4.2 showed the results of difficulties in aspects of equipment which English major students encountered while studying online Obstacles in equipment were namely mentioned from lack of learning devices, computer skills, internet connection and online application fixing skills Four sub-variables relating to equipment received different research result which were presented as follows
Challenges in aspect of equipment N = 153
B1 I do not have any equipment like smart phone, laptop, computer, tablet
B2 I do not have good computer skills to solve problems while learning online
B3 I do not have a strong internet connection all the time 4.19 51 B4 I find it difficult to fix errors from online applications immediately 4.70 46
Table 4.2 Challenges in aspect of equipment
As can be seen from Table 4.2, the results revealed the difficulties relating to error fixing skills for online applications and internet connection got the first and second highest in the list; namely, item B4 (M=4.70; SD=.46) and item B3 (M=4.19; SD=.51) It showed that most students in the survey had the same opinions about those obstacles which they had to deal with during online lessons Also, to other aspects of challenges in online learning such as lack of equipment and computer skills, the results were respectively item B1 (M=3.97; SD=1.16) and B2 (M=3.61; SD=.83), which revealed that more than a half of the students found it difficult to join online classes for those reasons It can be noted that a great many students faced up to different challenges in online learning in terms of equipment However, the rate which showed the number of students with a particular obstacle relating to no equipment, computer skills, internet connection as well as error fixing skills was different from each other
These results seemed concordant with interview findings about challenges in aspect of equipment of English major students at BVU The qualitative data of the students showed that although students are applying information technology to approach the teachers’ lectures quite actively, in the reality, the circumstances and physical conditions of the students’ families will greatly influence their online learning because not all parents are willing to equip networks, computers, and smartphones for their students to study, especially in countryside areas Online learning also requires a certain understanding of technology Technical difficulties may include unstable internet connection, faulty laptop
57 or computer, poor audio quality, complexity of online teaching software, etc Every student needs feedback on their performance to improve their learning output Teachers have difficulties to give feedback to all students Some students have benefited from teachers and others because students are not provided with appropriate feedback leads to poor results The reason is that teachers do not find an appropriate method to provide feedback to all students
“Sometimes, a poor internet connection makes my lesson being interrupted, so I couldn’t communicate with my teachers and classmates actively during speaking.” (ST2)
“Sometimes I do not know how to master technology like logging in, live classes, creating and submitting lessons, communicating with my teachers and friends.” (ST5)
“I have problems with internet facilities; I do not have Wi-Fi at home The difficulty of the internet network at my home makes it difficult to learn online.” (ST6)
The important finding of this interview showed the equipment is the online learning’s success After doing the interview, the researcher found that there were a few interviewees who were lack of equipment while English online learning b Challenges in aspect of attitude
Table 4.3 presents the psychological aspects of English major students towards online learning Like challenges in equipment, obstacles relating to students’ attitude range from personal discipline, personal awareness, familiarities with online learning as well as understanding of the effectiveness of online learning
Challenges in aspect of attitude N = 153
B5 I do not have strict personal discipline in online learning 3.82 48 B6 I do not have self-motivated in interaction between teachers and students 4.67 52 B7 I am not familiar with online learning because I have not been trained before
B8 I am not oriented about the effectiveness of online learning in English learning
Table 4.3 Challenges in aspect of attitude
As can be seen from Table 4.3, four sub-variables were put into research in order to find out the students’ attitudes toward online learning in English learning Specially, the majority of the students (item B7: M=4.74; SD=.44) expressed that they were not familiar with online learning because of no previous trainings, which may be considered as the biggest difficulty to them Next, great students (item B6: M=4.67; SD=.52) did not have interactions between teachers and students in online learning process Also, students showed their agreement of challenges in following personal discipline strictly (item B5: M=3.82; SD=.48), which made a big influence on the effectiveness of online learning However, the number of students were not oriented about the effectiveness of online learning in English learning was at the lowest score with item B8: M=3.22; SD=.89, which means that not many students had understood the importance as well as the orientation to study online effectively To sum up, the results in table 4.3 confirmed that difficulties related to attitudes toward online learning made a dramatic impact on the students during online learning
Students had different attitudes towards the challenges of their online learning in the interview results
“The lack of interaction between teachers and students is the most challenges in my online learning because communication is limited, and I do not have self-motivated to interact with teachers.” (ST5)
“I am a shy person, so I rarely have self-motivated in interaction with my teachers”
“I do not have self-discipline and self-motivation when learning online It is easy to be distracted.” (ST12)
