THE EFFECT OF USING E-TIVITIES ON COLLEGE STUDENTS’ SPEAKING SKILLS AND ACHIEVEMENT : A STUDY ON AN ENGLISH LANGUAGE COURSE

Blended learning is a hybrid of traditional face-to-face and online learning so that instruction occurs both in the classroom and online, and where the online component becomes a natural extension of traditional classroom learning. The flexibility of this approach in designing courses supports the different times and places for learning, offering some of the conveniences of fully online courses without the complete loss of face-to-face contact. The result is potentially a more robust educational experience than either traditional or fully online learning can offer. Improving the used system and courses became a highly essential aspect in the higher education. Therefore, online learning became highlighted and more focused on in universities as an example. Therefore higher education institutions faced the challenge of designing suitable online courses which have to be effective in the same time, so many studies rose attempting to compare between the quality of the online and the traditional face to face instructions.
The Hypotheses:
1. Using E-tivities improves students' English Language speaking skills.
2. Using E-tivities affect students' achievement.
The Population: The target population will be the first year students' in the Royal University for girls (60 students) and this study will be applied in the Total English course.
The Sample:
The Sample is first year students in the Royal University for Girls in the academic year 2010\2011. They will be grouped to experimental and control groups (30 students in each group). The use of the e-activities will be with the experimental group and the control group will have the traditional f2f learning.
Controlling internal validity:
Controlling the internal validity will be by controlling the following variables:
a.Students' results in the pretest of the English Language.
b.Students' grades in the secondary school and their English language grades in specific.
c.Students' results in the posttest.
d.Students' ages will be between 18- 25.
The Variables:
Independent Variable:
The method of teaching (categorical variable) and it will be: Blended learning combined with a construction of conversational activities which will be delivered via chat and audio conferences.
Dependent Variables: - Achievement (quantitative variable) which be measured by a posttest which the teacher will design.
-Speaking skill (quantitative variable).
The Instrument: The researcher will design an English speaking pretest and a post-test which measures the following: Communication-Content-Pronunciation-Vocabulary-Grammar
The researcher will design a posttest to examine students' achievement.
The Procedures: The groups will be assigned according to their results in the pretest.
Only the experimental group will have access to the virtual learning environment (Blackboard) and will be aided with the chat and the audio conference tools.
At the beginning of the semester there will be an induction week for both groups which contain s the following:
Introducing the method of learning.
Tutorial class to the use of computer if needed.
Tutorial class, printed material and CD to the use of (BB).
The email to contact the tutor.