Digital Testing During the Pandemic Crisis

In 2020, the pandemic crisis caused by covid-19 led to some changes in global education. Consequently, primary and secondary schools as well as universities introduced distance learning in many countries all over the world. This situation mostly required, among other things, a new way of testing learners’ knowledge and skills. The objectives of this paper are to reveal university students’ opinions on computer-based tests in comparison with paper-and-pencil tests and to map their requirements concerning digital testing of English as a foreign language. The research sample includes 284 students of the Faculty of Business and Management, Brno University of Technology, Czech Republic. These students experienced online testing at home during the summer semester of 2019/20 as well as paper tests at school in the previous winter semester of the same academic year. Thereafter, they were asked to complete an anonymous online questionnaire. The results have shown that the learners were mostly satisfied with the introduction of online testing at home. However, if the electronic tests took place at school, not all of them would prefer this way of testing. Regarding tasks in digital tests, the learners gave priority to assignments based on multiple choice. Moreover, the respondents expressed their views on electronic devices and testing speaking skills on online platforms.

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The Role of English Songs in Saudi Students’ Self-Learning of English

Theory and Practice in Language Studies ◽

10.17507/tpls.1111.07 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (11) ◽

pp. 1405-1415

Author(s):

Omar Jabak

Keyword(s):

Foreign Language ◽

Large Scale ◽

Online Questionnaire ◽

King Saud University ◽

Saudi Students ◽

Self Study ◽

Speaking Skill ◽

Self Learning ◽

Academic Year

The present study aimed to explore the role of English songs in Saudi students’ self-learning of English as a foreign language. The study employed one data collection tool which was an online questionnaire. The questionnaire was completed by 38 Saudi students at the Community College of King Saud University in the second semester of the academic year 2020. The examination and analysis of the data showed that listening to English songs motivated the Saudi students to learn English in a self-study mode, augmented their English vocabulary, improved their speaking skill and developed their spelling or writing skill to a considerable extent. It is, therefore, recommended that more large-scale quantitative or qualitative studies on the role of English songs in Saudi students’ self-learning of English as a foreign language be conducted to confirm the findings of the present study, challenge them or yield new ones.

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Anxiety in Language Testing: The APTIS Case

PROFILE Issues in Teachers Professional Development ◽

10.15446/profile.v19n_sup1.68575 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 19 (_sup1) ◽

pp. 39-50 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Jeannette de Fátima Valencia Robles

Keyword(s):

Foreign Language ◽

Online Questionnaire ◽

British Council ◽

Working Environments ◽

Proficiency Level ◽

Language Tests ◽

Large Numbers ◽

The World ◽

Computer Based ◽

Computer Based Testing

The requirement of holding a diploma which certifies proficiency level in a foreign language is constantly increasing in academic and working environments. Computer-based testing has become a prevailing tendency for these and other educational purposes. Each year large numbers of students take online language tests everywhere in the world. In fact, there is a tendency to use these tests more and more. However, many students might not feel comfortable when taking this type of exams. This paper describes a study regarding the fairly new APTIS Test (British Council). Thirty-one students took the test and responded to a structured online questionnaire on their feelings while taking it. Results indicate that the test brings a considerable amount of anxiety along with it.

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Comparison of disclosure/concealment of medical information given to conversational agents or to physicians

Health Informatics Journal ◽

10.1177/1460458221994861 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 27 (1) ◽

pp. 146045822199486

Author(s):

Nicholas RJ Frick ◽

Felix Brünker ◽

Björn Ross ◽

Stefan Stieglitz

Keyword(s):

Natural Language ◽

Medical Information ◽

Frame Of Reference ◽

Future Research ◽

Negative Consequences ◽

Conversational Agents ◽

Online Questionnaire ◽

Computer Based

Within the anamnesis, medical information is frequently withheld, incomplete, or incorrect, potentially causing negative consequences for the patient. The use of conversational agents (CAs), computer-based systems using natural language to interact with humans, may mitigate this problem. The present research examines whether CAs differ from physicians in their ability to elicit truthful disclosure and discourage concealment of medical information. We conducted an online questionnaire with German participants ( N = 148) to assess their willingness to reveal medical information. The results indicate that patients would rather disclose medical information to a physician than to a CA; there was no difference in the tendency to conceal information. This research offers a frame of reference for future research on applying CAs during the anamnesis to support physicians. From a practical view, physicians might gain better understanding of how the use of CAs can facilitate the anamnesis.