Thus, it can be said that when learning online, students will have concerns about the manipulating with computers in this learning platforms Students should be trained technology skills and the ways how to exchange information, this learning form will give students a positive attitude After having experiences, students tend to have attitudes, beliefs, and preferences towards online learning based on their experience c Challenges in term of collaboration during online lessons
59 The results in Table 4.4 focused on the students’ difficulties in accordance with collaboration during online lessons The series of setbacks range from lack of interaction, information exchange, discussion or groupwork and lack of preparation as well as instant explanation from teachers
Challenges in term of collaboration during online lessons N = 153
B9 I find it difficult to interact with teachers and classmates because of our misunderstanding of the lessons
B10 I find it difficult to exchange information in English through online applications
B11 I find it difficult to work in groups or discuss the lesson with my classmates
B12 I find the lack of preparation and explanations from the teachers, or teachers do not teach
Table 4.4 Challenges in term of collaboration during online lessons
As can be seen in Table 4.4, working in groups or discussing with classmates is the first hurdle with the highest score of items B11 (M=4.78; SD=.41) The lowest score was item B12 (M=3.48; SD=1.29) which talked about the teacher’s lack of preparation or instant explanation or even teachers did not teach This showed that not students had the same idea with item B12 The second highest score was item B10 showing the difficulties in exchanging information in English through online applications (M=4.28; SD=.51), which means that a great students felt stuck in English information exchange during their online learning Also, the score item B9 presented the challenges in teacher and student’s interaction due to misunderstanding of the lesson got the third highest score (M=4.17; SD=.70) It can be understood that the number of students agreed with the idea of difficulties in interaction was not small; to put it differently, this might be considered as one of the obstacles in students’ online learning
Additionally, the findings from the interview were showed that the lack of F2F interaction in their studies was the major disadvantage of online learning, while
Discussions 78 1 The challenges English major students face during English online learning 78
The present study was implemented by the quantitative and qualitative methods in which students were asked to complete questionnaire survey and answer the interview questions Teachers were also participants in the semi-structured interview The results revealed that students’ challenges are like teachers’ ones Similarly, the study conducted by Rasmitadila et al (2020) found the difficulties faced by teachers during distance education in the COVID-19 pandemic as technical barriers, student’s conditioning, student’s participation in education and online education experience Teachers experience a variety of problems such as lack of opportunities in online learning applications, network and internet use, teacher’s planning, implementation, evaluation, and collaboration also demonstrated in study of Fauzi et al (2020)
The following discussions concerning English students and teachers’ challenges, their perception of the challenges in online learning and teaching, and suggestions on difficulties during online learning program
This section focuses on the discussions of the research findings as follows:
4.2.1 The challenges English major students face during English online learning
According to the survey and semi-structured interview results, supports term is considered one of the biggest difficulties faced by students in online learning In general, through the implementation of online learning at the BVU, most students have gradually adapted to online learning However, through the study results many students still face difficulties and barriers in the online learning process These challenges come from the subject being the learners and the influences from the external environment Students need to be equipped with technology and be trained in appropriate learning methods to effectively participate in cyber classes In a normal classroom, the process of transmitting and receiving information takes place directly and quickly, students can easily give feedback or comments directly However, when completely converting to online learning, learners’ challenge is the lack of some necessary skills in online learning and the survey results are clearly shown in table 4.1
As we know, modern learning is a process that requires students to always be creative, self-exploring, researching, exploiting and process information to form their own basic knowledge, essential skills, standard virtue and ideal Adapting that requirement, students need to have effectively applied technology, electronic equipment to exploit and materials for learning When BVU imposes using online learning during the Covid-19 epidemic, students always take the initiative in learning However, to be able to participate in online learning, each student needs to equip themselves with a smart phone, computer, or laptop This makes it difficult for a part of students with difficult circumstances, especially families in remote areas, it is difficult for them to be equipped with learning equipment in time to serve learning, so there are still many cases students have to learn online thanks to their friends’ device Difficulties in technologies may include unstable internet connection, problems of computer, poor sound or image quality, complexity of online software, etc
