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BLENDED LEARNING IN EFL CLASSROOMS WITH SLOW INTERNET: INSIGHTS

FROM TEACHERS AND STUDENTS

Conference Paper · October 2018

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Af'Idatul Husniyah
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 BLENDED LEARNING IN EFL CLASSROOMS WITH SLOW
INTERNET: INSIGHTS FROM TEACHERS AND STUDENTS

Af‟idatul Husniyah, S.Pd., M.Sc.

State Polytechnic of Malang, Jl. Soekarno Hatta No.9, Malang, Indonesia

Corresponding email: afidahusniyah@gmail.com

Abstract: Learners who are actively involved and engaged in the learning process have long been known to be
learning better than those who learn in a traditional method where they function as passive listeners. In
the era where smart phones are part of students‘ main communication tool, schools are expected to make
use of technology and use blended learning as a way to accommodate students‘ needs and engage their
interest in the learning process. This research aimed to explore teachers‘ and students‘ insights and
perspectives on whether the use of technology in their classroom was a hindrance or a helpful tool in a
school and environment where only very limited internet connection was available. Interviews with four
teachers and four students were done as primary data source and were analyzed and categorized using
thematic analysis. The data show various problems encountered by the teachers and students as well as
benefits they got from using blended learning in the language classroom despite the slow internet access.

Key words: blended learning, slow internet, technology

INTRODUCTION
Learners who are actively involved and engaged in the learning process have long been
known to be learning better than those who learn in a traditional method where they function
as passive listeners (Parker, Maor, and Herrington, 2013). Learners need to have
opportunities to construct their own knowledge and recognize how certain decision is the
right decision to take or whether a certain solution will solve the problem during the process
of learning as part of a rehearsal for the real life work (Bransford, Brown, and Cocking,
1999). In the era where smart phones are part of students‘ main communication tool, schools
are expected to make use of technology and internet as a way to accommodate students‘
needs and engage their interest in the learning process by implementing blended learning. By
applying blended learning, students will be exposed to various authentic materials and be
engaged in real life communication. Authentic materials are crucial elements in the learning
process as they are interesting and convey real messages to the audiences (Freeman& Holden
1986). More importantly, they are widely known as a good strategy to enhance students‘
motivation (Cross 1984; Hill 1984).
However, it appears that there is a gap between the theory of such effective learning in the
digital era and the actual practices in the Indonesian EFL classrooms where learning relies
mostly on teachers and students typically only listen to their teachers‘ lectures during the
class (Zainuddin and Kemala, 2018). Students, especially low-level students, are rarely
engaged in the classroom learning and pay attention to the learning process (Carini, et.al,

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2006) which results in boredom and anxiety during the process of learning (Freeman, et.al,
2007).
The use of technology in language classroom has long been regarded as a helpful tool to
engage students‘ interest. A study by Gikas and Grant (2013) revealed how technology and
social media provide opportunities for real interaction among the students and offer them
chances for collaboration. A similar study was also conducted by Tur and Marin (2015) to
find out students‘ perspectives on using social media as a learning tool. It was revealed that
students were willing to use Twitter and were excited to use it as part of their learning media.
The use of technology, internet and social media have changed the method and teaching as
well as the way students learns. As technology has become part of the students‘ daily life,
schools and governments in various levels have tried to incorporate the use of internet and
smart phone to help students more motivated in the learning process in the classrooms.
However, not all of these incorporations bring out advantages. Some classroom practices
turned out to be far from effective due to various problems occurring in the classroom, for
example, slow internet access in the school area where students were supposed to work on
their tasks or projects.
Such occurrence was the main subject of this present research which was conducted in State
Polytechnic of Malang, University of Muhammadiyah Malang, and SMA 3 Malang. These
universities and school have provided free internet access for the students. Nonetheless, the
access provided were hardly enough for the number of students learning in the university. As
a result, students and teachers had very limited access to the internet and blended learning
planned by the teachers often result in unsuccessful attempts. The present research aimed to
find out the obstacles and advantages in applying blended learning, ways to deal with slow
internet connection, and the types of activities, mobile apps, and websites which can be used
in the process of learning.

METHOD
Research Design
The present research used qualitative design. Using purposive sampling, semi-structured
interviews with four lecturers and four students were done to collect the data. To analyze the
data, the results of the interviews were categorized according to their theme using thematic
analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2013).