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Promoting positive washforward through personalised test feedback and other benefits: Piloting a computer-based testing system

Language Learning in Higher Education ◽

10.1515/cercles-2020-2012 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (1) ◽

pp. 235-244

Author(s):

Elena A. M. Gandini ◽

Tania Horák

Keyword(s):

Foreign Language ◽

Testing System ◽

Test Results ◽

Test Feedback ◽

Teachers And Students ◽

Computer Based ◽

Computer Based Testing ◽

The University ◽

Future Learning ◽

Personalised Feedback

AbstractThis contribution reports on the developing and piloting of a computer-based version of the test of English as a foreign language produced by the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan), where it is currently used for the admission of international students and the subsequent evaluation of their language progress. Among other benefits, computer-based testing allows for better and individualised feedback to both teachers and students, and it can provide a more authentic test experience in light of the current digital shift that UK universities are undergoing. In particular, the qualitative improvement in the feedback available for test-takers and teachers was for us a crucial factor. Providing students with personalised feedback, that is, directly linked to their performance, has positive washforward, because it means we can guide their future learning, highlighting the areas they need to work on to improve their language skills and giving them suggestions on how to succeed in academia. Furthermore, explaining the meaning of test results in detail improves transparency and ultimately washback, as teachers can use the more accessible marking criteria, together with information on how their students performed, to review plans and schemes of work for subsequent courses.

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Historical Wines of Portugal: The Classification, Consumer Associations and Marketing Implications

Foods ◽

10.3390/foods10050979 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (5) ◽

pp. 979

Author(s):

Ana Isabel de Almeida Costa ◽

Carla Marano-Marcolini ◽

Manuel Malfeito-Ferreira ◽

Virgílio Loureiro

Keyword(s):

Cultural Heritage ◽

Geographical Origin ◽

Relative Strength ◽

Online Questionnaire ◽

Convenience Sample ◽

Brand Authenticity ◽

Quality Production ◽

Home Consumption ◽

At Home

Geographical origin, use of traditional varieties and ancestral viticulture/oenology practices characterize wines classified as Historical Wines of Portugal (HWP). This study identifies the authenticity attributes consumers associate with this classification and assesses the relative strength of associations. A review of brand authenticity research and interviews with Portuguese wine producers (n = 3) and consumers (n = 12) were conducted to identify HWP classification attributes. Strength of attribute association was subsequently evaluated in an online questionnaire with a convenience sample of Portuguese wine consumers (n = 641), which included a measure of general wine knowledge and questions about the adequacy of different contexts for HWP purchase and consumption. Wine knowledge markedly affected the nature and strength of consumer associations. Compared to Aspirational Explorers, wine connoisseurs emerged as Heritage Gatekeepers, associating origin, cultural heritage, quality, production and at-home consumption more strongly with HWP, and tradition, wine age and out-of-home consumption less strongly. Market recognition of HWP as a novel and distinctive table wine classification, with well-defined and unique attributes, is thus likely to depend on consumers’ general wine knowledge. Related promotional activities targeting wine novices should first focus on educating them on HWP classification, whereas those directed at savvier consumers should emphasize wine authenticity cues instead.

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Pronunciation Errors of Letter “G” in English Language Made by Saudi Undergraduate Students

English Language and Literature Studies ◽

10.5539/ells.v6n4p104 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 6 (4) ◽

pp. 104 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Huda Alqunayeer

Keyword(s):

Foreign Language ◽

Undergraduate Students ◽

English Language ◽

Female Students ◽

Language Teachers ◽

Test Results ◽

Loan Words ◽

Teachers And Students ◽

English Language Teachers ◽

Academic Year

The primary goal of the present study is to identify the problematic areas in the pronunciation of the letter “g” in English written words made by Saudi female learners of English as a foreign language, and the reasons for the weakness associated with mispronunciation of English written words which contain this letter. The population of the study was the female students (90 students) and their English language teachers (12 teachers) at the Qassim University during the academic year (2014-2015). There were two types of instruments used in this study. The first was a pronunciation test for the student participants in order to investigate the problematic areas of pronouncing “g” in different environments in different words; and the second a questionnaire for the teacher participants to provide comprehensive data about the causes of these errors of pronouncing “g” committed by EFL female students at Qassim University. Ninety female students were included for the pronunciation test and 12 teachers were asked to answer the questionnaire. Simple percentage was used for analyzing the data of recording words (pronunciation test). Results of the students’ recording words revealed that the participants mispronounced “g” before nasals (68%). According to the results of the teachers’ responses to the questionnaire suggested many factors that can cause difficulties for students in terms of pronouncing “g” in English written words. According to them, these difficulties are concerned with reading difficulties, nonstandard spellings, letters that follow “g” (many of them may become combinations), loan words, orthography (no correspondence between the English alphabets and their sounds). The researcher offers recommendations that might help teachers and students to overcome and reduce these mispronunciations of this letter in English written words.

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Towards Understanding EFL Teachers’ Conceptions of Research: Findings From Argentina

PROFILE Issues in Teachers Professional Development ◽

10.15446/profile.v20n1.61881 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 20 (1) ◽

pp. 57-72

Author(s):

Darío Luis Banegas

Keyword(s):

Action Research ◽

Foreign Language ◽

Teacher Development ◽

Quantitative Data ◽

Qualitative Data ◽

Language Teachers ◽

Foreign Language Teachers ◽

Online Questionnaire ◽

Efl Teachers ◽

Research Findings

This paper investigates the conceptions of research held by English as a foreign language teachers in Argentina. Quantitative data from 622 participants from an online questionnaire were followed by qualitative data from online interviews with 40 of those participants. Results show that the teachers conceptualised research through conventional notions closer to a quantitative paradigm. They felt research was not part of their job, and a lack of time was the main reason for not engaging in/with research. Teacher development, agency, empowerment, and autonomy could be sought by engaging teachers with forms of research which are meaningful to them, such as action research.

