ESL Teaching: Preferences on The Use of E-Learning Apps in Maximising Effective Teaching and Learning Experiences for Open and Distance Learning (ODL)

In-Text Citation: (Yusof et al., 2021) To Cite this Article: Yusof, F. H. binti M., Bakar, S. Z. S. binti A., Amat, D. W. binti, Othman, D. binti, Sumery, Z. binti, Sarijari, H. binti, & Qomariyah, A. (2021). ESL Teaching: Preferences on The Use of E-Learning Apps in Maximising Effective Teaching and Learning Experiences for Open and Distance Learning (ODL). International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 11(6), 1123–1139.


Introduction
Open and distance learning (ODL) is a system that integrates the methods of distance education with the concepts of open and flexible learning which is highly influenced by the advancement of technology (Horgan, 2012). Horgan (2012) added that there are five evolutionary generations of ODL throughout the years namely correspondence, multimedia, tele-learning, flexible learning and the intelligent flexible learning approach; the last two generations relies heavily on the use of technologies including databases and automated response systems where it witnessed the emergence of terminologies such as online learning, elearning, mobile learning. Furthermore, ODL has become one of the most rapidly growing fields of education as it has impacted education delivery systems tremendously especially with the ever emerging of Internet technologies throughout the globe, particularly websites. ODL is also defined as a learning session which takes place when a student is separated by physical distance from the lecturer or teacher, and to bridge this instructional gap, the use of technology is used especially to engage the students in lessons and collaborate with them in discussions; however, it also poses challenges to both parties. These challenges include teachers' and students' communication and feedback, support and services, isolation, lack of experience and also practical applications. Thus, this study intends to investigate the English lecturers' preferences on learning management system, and social media applications that could be used for effective language teaching and their perceptions on benefits and limitations of teaching language subjects during open and distance learning for better instructional strategies.
During Covid-19 Movement Control Order (MCO), all higher institutions in Malaysia, either public and private were instructed to close down. This was in response to government's effort in combating this pandemic from getting more serious. Working together in this course, all lecturers and students responded by abiding to the instructions. However, educational goal was expected to continue, hence most higher institution management resorted to online learning or better known as e-learning. All this while, online learning has been practised in Universiti Teknologi MARA Cawangan Johor (UiTMCJ); nevertheless, this approach of learning was mostly incorporated in blended learning or flipped classroom learning. For English department of Academy of Language Studies, none of the courses was offered fully through online learning before the MCO. This however was changed when all classes were instructed to be implemented through online learning. Before the implementation, lecturers were exposed to various learning management system such as UFuture, Google Classroom, i-Learn, and social media such as Telegram, Zoom, Google Meet, Webex, YouTube to facilitate their teaching. The exposure was done through webinars from various sources. However, the overwhelming information exposed to the lecturers could result to overload of information. Lecturers may find it confusing to choose which platform was felt the best to choose to ensure effectiveness of their teaching.

Research Questions
1. What are the English lecturers' preferences on learning management system, and social media applications that could be used for effective language teaching? 2. What are the perceptions of English lecturers towards the benefits and limitations of teaching language subjects through open and distance learning (ODL)?
Research Objectives 1. To investigate the English lecturers' preferences on learning management system, and social media applications that could be used for effective language teaching 2. To investigate perceptions of English lecturers towards the benefits and limitations of teaching language subjects through open and distance learning (ODL)

Literature Review Online Learning (OL)
Online learning is considered as a new black in the realm of teaching and learning especially in the tertiary level. In order to move forward, it is important for the students as well as the educators to know at least the basic guidelines of the online learning as to be part of the new education system. Recent development of education has come to the sense that students all over the world have been demanding the type of "anytime and anywhere" educational formatting and public institutions have also been responding to that by introducing flipped learning, blended learning, week without wall as part of students basic learning in the tertiary stage (Brown, 2013). There are some researchers who also think that infrastructure provided by the institution plays an important role in online learning as well. There is no doubt that online education requires a lot of training and support from faculty so that learning can be disseminated no matter where the students and lecturers are.

