Investigating the effectiveness of using MOOCs and webinars in enhancing teaching and learning in a Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFLA) course in a distance education environment : a case study of a Short Learning Programme

摘要

Distance education is, by its very nature, a response to the development ofcommunications technology in the Industrial Era, coupled with the societalchanges initiated by these developments (Garrison and Cleveland-Innes,2010: 14). The current distance learning landscape is thus shaped bychanging social needs brought about by the impact of advancements intechnology.This case study investigates the effectiveness of new aspects of digitallearning tools as additional resources in the TEFLA course, a ShortLearning Programme (SLP), offered by UNISA. These aspects of digitalcourse delivery introduce e-learning by incorporating synchronous andasynchronous digital teaching and learning tools, in the shape of MOOCs(asynchronous learning), as well as webinars (synchronous learning). Thisstudy reviews the effectiveness of these online tools in enhancing thelearning experience of TEFLA students.The theoretical framework that informs this study is based on theconnectivism and socio-cultural theories of knowledge acquisition.