In addition, using many applications and tools for online learning also requires learners to have certain knowledge to use them flexibly and effectively Moreover, the challenges they faced were not only exclusive in terms of language ability, socio-cultural background, inadequate communication environment due to direct learning on the screen, but also learners lacked interaction between learners and teachers, and among learners They also lacked team building, collaboration, group meetings and this makes it difficult for learners to improve their English-speaking skills Moreover, the students’ spirit in the learning process also reflects the effectiveness of online learning Online learning in long hours, students must spend time in front of computer screens, lack of communication between teachers and students, leading to psychological fatigue Therefore, the fact that students feel uninterested The lack of F2F relationships in the learning process can make students feel unmotivated to learn English online This will affect the quality of students’ learning because psychology is considered a core factor and plays an important role in effective learning Therefore, psychological factors of learners need to be paid more attention in online learning in the future Furthermore, students want to receive faster teachers’ feedback but they also have difficulties in correcting errors from online
80 applications and receiving information about online class content, assignments, tasks, times, and more
According to Berge and Muilenberg (2005), social interaction is strongly related to the online learning’s enjoyment and effectiveness and the ability to take an online class Learners may have difficulty communicating in online classes, feeling disconnected and emotional The social interactions become a concern, a barrier for learners to this way of learning Feeling of lack of motivation when learning online, lack of confidence in one's own abilities and skills in technology are factors that hinder students' psychology when taking part in online learning programs (Berge & Muilenberg, 2005) For effective online learning, students also expect instructors to clearly communicate course goals, give feedback quickly to students, and have supportive online learning environment Students indicated that it was difficult to communicate with their teachers and peers They expect more feedback and interaction with the teacher Therefore, teachers play a vital role in educating students through online teaching The student-teacher relationship is an opportunity brought about by online interactions The relationship between students and school standards is fundamental to creating interaction and understanding, which is the purpose of the curriculum Similarly, Mahmud et al (2010) found that students at the universities consider the difficulty of interaction a barrier to distance education
Additionally, students also faced problems with internet connection during exams, inability to concentrate, not being accustomed to different methods, receiving no messages or mail for notifications in a web-based instruction research Muilenburg and Berge (2005) conducted a study with students that gave the same results The network transmission and unstable internet connection is the difficulty of most of the students participating in the survey When participating in online learning, a reliable internet connection is a prerequisite for learning process The weak internet connection can greatly affect the monitoring and absorption of ideas students’ knowledge during lessons Besides, other difficulties in learning conditions such as space unfavorable study location as well as the absence or inadequate learning facilities caused significantly affect the students’ online learning process As recommend above, the unstable internet connection makes it difficult for learners to understand the partner’s expressions and techniques and technology
81 applications, so learners were more tired and bored with their learning Due to the diverse challenges of online learning as mentioned, students admit that learning English online causes problems such as not enough communication activities, limited conversation in class, lack of role play and short-term stimulation, instructor’s presence, time control, slow feedback, and reflection
Thus, students are currently facing to many subjective and objective factors affecting their online learning activities However, in general, the main cause was pointed out to be the problem of internet connection as well as lack of equipment, supports, technology study skills, psychological factors and collaboration in the learning process of students In addition, there were unknown influences from the external environment such as noise and other agents Therefore, there is the need to advice recommendation to help students in the online learning process in the context of the current situation and moreover to develop the school’s online learning environment
4.2.2 English major students’ perception of challenges encountered in online learning at BVU
Based on the result of the study, remarkably, the same number of students have technological difficulties because of unstable internet connections In addition, students also encountered problems related to laptop errors and system errors Therefore, it is difficult to speak English because of limited pronunciation and not being able to correct pronunciation through online methods Almost all students had many challenges in online speaking courses Additionally, some students had poor speaking skills that were compulsory in speaking classes, but teachers did not have the ability to correct their mistakes due to online teaching These challenges are the same to the study of Phan et al (2022) Students are studying online could not practice speaking English sufficiently because there are limited interactions among the students Similarly, Mahyoob (2020) also claimed that learners could not effectively interact with teachers in virtual English skills classes regarding language communication
Moreover, writing is also a skill that challenges students to learn online It is hard for students to receive fully understand the content of the lesson from teachers Because of this problem, students hope to improve writing skills through teachers’ feedback, and effort