Setting and Participants

The study was conducted by interviewing four teacher participants and four student
participants. The teacher participants teach in three different institutions (as seen in the table
below). Student participants are from the same institutions and major (State Polytechnic of
Malang/ Business Administration) and are taught English for Specific Purposes for four
semesters. All the participants were selected using convenient sampling due to the time limit
of the research.

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Teacher participants

Participant Age/Sex School/University Subject taught

Participant A 26/Male SMA 3 Malang General English
Participant B 30/Female State Polytechnic of Malang ESP for Business
Administration students
Participant C 25/Female State Polytechnic of Malang ESP for Business
Administration students
Participant D 27/Male University of Muhammadiyah Listening
Malang

Student participants
Participant Age/Sex University/Major Students‟ level of
proficiency
Participant E 21/Male State Polytechnic of Malang/ B2
Business Administration
Participant F 20/Female State Polytechnic of Malang/ B1
Business Administration
Participant G 21/Female State Polytechnic of Malang/ B2
Business Administration
Participant H 21/Male State Polytechnic of Malang/ B1
Business Administration

Data Collection Method and Analysis

For this present study, semi-structured interview with four teachers and four students were
conducted. The data were then analyzed using thematic analysis (Braun and Clarke, 2013). he
The important categories were coded after engaging in the specifics and details of the data
being used (Sarantakos, 1998). The data were then presented in tables followed by discussion
which relates the results of the research to the current literature reviews.
The data were discussed in five parts, namely: 1). Obstacles in applying blended learning in
classrooms, 2). How to deal with slow internet connection while using blended learning, 3).
Advantages gained from implementing blended learning in the classroom, 4). Classroom
activities done with the incorporation of technology and internet, and 5). Mobile apps and
websites used in the classroom activities.

FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION

Findings
To make it easier for the readers to view the data, the results of the interviews were presented
in two sections which were broken down into two tables; teacher participants and student
participants.
Teacher participants

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Teachers were asked five questions regarding the use of technology and internet in
classrooms with slow internet. The table below shows the results of the interview with the
four teachers.
Categories Participant A Participant B Participant C Participant D
Obstacles in applying a. Slow or no a. slow internet Unstable More time spent
blended learning in internet connection. internet on designing the
classrooms connection, b. too connection materials,
b. some complicated exercises, and
students do not platform even instruction to be
bring mobile for tech-savvy easily
phone and students understood by
laptops, the students
c. some
students have
problems with
using the
technology
during the
process of
learning.
How to deal with slow Classroom Online Students are Tasks are given
internet connection activities are learning is aware to use as homework to
while using blended mostly used used as their own be done when
learning for instruction. additional mobile hotspot students have
Students will learning more stable
accomplish outside the internet access
their tasks classrooms
when they are
outside the
class and they
have more
stable internet
connection.
Advantages gained a. Students are Various a. Students a. Students get
from implementing more involved resources were more more engaged in
blended learning in the in the learning which can engaged in the the learning
classroom process. benefit the tasks process
b. Students students and b. Class can be b. Students can
enjoy the the teachers more set their own
learning (teachers do interactive learning pace
process ore not need to c. Teachers which does not
than when they spoon-feed the incorporate happen often in
are in the students) more varied the traditional

71
 traditional media classrooms
classrooms. c. easier
c. Students are archiving
more process
motivated to
learn.
Classroom activities Writing Various a. Online a. Online
done with the hortatory text responses and quizzes extensive
incorporation of collaboratively answers b. reading
technology and internet students get Supplementary b. Online test
from different reading
media can be materials
sources of
interesting
discussion
Mobile apps and Google docs Neo LMS, a. Neo LMS, a. Google
websites used in the (platform) Google b. Google Classroom
classroom activities. Classroom Docs b. Commonlit
(platforms) (website)
c. Examenglish
(website)

Student Participants

Students were asked five questions regarding the use of technology and internet in
classrooms with slow internet. The table below shows the results of the interview with the
four students.
Categories Participant A Participant B Participant C Participant D
Obstacles encountered a. slow internet a. students a. to finish the a. technical
by students in the connection easily got assignment on problems
implementation of b. students distracted time
blended learning in cannot use the
classrooms platform due to
their limited
knowledge and
skill in using
the technology
How students deal with a. using hand a. provide a. using a. using personal
slow internet outs to make it more internet personal mobile hotspot
connection while using easier for the access (use mobile hotspot
blended learning students to personal
understand the mobile hotspot
instruction instead of

