MOODLE as a Potential Tool for Language Education under the Shadow of COVID19

Abstract

Purpose: This study aims to find out whether the useof MOODLE in English lessons as a tool for blendedinstruction makes a significant difference to thestudents’ language journey.Research Methods: This is quasi-experimentalresearch by nature, utilizing a mixed-methodapproach as the most appropriate tradition. In thisstudy, 44 students ranging in age from 16 to 18selected on the basis of a convenience samplingtechnique participated. After a fifteen-week treatmentof MOODLE with the experimental group, pairedsamples T-test was applied to see if there was anydifference between the two groups. A questionnaireand semi-structured interviews were also conductedto gain a deeper insight into students’ experience withMOODLE.Findings: Quantitative data revealed that there was statistically significant difference betweenthe experimental group and the control group, suggesting potential contribution of MOODLEto learners’ language achievement in blended EFL lessons. In the same vein, the qualitative dataaffirmed that most of the students were satisfied with using MOODLE to support Englishlessons.Implications for Research and Practice: Since there is a statistically significant differencebetween the 1st and 2nd English exam scores of the students in the experimental group (t=-3.085 sig=0.005), MOODLE proves to be an effective online learning tool supporting blendedlearning. The findings of the study also provide empirical evidence for integrating blendedinstruction with MOODLE in foreign EFL lessons and valuable information to the Ministry ofNational Education (MONE) about employing blended-instruction with MOODLE in EFLclasses.