82 to correct their mistakes Besides, activities in listening skills were limited because of unstable internet connections which made students pay no attention to lessons, face trouble in practicing listening and taking online listening exams Students had difficulties listening to audio materials and answering questions simultaneously, so they sometimes forgot what they listened to and could not grasp the meaning of the recordings Students also faced difficulties in doing reading assignments They had problems with vocabulary Besides, taking online exams with limited time is also a challenge because there were too many new words to read
In addition, students had difficulty in applying computer skills and wanted to be trained to improve the skills It can be concluded that students have acquired technological skills during online learning They begin to be able to solve technical problems during online learning that they have never encountered before Students have experiences when learning online helped them to have positive reactions in terms of attitude and awareness towards online learning Students can use technological skills to practice speaking, reading, listening, and writing skills through English online learning process This explore is also similar to the study of Yang & Chen (2007) and Mutambik (2018) Almost all students had many challenges in online speaking courses Through the collected answers, most of the students revealed the most difficult aspect of online learning was the interaction between lecturers and classmates while studying online
However, students did not deny the convenient in online learning They emphasized the most obvious benefit of online learning is the flexibility and convenience They do not have to go to school to attend classes They can complete their courses at home or from anywhere they feel comfortable and productive In this way, the flexibility of online learning allows students to continue their professional development without worrying other issues in their lives Nedeva & Dimova (2010) also summarized the general advantages of online learning in English online learning Besides, students also admitted that compared to F2F learning, online learning helps their parents save a lot of money Not only lower tuition fees, but also other costs such as gas, transportation can be omitted The only thing you need to equip is a tablet or laptop and a strong internet connection This is considered the benefit of online learning that is most concerned by students Compared with traditional
83 training methods, online learning via the internet helps students save up travel time and information dispersion At the same time, this training method helps learners to save maximum costs such as printing documents, travel expenses, accommodation, parking, Another benefit of online learning students mentioned is the ability to store materials and lectures in large volumes Choosing the online training method, learners can comfortably participate in training courses anywhere with a flexible period In addition, with this geometry online lectures can be recorded, stored, and shared Thereby, making the study of knowledge also become easier and more convenient Students do not need to equip too many books, carry heavy loads, they can access and search documents more easily on the internet In addition, online lectures can be recorded and easily viewed by students later This allows students do not have to take too many notes and still review the lesson fully
Furthermore, shy students also revealed that online learning platforms helped them to introvert, can boldly communicate with teachers They have opportunity to express their views and participate in class discussions Many students reported that they feel more confident and comfortable expressing their opinions in a private space They actively give their views and opinions without considering about the attitudes of other students around them and there is no fear of others judging It is also easy for them to connect and exchange with other friends without meeting F2F This is a great benefit of online learning for students who are still shy in front of crowds (Warschauer, 1999) also admitted in his study that shy students will join in more regularly when communicating via computer
Summary
According to research questions, the findings were shown in two parts: students’ challenges of online learning, students and teachers’ perception of these challenges and the suggestions how to solve difficulties in online learning
For the first research question, the findings revealed that the highest challenges are support for students to learn online, the second one is collaboration, it means interaction between participants in online classrooms, and the last one is students’ attitude Other factors such as equipment and learning environment also contribute the successful online learning process
For the second research question, the findings showed that the online learning has limitations, but it is still advocated by students and teachers when they overcome challenges in learning and teaching process Moreover, the findings from questionnaire and semi-structured interview also showed that students are aware of challenges they must face
92 in online learning process Therefore, their beliefs and evaluation toward challenges in online learning are up to date in today’s context because in Vietnam, according to statistics, the percentage of internet users today reaches about 70% of the population, while the world average is more than 51% Vietnam belongs to the group of 20 countries with the highest number of internet users in the world
For the third research question, teachers’ perception toward the challenges of online learning in teaching English was significant like students’ one Therefore, teachers and learners were aware of such challenges and suggest the way to deal with them.