72
 b. students can using Wifi)
share their
internet access
with other
students
c. the task can
be used as
homework
Advantages gained by a. easy access a. students are a. more a. student and
students from the for learning more enjoyable teachers do not
implementation of materials, motivated to b. creative have to meet
blended learning in the homework, learn learning face to face
classroom and tasks materials
b. it is more
b. easy access difficult for the
to share students to
opinion among copy another
students students‘ work
3. easy access
to view score
Classroom activities a. doing online a. online a. doing daily a. homework
done with the homework quizzes online and quizzes can
incorporation of b. accessing b. online homework be done at
technology and internet learning grammar b. uploading home, without
materials exercises works and being present at
online sharing with class
b. share friends
opinions with c. learning
other students through varied
materials like
video and
websites
d. correcting
works through
Ms. Word
Mobile apps and a. Neo LMS a. Neo LMS a. Neo LMS a. Neo LMS
websites used in the (platform) (learning (learning (learning
classroom activities. b. Edmodo platform) platform) platform)
(learning
platform)
c. Type and
Speak (mobile
apps)
d. Online

73
 English
dictionary

Discussion
Having mentioned the findings of the research, themes were coded and categorized. The
categories were discussed in the following points:
Obstacles in Implementing Blended Learning

1. Dealing with Slow Internet Connection

Limited internet access is a major concern in implementing blended learning (Garrotte

Jurado, et.al., 2010). Teachers and students have similar perspectives on how to deal with
slow internet connection in the classroom. For example, making the tasks given as homework
instead of traditional face-to face meeting at class so that students can do their tasks when
they have more stable connection outside the classroom. This method is typically chosen by
the four teachers since providing more stable connection in the classroom would not be
possible. Fortunately, students were more aware of this situation, and provide their own
mobile hotspot. Another strategy used by the teachers is by not uploading media which
require more bandwidth, like videos, to enable students with limited internet connection to
access the task and the materials.
2. Technology Know-How for Non Tech-Savvy Students
Teachers also shared how they used very detailed instruction to make it easier for the students
to access the online classroom. Although some platforms have used very simple user
interface, students sometimes get problems when accessing the online classroom. To solve
this problem, some teachers chose to give detailed instruction in the form of handouts, and
then explain how to access the homework during the offline classes. This way, students can
ask questions when they feel confused or press the wrong buttons.
Advantages gained from Blended Learning

1. More varied materials and resources

By having online class, students were exposed to more varied materials and resources, like
Youtube videos, and various websites. These resources help students to be engaged in more
interesting materials and more updated information. As a result, students gave more varied
answers and responses to the tasks given to them, providing more rooms for discussion
among their classmates. Varied resources also helped students to be exposed to authentic
materials which helped them understand the use of a particular language structure in real
communication (Freeman& Holden 1986).

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2. More motivated students

As students were engaged in more varied situations and authentic materials, students found
learning more enjoyable and interesting (Peacock, 1997). This is one of the main benefits of
using internet for learning process, since students can access materials they find more fun
where the traditional classrooms could not provide. Students were also more motivated
because they could learn with their own pace, something they find it difficult to do in
traditional face-to-face classrooms. This is especially useful for low-level students. They can
provide themselves more time to understand the materials and finish the homework in a more
flexible pace. Students were also more involved in the task as they need to accomplish the
task individually.
Classroom activities done with the incorporation of technology and internet

In the present research, teachers and students shared their experience of doing classroom
activities in online classroom. The following activities were done successfully despite the
slow internet connection, which can be good recommendation for teachers and future
researchers.
1. Online Discussion

With more varied materials and resources, also responses and answers from the students,
online discussion is one interesting activity to be done in online classrooms (Xie, et.al., 2006).
Online discussion provides students with opportunities to share their opinion with less tension
(Horwitz, et.al., 2006), since they are online. Online discussion also provides more time for
the students to understand the topic of the discussion, to look for related materials, so that
they can offer more critical opinion and ideas which makes it different and often more
interesting than offline discussion (Jewell, 2005). Teachers also find it easier to check
students‘ participation and understanding through their archived opinion on the platform.
Giving scores is also easier done through online platform as their responses are all recorded in
the system.
2. Collaborative Writing

