Samia Naqvi | Middle East College of Information Technology (original) (raw)

Papers by Samia Naqvi

ICT has brought a paradigm shift in EFL teaching by providing variety to the classroom, enriching... more ICT has brought a paradigm shift in EFL teaching by providing variety
to the classroom, enriching the learning environment, enhancing student
motivation, fostering creativity and thus leading to improved learning
outcomes. This chapter reports on a research study that focuses on the
design, application and assessment of an ICT-based pedagogical approach
that culminated in student-created digital video commercials, a presentation
and a written report on student experiences. The initiative aimed at creating
an ideal blend of ICT and project-based learning to investigate how it
impacts learners’ development of language skills, social skills, and
autonomous learning. The chapter discusses the project and reports on the
perspectives of students, instructor and observers gathered through focus
groups, a teacher’s reflective journal, and observers' comments. The findings
indicated that most students viewed the experience positively and that they
made gains in vocabulary, reading and oral and written communication.
Learners’ thinking skills and autonomous learning was enhanced as a result
of reading various texts, debating ideas with team members and solving
problems caused by time management issues and time constraints.

This chapter reports on a study which experimented with the use of student-created videos in an u... more This chapter reports on a study which experimented with the use of student-created videos in an undergraduate English for Communication module taken by engineering students. The aim of this study was to provide an authentic task which would engage students in communication around a real task that they had to accomplish. The chapter provides a description of the intervention used, and illustrates – through students' presentations, written reports and interaction arising from group work, excerpts from the tutor's reflective journal and student 216 perspectives gathered through focus groups – how students' motivation, confidence and communication improved during the video-creation process.

Arabic has a right to left writing orientation, whereas English, which Arab students learn as a f... more Arabic has a right to left writing orientation, whereas English, which Arab students learn as a foreign language, uses a left to right orientation. This reverse directionality leads to such issues as the jumbling and mixing of letters within words among adult learners. Hence, this chapter identifies, describes, and diagnoses Omani Arabic speakers’ errors when writing English and also attempts to find the sources of these errors and possible remedies. It further seeks to determine whether these phenomena are transient in nature and thus subject to correction. Comparable populations of foundation-level students are studied
and also the potential effects on adult learners of content delivery methods in English that mimic the writing orientation of their L1. In addition, EFL teachers with diverse multicultural backgrounds are
surveyed to find the extent of the problem, the level of teacher awareness, and whether ongoing limited classroom intervention could tackle the problem.

Considerable amount of research has been conducted on the impact of ICT in language learning, how... more Considerable amount of research has been conducted on the impact of ICT in language learning, however, there is still a gap between the target objectives and level of ICT use by teachers. The potential of ICT in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) can only be fully exploited if the teachers are enthusiastic about its use. Based on this surmise and the recent revision of Computer Assisted Language Learning 1(CALL1) curriculum, the authors aim to study the teachers’ perspectives on the revised CALL1 curriculum at a tertiary level institution in Oman. In addition, the study investigated the relationship between teachers’ perspectives on the revised CALL1 curriculum and independent variables including age, gender, and ICT competence. Data was collected through questionnaires and interviews with all the teachers involved in the delivery of the course. The findings reveal that all the teachers, regardless of age, gender, and ICT competence, were positive on the integration of ICT in ELT and the effectiveness of the revised CALL 1 curriculum.

This paper reports a review of the existing literature on ICT and multimodal literacy practices, ... more This paper reports a review of the existing literature on ICT and multimodal literacy practices, with specific reference to Student Created Digital Video (SCDV) and Digital Storytelling (DS) projects in the previous decade, 2004 to 2013. The objective of this paper is twofold: the first is to identify and review relevant studies conducted across a range of locations, contexts and disciplines; and the second is to organize, synthesize and present a summary of the studies that have clearly presented the educational outcomes and learning paradigms underpinning them. The paper thus provides a comprehensive summary of fifteen relevant studies conducted over the past decade in terms of context, location, participants, methodology, outcomes, limitations and directions for future research, in a chronological order. The last study mentions the author’s own attempt at SCDV on EFL (English as a Foreign Language) learners of English for Communication course at a tertiary level private institution in Oman.