Conclusions
Online learning has many advantages that we cannot deny: time flexibility, low cost, diverse lectures, attractive websites,… However, not most students use this form of learning This has not yielded many positive results Through the survey, our team found the following reasons leading to ineffective online learning
The findings illustrate the current situation of English students towards online learning at BVU The challenges encountered by English major student in their learning English via online program caused by equipment, attitude, collaboration, support and environment With the aim to discover common factors caused to these challenges, this study was investigated in both internal and external aspects The influences of online learning challenges into English learning for English major students were also analyzed and presented by the research result as written in Chapter 4
93 Regarding to the first research questions for different kinds of online learning challenges, there were 5 factors found based on previous researches that were (1) equipment, (2) attitude, (3) collaboration, (4) support and (5) environment Besides, the semi-structured interview results revealed other factors affecting online learning and causing difficulties for English major students.
Pedagogical implications for students, teachers and administrators
The results of this study have implications in online learning and teaching at BVU:
Students have to determine that between online and F2F teaching methods, they never deny each other, but coexist and support each other to promote the strengths of each teaching method First, each student must determine the goals he or she achieves in each lesson and the course as a whole They need to actively equip themselve with the basic knowledge to use computers and the internet fluently Whether learning online or F2F, each student must train himself/herself in the spirit of self-study and active in searching learning documents The online learning method requires learners to have an extremely high sense of self-discipline The same as the traditional learning methods, when there is any knowledge that students do not understand, they need to boldly suggest receiving teachers’ feedback and explanation This is also an effective way to increase the interaction between teachers and students in the online environment Finally, after every lesson, the most effective way to learn is to do all the exercises assigned by the teacher
Second, the implementation of online learning for the purpose of supporting F2F teaching is also a suitable development with advanced training methods, encouraging students to learn independently, taking advantage of internet applications, increase the students’ initiative that Vietnamese students have been limited so far However, for this method to be effective, the teachers need to change the imparting knowledge methods dynamic and interactive to help students enjoy online learning process In particular, students need to have the right view of online classes, about the equal importance of F2F and online classes to avoid neglectful attitudes or coping with teachers when learning
94 online In addition, teaching and learning software also needs to be unified and highly secure to ensure that users’ personal information is not disclosed
Thirdly, students need to comply with the lecturer's requirements for assignments, discussions, and group work In addition, it is necessary to encourage students to learn independently, taking advantage of internet applications, increase the students’ initiative that Vietnamese students have been limited so far However, for this method to be effective, the teachers need to change the imparting knowledge methods dynamic and interactive to help students enjoy online learning process In particular, students need to have the right view of online classes, about the equal importance of F2F and online classes to avoid neglectful attitudes or coping with teachers when learning online Besides, students should practice critical thinking and arrange their time appropriately When students are absent from class, they must show their responsibility to ask for permission and review previous lectures or review content on the online learning site
Teachers are responsible for informing and introducing how to learn and access knowledge, guiding clear learning plans, learning goals in the first lesson These duties help students master their learning tasks The structure of online teaching content needs to define clear goals, organize many activities, such as games, group discussions, exercises, situations, change teaching methods towards promoting the central role, from the role of a presenter to a question-and-answer session, posing problems for students to discuss and learn
Teachers should prepare lectures and download theoretical content on the school's online learning site (Moodle) for students to preview When entering class, the lecturer only explains, analyzes, gives theoretical examples, presents for about 10-15 minutes, then organizes activities to discuss or some games for students Students draw their own conclusions from the lesson In addition, teachers should change the assessment method to suit the actual situation They can let students do assignments or dissertations with documents, or create conditions for students to present the topic
Attitude is also very important in online teaching, so each teacher needs to practice a positive attitude in the spirit of supporting students, being enthusiastic and responsible in
95 helping students so that they can learn best Teachers should take time to establish relationships and create connections with students Thereby, creating a friendly relationship between teachers and students, instructing students to go slower than usual, avoiding accidentally creating time pressure for students because it will lose their interest in learning
Moreover, teachers should equip themselves with the ability and skills to apply information technology, proficiently use software and online teaching systems In addition, they choose one of the forms such as teaching via online, online, via Zalo group, messenger, Facebook, email to assign lessons, assign tasks to students
The school needs to invest in equipment, infrastructure, and transmission equipment to ensure the best network system for learners, to avoid accessing Moodle systems to do faulty exercises or to congest the network Principals should build network infrastructure, information technology equipment (such as computers, cameras, printers, scanners), transmission lines, internet services, make the facilities to support students and teachers in online learning and teaching process Training human resources (managers, teachers, lecturers, students) with knowledge and skills to meet digital transformation requirements First, skills in using information technology, skills in information security, skills in exploiting and effectively using applications for teaching and learning Second, specific instructions on organizing online learning should be established to deploy, guide and train technical teachers to implement, develop detailed plans for teaching process
Continue to foster professional skills in online teaching, invite experts to exchange and share, and provide advanced training on the use of online platforms to ensure proficient use of tools
Organizing classes to ensure a moderate size, about 50 - 70 students per class, because teachers need to interact and exchange A small number of students will make it easier for teachers to manage and prepare for interaction better
Building a permanent technical support team to help lecturers and students solve any technical problems that occur during the learning process Checking and monitoring online teaching activities, detect problems for timely intervention
Limitations
The study makes a valuable contribution to the changes in language teaching and learning at BVU Nevertheless, it may contain some shortcomings that need to be considered in future research First, there were not many teachers and students invited for the interviews, so the study has not explored all the aspects in relation to challenges which make students apprehend learning online Second, the study has not presented experiment -based solutions which aim to help students overcome impediments in the execution of online learning.
