Title : FACE TO FACE OR E-LEARNING IN TURKISH EFL
CONTEXT”
Writer and
Institution : Ekrem Solak and Recep Cakir, Amasya University, TURKEY
Publisher
: Turkish Online Journal of Distance Education-TOJDE July 2014
ISSN 1302-6488 Volume: 15 Number: 3 Article 4
In the period where the technology is
massively wielded, the educators have to think smartly to take profits of that technology in the educational world. Afresh,
today’s young generation can be called as digital or net generation since they
throw away their time by playing multimedia, interactive and social online
games in internet. Recognizing those facts, educator should develop their
responsibility in teaching by benefiting e-learning. Apart from traditional
learning, e-Learning has also other advantages such as: “time for digesting the
information and responding, enhanced communication among the learners,
knowledge being acquired and transferred among the learners themselves, the
ability to conduct an open discussion, where each learner gets more of an equal
standing than in a face-to-face discussion, access to information and to
discussion ability, responses may be made around the clock with no
restrictions, a higher motivation and involvement in the process on the part of
the learners”(Bencheva,2010;64).
The objective of this study
was to understand e-learners and face to face learners’ views towards learning
English through e-learning in vocational higher school context and to determine
the role of academic achievement and gender in e-learning and face to face learning.
This study was performed at a state-run
university in 2012-2013 academic year and 221 students were chosen as
participant from two different Vocational Higher Schools taking up English
course through e-learning and traditional learning. The result of this study
uncovered that there was no significant difference among e-learners and face to face learners about the
views towards learning English via e-learning. Subsequently, gender and
academic achievement were not the powerful determiners in applying e-learning
compared with face to face learning.
As a reflection, the
educators in Indonesia should increase their responsibility in teaching to bring
into line with the condition today, that is using e-learning. By using
e-learning combined with face to face learning students will get more
interaction and activities to attain the goal of learning process. Notwithstanding,
the drawback of implementing e-learning combined with face to face learning are
new pedagogical skills, a high upfront cost also learners’ self-discipline and
motivation or internet connection. As a conclusion, I really place reliance to
the educators in Indonesia that they can apply this e-learning in their
teaching that meet the demand of 21st century learning.