Learners specializing in any discipline require proficiency in both language skills and their spe... more Learners specializing in any discipline require proficiency in both language skills and their specific area of study to cope with tertiary education. This paper reviews strategies used to plan, develop, and implement a content-based language course for learners specializing in Information Technology (IT). Strategies used to develop content-based language courses through the integration of language and research skills with content are explored and applied. Technical description, intensive and extensive reading of authentic IT texts, and a research project form the syllabus to achieve the required outcomes. Collaboration with faculty members of the Department of Computing helped in arriving at the learning outcomes required. This paper also presents the effects of implementing the course on learners' performance in other courses taken concurrently as well as in later stages of academic progression. Curriculum design and application methods discussed here could be applied to ESP courses for other disciplines.

Technology-enriched classrooms have been claimed to produce enhanced learning opportunities for f... more Technology-enriched classrooms have been claimed to produce enhanced learning opportunities for foreign language students. These technologies can be integrated into language teaching and learning inside the classroom or used for independent learning by students outside it. This study involves the use of digital-videos in Middle Eastern English as a Foreign Language (EFL) classrooms. It attempts to explore if using technology creatively in language teaching has the potential to enhance communication skills and other sub-skills in EFL classes. Omani EFL students, working in small groups, created commercials for products they chose to design and promote using digital videos. These were then presented to the class while each group was responsible for collaboratively writing a report the presentation of a commercial product and wrote about their experiences. Using data collected mainly from student questionnaires, this article reports on this experience from the points of view of students.

[Arial, 12-point, bold, centred] With the enhanced role of technology in academic circles and inc... more [Arial, 12-point, bold, centred] With the enhanced role of technology in academic circles and increased access to digital resources, it's much easier for students to cheat than ever before. There has been a noticeable increase in academic dishonesty and plagiarism. Cut, copy, paste culture is rife in campuses all over. While technology has promoted plagiarism, is it capable of providing a solution too? Does the onus fall on students alone or are the tutors and curriculum designers also to be blamed? This paper explores answers to questions on challenges students face in completing assignments, reasons that compel students to plagiarise, nature of plagiarism and how far do the plagiarism detection software like Turnitin help in keeping a check on plagiarism. Questionnaires and interviews are used to gather the perspectives of undergraduate level Omani EFL students and their tutors on plagiarism with specific reference to the role of technology in promoting as well as checking it at a tertiary level institution in the Sultanate of Oman. It is concluded that there is a profound need to promote academic integrity through awareness workshops, sessions on referencing, and exhaustive practice in summarising and paraphrasing. It is suggested that care should be taken in designing the assignments in a way that prevents plagiarism. The paper ends with certain hands on approaches adopted by the course designers of ESP (English for Special Purposes) courses and tutors to prevent and tackle plagiarism.

This paper reports the findings of a research project that aimed to leverage the students' growin... more This paper reports the findings of a research project that aimed to leverage the students' growing interest and experience in using technology to develop their language skills through the use of student-created digital video (SCDV) approach. SCDV is an ICT embedded learning method which engages students in collaborative experiential learning. The students are involved in a series of constructive activities which make room for creativity. Centered around Vygotsky's social constructivism and Kolb's experiential learning theories, the SCDV project was introduced in an undergraduate level English language course offered to Arabic speaking EFL students enrolled in Engineering programmes at a private university college in Oman. The purpose of the study was to explore the lived experiences of students and their teachers through the project. Data collection methods included student questionnaire, student focus group interviews, and classroom observation. The results tended to confirm that despite the challenges faced by students in terms of increased workload and technical issues, the project resulted in the development of their English language and a range of other skills such as researching, critical thinking, autonomous learning and technical competence. In addition, students enjoyed working on the project, found the tasks relevant and considered it a welcome change as compared to their traditional classroom assignments. The study provides a model for SCDV integration into the foreign language curriculum. The researcher concludes that SCDV projects encompass a number of advantages for students as well as tutors and therefore posit significant pedagogical implications for the EFL academia which need to be researched further.