Writing through online platforms allows students to get more ideas and more help to edit and
revise their work, for example by making use of Ms. Word editing service, by accessing
online dictionary, and by reading various materials related to the work they are writing.
Online writing task also allows students to do collaborative writing with their peers or with
the guidance of their teachers. This method will help students to minimize their grammatical
mistakes and expose them to the right use of a particular language structure since multiple
authors will contribute to all aspects of writing including content, structure and language
(Storch, 2005).
3. Extensive Reading

Giving students selected reading materials can be boring for the students since students do not
have the opportunity to choose their own learning materials according to their liking. By

75
assigning them extensive reading through online websites, e book, and filling in online
journal, students can choose their own favorite piece of writing and therefore can boost their
motivation to get exposed to English books and texts and results in better English mastery
(Horst, 2005). Online extensive reading helps students develop conscious decisions about
reading strategy and dictionary use, as well as grow their motivation and self confidence
(Arnold, 2009).
4. Doing Online test

Sometimes students need to find out their level of proficiency in order to pass a certain
qualification or to be able to enter a particular program. Doing mock-up international testing
is beneficial for the students to prepare themselves for the real test. They can also find out
their English mastery by trying out this online test. Another per of doing online test is that
teachers no longer need to score and asses the students since the website and the platform
have done this work for them.
Mobile Apps, Learning Platforms, and Websites for Online Language Learning

The following mobile applications and learning platforms are used by the teachers and
students to help their online language learning. Since the students are mostly from the same
university, they use the same learning platform.
1. Google Classroom

Google Classroom provides students and teachers with simple user interface, allowing
teachers to upload various learning materials for the students, ranging from videos, files, and
pictures for free by simply setting up a Gmail account. Google classroom also make it easier
for the students to upload their works and view their score (Iftakhar, 2016). The only
limitation this online learning platform possesses is its limited space, making it hard for
teachers to give video assignments or other space-consuming file types.
2. Neo LMS

This learning platform is not available for free and should be purchased, usually by the
institutions. The main advantage of using this platform is its simple design and user interface,
followed by beautiful design and easy access, although this platform is not much different
from Google Classroom (Garote Jurado, et.al., 2013). Depending of how much space the user
subscribes, students and teachers will be able to do their works through this platform with
over 20000 teachers use this platform for their online classrooms.
3. Google Docs

Students need a program to make writing easier for them by giving them corrections and
suggestions. Google Docs offer this opportunity, along with a chance to collaborate with their
peers by giving virtual space to to contribute to evolving texts (Hadjjerouit, 2011; Woodrich
& Fan, 2017). The experience of writing collaboratively and given direction and suggestion
are crucial for the students to know where they make mistakes and what they should do to
correct the mistakes. This technology also allows students who cannot meet with their peers,

76
to meet virtually and work together to build their texts (Davey, Bozan, Houghton and Parker,
2016).
4. Commonlit

Commonlit.com provides students and teachers with various texts along with questions to test
students‘ understanding of a particular topic. Designed with easy access, students can apply
their reading strategy and find out whether their strategy works or not by answering questions
available at the end of the texts.
5. Examenglish.com

This website provides various online English proficiency test for free, including IELTS,
TOEFL, PET, TOEIC, and others. Students can find out their proficiency level by simply
doing the test and get their score. This website is also good for students who learn English to
pass a certain placement test.
6. Online English Dictionary

In traditional classrooms where students and teachers meet face to face, holding phones to
search meaning on online dictionary may offend teachers since the use of smartphone itself is
often claimed as distraction in the class. However, doing online test or other online activities
with the help of online dictionary can make huge difference on students‘ English mastery
since students can access the dictionary easier (Hunt & Beglar, 2005).

CONCLUSION
Implementing blended learning has been regarded as bringing more fun and creativity to the
classroom. However, some practitioners often enc0020ounter technical problems and slow
internet connection which slows down learning process. The present research revealed how
students and teachers dealt with slow internet access by making the task as homework and let
the students do the task when they have more stable connection. Another proposed way to
deal with bad connection is by setting up mobile hotspot. Students and teachers also talked
about advantages gained by having blended learning despite technical problems and slow
connection, such as more varied resources and materials and more motivated students.
Teachers also shared learning platforms, mobile apps, and websites they often used during the
class, such as Google Docs, Neo LMS, and Google Classrooms, all of which have contributed
to more engaging learning process.

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