Recommendations for further research
Based on the procedures undertaken and the findings of the current study, some suggestions for future research are made This present research had quite a sample size with 160 English major students in BVU answering the questionnaire and 10 teachers taking part in the interviews The future research should enlarge sample size of research to make generalization about online learning Furthermore, there should be a research project on the implementation of online learning at BVU in order to check whether students in BVU are ready to change their ways of learning or not and how they perceive the feasibility of their online learning process Accordingly, there should be some specific solutions that need to be studied through experiments to help students learn English online more effectively in the future for better online learning competence in English among students at BVU.
Summary
In this chapter 5, first stage presented the conclusions of the research results The conclusions were followed by suggestions to improve the effectiveness of online teaching and learning at BVU and pedagogical implications for students, teachers and principals in implementing online platform Subsequently, the study's limitations were acknowledged Finally, recommendations for further research were given
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English version a
This survey was designed for seeking challenges of English major students in conducting online learning Taking part in this survey is completely voluntary and you can back out any time also Your responses to this questionnaire will help to contribute our research completely We promise your replies will be kept confidentially and be served for study only There is no additional cost from your participation
Thank you very much for your cooperation
Academic’s status: 1 st year 2 nd year 3 rd year 4 th year
SECTION B: CHALLENGES OF ENGLISH MAJOR STUDENT ABOUT ONLINE LEARNING
Please put a tick (✓) in the blank whether you strongly disagree (1), disagree (2), are neutral (3), agree (4), or strongly agree (5) with the following statements
B1 I do not have any equipment like smart phone, laptop, computer, tablet
B2 I do not have good computer skills to solve problems while learning online
B3 I do not have a strong internet connection all the time
B4 I find it difficult to fix errors from online applications immediately
B5 I do not have strict personal discipline in online learning b B6 I do not have self-motivated in interaction between teachers and students
B7 I am not familiar with online learning because I have not been trained before
B8 I am not oriented about the effectiveness of online learning in English learning
B9 I find it difficult to interact with teachers and classmates because of our misunderstanding of the lessons
B10 I find it difficult to exchange information in English through online applications
B11 I find it difficult to work in groups or discuss the lesson with my classmates
B12 I find the lack of preparation and explanations from the teachers, or teachers do not teach
B13 I find a lack of training for student how to apply technology into learning English online
B14 I find a lack of support to fix typical errors about computer and internet
B15 I find a lack of guideline for various technological situations occur during online learning
B16 I find a lack of technical equipment for poor students
B17 I am bothered by ambient noise in the neighbourhood
B18 I am not allowed to use a computer or a laptop for a long time c B19 I am hurt when I study in the wrong posture because of lacking standard table and chair
B20 I have eye problems and headaches because of studying in low light and long screen time
SECTION C: PERCEPTION OF ENGLISH STUDENTS TOWARD CHALLENGES IN ONLINE LEARNING
Please put a tick (✓) in the blank whether you strongly disagree (1), disagree (2), are neutral (3), agree (4), or strongly agree (5) with the following statements
1.Online learning assures schedule flexibility
2 Online learning reduces students’ educational costs
3 Online learning helps to improved English vocabulary using computer-assisted
4.Online learning motivates learners confidently in electronical communicating
5 Online learning should be considered as an official learning program for majored English
6 Online learning is not efficient for learning English if students do not have enough technical equipment
7 Online learning acquires learners a strict self-discipline
8 Online learning helps English learner-cantered
9 Online learning helps to improve and update technical skill
10 Studying place can arrange to assure quality of learning d
THANK YOU FOR YOUR COOPERATION!
