User Evaluation of Language Websites as a Way of Students’ Engagement into Blended Learning Process Case Study

• Published in: Blended Learning: Aligning Theory with Practices pp. 269 - 280
• Main Author: Černá, Miloslava
• Format: Book Chapter
• Language: English
• Published: Cham Springer International Publishing
• Series: Lecture Notes in Computer Science
• Subjects: Blended learning; Didactic; Language educational websites; Usability testing; User satisfaction
• ISBN: 9783319411644; 3319411640
• ISSN: 0302-9743; 1611-3349
• DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-41165-1_24

The paper deals with an interdisciplinary field of developing language and digital competences in university students via usability testing of English websites by students themselves. The researched issue covers two areas which mingle and influence each other: functionality of web-sites and educational benefits arising from non-standard approach in the university setting where language is used as a tool not as a main goal to fulfil technical tasks. Comparison of the outcomes gained from the user-testing forms conducted by part-time and full-time students showed their positive acceptance of the new approach to getting acquainted with selected websites and readiness to their incorporation into the process of education. Students are given a way of getting the mastery of exploring language websites and learning how to navigate themselves in them, use functionalities like connection to social applications, practice tests or self-diagnose of language competence.