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Languages of borderlands, borders of languages: Native and foreign language use in intergroup contact between Czechs and their neighbours

Human Affairs ◽

10.2478/s13374-013-0156-y ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 23 (4) ◽

Author(s):

Magda Petrjánošová ◽

Alicja Leix

Keyword(s):

Czech Republic ◽

Foreign Language ◽

Language Use ◽

Intergroup Contact ◽

International Project ◽

Intergroup Attitudes ◽

Online Questionnaire ◽

Native Languages ◽

The Czech Republic ◽

Central European

AbstractIn this article we present a qualitative analysis of empirical findings from an international project on intergroup attitudes and contact in five Central European countries specifically concerning language use. The project concentrated on the interplay of intergroup contact and perception between the members of national groups in the borderlands between the Czech Republic and Austria, Germany, Poland and Slovakia. The open statements analysed here about the contact situations and the ensuing evaluation of the Others were collected as part of an online questionnaire (N=1959). After a short theoretical introduction we reveal the intertwined nature of construing language use: first in each specific borderland, then in the triads speaking together either in the native language of one of the groups (Czechs with Austrians and Germans) or with each speaking their own native languages (Czechs with Poles and Slovaks). Finally we highlight several effects we have observed as a result of being able to compare the situation in more than one neighbourhood, for instance, the effect of the different statuses of the languages involved, or the connection between the language used in contact and a feeling of proximity.

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Stress among Emergency Health Care Workers on Nuclear or Radiation Disaster: A Preliminary State Survey

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph18168384 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (16) ◽

pp. 8384

Author(s):

Jean-Baptiste Bouillon-Minois ◽

Vincent Roux ◽

Bruno Pereira ◽

Mara Flannery ◽

Carole Pelissier ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Health Care ◽

Health Care Workers ◽

Nuclear Power ◽

Cancer Control ◽

Online Questionnaire ◽

Emergency Health Care ◽

Point Increase ◽

Care Workers ◽

Stress Levels ◽

At Home

Background: The nuclear or radiation disaster risk within the French Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes state is low (but not absent) due to its proximity to four Nuclear Power Generation Centers and two regional cancer control centers. This study aims to compare subjective stress ratings for emergency health care workers regarding nuclear and radiation disasters between two locations: at work versus at home. Materials and Methods: We distributed an anonymous online questionnaire via RedCap® to all emergency health care workers who could be involved in patient care after a nuclear or radiation disaster. It comprised 18 questions divided into three parts—theoretical knowledge and practical assessment, stress assessment, and sociodemographic criteria. Results: We analyzed 107 responses. There was a significant 11-point increase in stress levels between work and home regarding nuclear or radiation disaster risks (p = 0.01). Less than 25% of emergency health care workers surveyed benefited from annual training. Conclusion: The stress levels of emergency health care workers regarding nuclear or radiation disaster were higher at work than at home and increased without annual training. It is important to increase knowledge about these protocols and to mandate yearly training for all workers potentially involved in these disasters.

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‘Learning ENT’ by YouTube videos: perceptions of third professional MBBS students

International Journal of Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery ◽

10.18203/issn.2454-5929.ijohns20202211 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 6 (6) ◽

pp. 1120

Author(s):

Ajeet Kumar Khilnani ◽

Rekha Thaddanee ◽

Gurudas Khilnani

Keyword(s):

Teaching And Learning ◽

Smart Phones ◽

Online Questionnaire ◽

Perceptions Of Students ◽

Subject Specific ◽

The Subject ◽

Youtube Videos ◽

Teaching Learning ◽

A Prospective Study ◽

Academic Year

Background: Advancement in technology has revolutionized the concept of teaching and learning medicine. YouTube is a popular and easily accessible tool to teach medical subjects. This study was done to evaluate the students’ perception of YouTube learning in ENT.Methods: This was a prospective study where a subject specific YouTube channel, ‘Learning ENT’, created by 1st author, was used to upload videos on selected topics in ENT for third professional MBBS part-1 students (n=145). Students were instructed to access the said videos from time to time throughout the year. At the end of the academic year the perceptions of students were taken and analyzed. Results: 124 students responded to the online questionnaire. 123 (99.2%) watched YouTube videos on their smart phones. 70 students (56.5%) accessed the YouTube videos for ENT topics very often. 122 (98.4%) students felt that these videos made them understand the topics better. Similarly, 115 (92.7%) students felt that these videos enhanced their interest in the subject. 114 (91.9%) students felt that these videos were more beneficial for practical topics in ENT. 61 students (49.2%) perceived that the duration of videos should be 5-10 minutes. Almost equal number (47.6%) students felt that 10-15 minutes duration is appropriate. 79 students (63.7%) perceived that watching videos made the topic easy to understand and also interesting. 71 students (57.2 %) felt that there were no limitations of the said channel.Conclusions: When integrated with other teaching learning methods, YouTube can be an effective tool to facilitate ENT learning.

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