Vietnamese version d
BẢNG CÂU HỎI CỦA SINH VIÊN
Cuộc khảo sát này được thiết kế để tìm hiểu những thách thức của sinh viên chuyên ngành tiếng Anh khi học trực tuyến Sự tham gia vào cuộc khảo sát này là hoàn toàn tự nguyện và bạn cũng có thể dừng lại bất cứ lúc nào Câu trả lời của bạn cho bảng câu hỏi này sẽ đóng góp hoàn toàn cho nghiên cứu của chúng tôi Chúng tôi đảm bảo câu trả lời của bạn sẽ được giữ bí mật và chỉ phục vụ cho mục đích nghiên cứu Sự tham gia của bạn không phát sinh bất kì chi phí nào
Cảm ơn sự hợp tác của bạn
PHẦN A: THÔNG TIN NGƯỜI THAM GIA
Tình trạng học tập: Năm thứ nhất Năm thứ 2 Năm thứ 3 Năm thứ 4
PHẦN B: THÁCH THỨC CỦA SINH VIÊN CHUYÊN NGÀNH TIẾNG ANH KHI HỌC TRỰC TUYẾN
Vui lòng đánh dấu ( ✓) vào chỗ trống nếu bạn hoàn toàn không đồng ý (1), không đồng ý (2), trung lập (3), đồng ý (4) hay hoàn toàn đồng ý (5) với các nhận định sau
B1 Tôi không có bất kỳ thiết bị nào như điện thoại thông minh, máy tính xách tay, máy tính, máy tính bảng
B2 Tôi không có kỹ năng sử dụng máy tính tốt để giải quyết vấn đề khi học trực tuyến
B3 Tôi không có đường truyền internet mạnh mọi lúc
B 4 Tôi cảm thấy khó có thể sửa các lỗi trong các ứng dụng trực tuyến ngay lập tức e
B5 Tôi không có kỷ luật cá nhân nghiêm khắc trong việc học trực tuyến
B6 Tôi chưa có động lực thúc đẩy bản thân trong việc tương tác với giáo viên
B7 Tôi chưa quen với việc học trực tuyến vì chưa được hướng dẫn trước đây
B8 Tôi chưa định hướng được hiệu quả của việc học trực tuyến trong học tiếng Anh
B9 Tôi cảm thấy khó khăn khi tương tác với giáo viên và các bạn cùng lớp về những điều chưa hiểu trong bài học
B10 Tôi cảm thấy khó khăn khi trao đổi thông tin bằng tiếng Anh thông qua các ứng dụng trực tuyến
B11 Tôi cảm thấy khó khăn khi làm việc theo nhóm hoặc thảo luận bài học với các bạn cùng lớp
B12 Tôi thấy giáo viên thiếu sự chuẩn bị và giải thích, hoặc đôi khi giáo viên không hướng dẫn
B13 Tôi nhận thấy còn thiếu việc đào tạo cho sinh viên cách vận dụng công nghệ vào việc học tiếng Anh trực tuyến
B14 Tôi thấy thiếu sự hỗ trợ để khắc phục các lỗi điển hình về máy tính và internet
B15 Tôi nhận thấy sự thiếu hướng dẫn cho các tình huống công nghệ khác nhau xảy ra trong quá trình học trực tuyến
B16 Tôi nhận thấy sinh viên có hoàn cảnh khó khăn còn thiếu trang thiết bị kỹ thuật
Môi trường f B17 Tôi bị làm phiền bởi tiếng ồn xung quanh khu phố
B18 Tôi không được phép sử dụng máy vi tính hoặc máy tính xách tay trong thời gian dài
B19 Tôi bị đau lưng khi học sai tư thế vì thiếu bàn ghế đúng tiêu chuẩn
B20 Tôi có vấn đề về mắt và đau đầu vì học trong điều kiện ánh sáng yếu và thời gian sử dụng màn hình dài
PHẦN C: NHẬN THỨC CỦA SINH VIÊN CHUYÊN NGÀNH TIẾNG ANH VỀ THÁCH THỨC TRONG HỌC TẬP TRỰC TUYẾN
Vui lòng đánh dấu ( ✓) vào chỗ trống nếu bạn hoàn toàn không đồng ý (1), không đồng ý (2), trung lập (3), đồng ý (4) hay hoàn toàn đồng ý (5) với các nhận định sau
1 Học trực tuyến cho phép học tập linh hoạt
2 Học trực tuyến giúp giảm chi phí học tập của sinh viên
3 Học trực tuyến giúp nâng cao vốn từ vựng tiếng Anh với sự hỗ trợ của máy tính
4 Học trực tuyến tạo động lực cho người học tự tin trong giao tiếp trực tuyến
5 Học trực tuyến nên là chương trình học chính thức cho sinh viên chuyên ngành Tiếng Anh
6 Học trực tuyến không hiệu quả cho việc học tiếng Anh nếu sinh viên không có đủ trang thiết bị kỹ thuật
