Papers by Aysha S A E E D AlShamsi
International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education, 2021
During the coronavirus pandemic, educational institutions were forced to shift to virtual learnin... more During the coronavirus pandemic, educational institutions were forced to shift to virtual learning. Drawing on the Community of Inquiry framework and bioecological perspective, this research explores the virtual learning experiences of female college students at one higher education institution in the United Arab Emirates using an interpretive phenomenological paradigm. A convergent parallel mixed method design was implemented with participants (N = 350) who completed a questionnaire about the challenges of virtual learning followed by semi-structured interviews (N = 10). Observations, journals, and peer-reviewed literature was also used to explore the influence of cognitive, social, and teaching presence on students’ perceptions. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and thematic analysis. The researcher found students had a high perception of the three influences of Community of Inquiry framework and were aware of its importance. Furthermore, there were clear relatio...
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Governments, educators and the public often believe that combining English language with informat... more Governments, educators and the public often believe that combining English language with information technology skills is important to be successful (Tuan, 2011). WebQuestsare a framework for learner-centered instruction in teaching English as a foreign language when using Internet resources. This study investigated the effect of WebQuests on Grade 11 reading comprehension in a secondary school in the UAE. It also investigated perceptions of WebQuests as a study tool. A quasi-experimental research design was used with control and experimental groups. In addition, a Likert scale questionnaire examined perceptions of WebQuests. An analysis of co-variance (ANCOVA) and descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data. The results indicated a statistically significant improvement in reading by the experimental group. Additionally, positive attitudes were reported towards WebQuests. Students felt that WebQuests enhanced collaboration, language skills, reading and higher order thinking...
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This study explores the sociocultural integration of bilingualism and biliteracy practices of a g... more This study explores the sociocultural integration of bilingualism and biliteracy practices of a group of Emirati fifth-grade students, who were learning English and Arabic and using English as the medium of instruction for math and science. The explanatory, mixed methodology study examines how sociocultural aspects of language learning are integrated in the learners’ bilingualism and biliteracy practices by using both quantitative and qualitative means. In the first phase, a group of fifth-grade students (n = 350), selected for the transitional nature of their grade cycle, and their Arabic and English teachers (n = 350) were surveyed on their bilingualism and biliteracy practices, with a particular focus on sociocultural factors. The second qualitative phase featured a more in-depth investigation of these practices through interviews with two English teachers, two Arabic teachers, and three students. The results revealed that the fifth-grade students did not possess adequate bilingu...
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While research on cognitive and metacognitive abilities of bilingual and biliterate students has ... more While research on cognitive and metacognitive abilities of bilingual and biliterate students has been advancing, limited studies have examined these influences in the Arabic context. The current study explores the influences of cognitive and metacognitive abilities on the bilingualism and biliteracy of Emirati fifth-grade students whose mother tongue is Arabic but who are learning core subjects in English. This is an explanatory sequential mixed method study where quantitative data from Grade 5 students (n = 350), and their Arabic and English teachers (n = 200; and n = 150 respectively) were first collected, followed by in-depth interviews with three students, two English teachers, and two Arabic teachers. Findings showed that students used their cognitive and metacognitive abilities more freely in Arabic lessons as compared to English. However, Arabic teachers reported that students use background knowledge in their first language in a better way but also demonstrated insufficient transfer strategy between the two languages.
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In response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) threat, higher education institutions in the United Ara... more In response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) threat, higher education institutions in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), like others across the world, cancelled face-to-face classes and shifted faculty and students to online teaching and learning. This move was intended to allow flexibility in teaching and learning while maintaining high learning outcomes and expectations. While many institutions were unprepared to quickly shift to virtual learning (VL), the Higher Colleges of Technology (HCT-UAE) was uniquely positioned. This is mainly because of the institution's existing use of technology, blended learning, e-portfolios, learning management systems, eAssessment, digital library services, intelligent learning systems, digital services, and infrastructure (HCT4.0, 2020). During the transition to full online teaching, HCT offered support to faculty and students by transforming to a Digi-campus and maintaining ongoing communication channels.
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3L: The Southeast Asian Journal of English Language Studies , 2020
This study explores the sociocultural integration of bilingualism and biliteracy practices of a g... more This study explores the sociocultural integration of bilingualism and biliteracy practices of a group of Emirati fifth-grade students, who were learning English and Arabic and using English as the medium of instruction for math and science. The explanatory, mixed methodology study examines how sociocultural aspects of language learning are integrated in the learners' bilingualism and biliteracy practices by using both quantitative and qualitative means. In the first phase, a group of fifth-grade students (n = 350), selected for the transitional nature of their grade cycle, and their Arabic and English teachers (n = 350) were surveyed on their bilingualism and biliteracy practices, with a particular focus on sociocultural factors. The second qualitative phase featured a more in-depth investigation of these practices through interviews with two English teachers, two Arabic teachers, and three students. The results revealed that the fifth-grade students did not possess adequate bilingualism and biliteracy abilities in English or, to a lesser degree, in Arabic, for their expected grade level. The reasons included lack of continuous bilingual/biliteracy interactions, lack of parental involvement and absence of a rich school context. Further, there have been no orchestrated efforts to engage the students with the sociocultural aspect of language learning. Thus, integrating the multifaceted aspects of bilingualism and biliteracy contexts and practices is strongly recommended in order to enrich these linguistic approaches to enable fifth graders excel in both languages, and to improve cross-linguistic transfer.
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Governments, educators and the public often believe that combining English language with informat... more Governments, educators and the public often believe that combining English language with information technology skills is important to be successful (Tuan, 2011). WebQuestsare a framework for learner-centered instruction in teaching English as a foreign language when using Internet resources. This study investigated the effect of WebQuests on Grade 11 reading comprehension in a secondary school in the UAE. It also investigated perceptions of WebQuests as a study tool. A quasi-experimental research design was used with control and experimental groups. In addition, a Likert scale questionnaire examined perceptions of WebQuests. An analysis of co-variance (ANCOVA) and descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data. The results indicated a statistically significant improvement in reading by the experimental group. Additionally, positive attitudes were reported towards WebQuests. Students felt that WebQuests enhanced collaboration, language skills, reading and higher order thinking skills. Finally, recommendations for further studies will also be discussed in this paper.
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Papers by Aysha S A E E D AlShamsi