7 Học trực tuyến rèn luyện cho người học tính tự giác cao g
8 Học trực tuyến giúp người học tiếng Anh được trở thành trung tâm trong việc học tập
9 Học trực tuyến giúp nâng cao và cập nhật kỹ năng công nghệ
10 Môi trường học tập có thể được sắp xếp để đảm bảo chất lượng học tập
CẢM ƠN SỰ HỢP TÁC CỦA BẠN!
English version g
Time to start: Time to finish:
Thank you for being part of the interview process This interview is expected to last for about 10 minutes I will ask you some questions in the interview and you are free to stop the interview at any time
The purpose of this interview is to find out challenges of English major students when conducting online learning follow University’s program
With your permission, the interview will be recorded All information you share will be confidential and anonymous Do you have any questions before we begin? If not, let’s begin
How long have you been learning English: h
1 What are the most challenges in processing online learning platform toward English language faculty at the University?
2 How do English major students perceive to the challenges of online learning?
3 What’s the solution that English major students used to enhance their knowledge by during online learning?
Vietnamese version h
PHIẾU PHỎNG VẤN (Dành cho học sinh)
Thời gian bắt đầu:_ _ Thời gian kết thúc:
Cảm ơn bạn đã tham gia vào quá trình phỏng vấn Cuộc phỏng vấn này dự kiến sẽ kéo dài khoảng 10 phút Tôi sẽ hỏi bạn một số câu hỏi trong cuộc phỏng vấn và bạn có quyền dừng cuộc phỏng vấn bất cứ lúc nào
Mục đích của cuộc phỏng vấn này là tìm hiểu những thách thức của sinh viên chuyên ngành tiếng Anh khi thực hiện học trực tuyến theo chương trình Đại học
Với sự cho phép của bạn, cuộc phỏng vấn sẽ được ghi âm lại Tất cả thông tin bạn chia sẻ sẽ được bảo mật và ẩn danh Bạn có câu hỏi nào trước khi chúng ta bắt đầu không? Nếu không, chúng ta bắt đầu
A Lý lịch của người được phỏng vấn
Bạn đã học tiếng Anh được bao lâu rồi:
B Câu hỏi dành cho người được phỏng vấn
1 Khó khăn lớn nhất trong quá trình xử lý nền tảng học trực tuyến đối với Khoa tiếng Anh tại trường Đại học là gì? i
2 Sinh chuyên ngành tiếng Anh nhận thức thế nào về những thách thức của việc học trực tuyến?
3 Giải pháp mà sinh viên chuyên ngành tiếng Anh sử dụng để nâng cao kiến thức khi học trực tuyến là gì?
Teacher’s inteview
Time to start: Time to finish:
Thank you for being part of the interview process This interview is expected to last for about 10 minutes I will ask you some questions in the interview and you are free to stop the interview at any time
The purpose of this interview is to find out challenges of English major students when conducting online learning follow University’s program
With your permission, the interview will be recorded All information you share will be confidential and anonymous Do you have any questions before we begin? If not, let’s begin
2 Educational level: University Master Doctor
3 Working experience as an English teacher:
1- 5 years 6 – 10 years 11- 15 years over 15 years
1 What are the most challenges of your English major students during conducting online learning?
2 What are the difficulties that teachers have to face to when teaching English online and your perception toward these challenges?