Readiness for Open and Distance Learning (ODL)
When it comes to readiness for the implementation of online learning, previous studies show divided findings. On one hand, students and lecturers perceive online learning as challenging due to several reasons. According to Alizadeh (2019), students perceived technical limitations, particularly the Internet connectivity and technical glitches, as one of the shortcomings for online learning. Aside from that, the challenges came along with other difficulties including online learning being time consuming and the lack of training for the lecturers. In addition, the other issues arisen including low digital literacy, compatibility of devices, high cost and distraction. On the other hand, there are also findings that favour online learning. Martin, Burdhani and Chuang (2019) stated that faculty members are optimistic with the implementation of online learning, stating that they are equipped with the ability in learning management system and basic computer operations. They also suggested that difficulties may be overcome by scheduling time and having better management of system and documents. From the students' perspective, Agelya, Teoh and Liau (2017) reported that there is high technological readiness among students in utilising their smartphones for online learning.

Teaching English through Online Learning (OL)
Throughout the years, a lot of studies have been conducted on the implementation of online learning in English lessons. Yu and Guo (2020) found that students' listening level increases through the use of cloud computing in English class. They also concluded that real-time online learning carries both pros and cons but the former outweighs the latter, empirically proves that teaching English through online learning is called for. The same trend is observed in Alizadeh (2019) who found that there is an issue of misconduct in using Learning Management System in teaching English but the educational gains surpass the shortcomings. Past studies have also shown the various platforms used in teaching English. This includes the use Skype conference calls for social interaction purposes and oral reinforcement in EFL (Correa, 2015), the use of multiple tools including tube channels, e-dictionary, films, e-textbooks and weblog to facilitate English learning, the use of blogs in developing receptive and productive skills (Kovalchuk & Krasnokutska, 2017), and utilising Edmodo for English phonology which ultimately creates a culture of reading and increases media knowledge.

Learning Management Systems and Social Media Platforms Affect Students' Learning
Learning in higher education has become a challenging world to both lecturers and students where it involves many new pedagogies and technological tools that can be embedded and put into practice. Put aside the traditional method of chalk and talk, lecturers are introduced to many teaching tools which involved various kinds of technological advancements, while the students are exposed to a few learning methods which not only involved textbook but also the use of their devices. The pandemic issue of Covid-19 has tremendously given a huge impact to the educational setting from kindergartens to higher institutions. Therefore, this has been an eye opener for the academicians particularly in finding the suitable tools and platforms to deliver their lessons effectively without leaving any students behind. According to Pilli (2014), in educational institutions, the learning management system (LMS) has been a learning platform for more than 10 years and now being considered as the important system for delivering e-learning. This system offers the lecturers various ways to develop and convey content, monitor the students' progress, observe participation among the students and evaluate their performances. LMS is a software application or web-based technology used to design, implement, and assess a specific learning process. Students are benefiting a lot from these interactive features by LMS such as debates, video conferencing and forum discussions as the frequently used LMSs in generating, managing and handling online courses include Moodle, Blackboard and WebCT.
As the methodology of teaching and learning evolves in the use of various tools, social networking sites (SNSs) or social medias are undeniably the most engaging Web 2.0 tools these days. In other words, social networking sites (SNSs) provide the virtual space for people to communicate and get together. Therefore, it is arguably one of the most appropriate avenues for students to exchange ideas and learn from each other. Also, the role of social networking sites in higher education is much diversified whereby students get to communication with their classmates, share files and documents thru the social networking sites. While, teachers can upload videos, documents on their blogs and wikis.
According to Dogoriti, Pange and Anderson (2014), both the learning management system (LMS) and Social Networking Sites (SNS) are believed to create constructive learning environment that may allow both lecturers and students to reinforce their communication skills and engagement in the learning process. They added, positive participation and collaborative learning in the formal learning environment using LMS also help in developing their self confidence in the learning process

Open and Distance Learning (ODL)
Open and distance learning (ODL) is a system that integrates the methods of distance education with the concepts of open and flexible learning which is highly influenced by the advancement of technology (Horgan, 2012). He added that there are five evolutionary generations of ODL throughout the years namely correspondence, multimedia, tele-learning, flexible learning and the intelligent flexible learning approach; the last two generations relies heavily on the use of technologies including databases and automated response systems where it witnessed the emergence of terminologies such as online learning, e-learning, mobile learning. Furthermore, ODL has become one of the most rapidly growing fields of education as it has impacted education delivery systems tremendously especially with the ever emerging of Internet technologies throughout the globe, particularly websites. ODL is also defined as a learning session which takes place when a student is separated by physical distance from the lecturer or teacher, and to bridge this instructional gap, the use of technology is used especially to engage the students in lessons and collaborate with them in discussions; however, it also poses challenges to both parties. These challenges include teachers' and students' communication and feedback, support and services, isolation, lack of experience and also practical applications. Thus, this study intends to investigate the English lecturers' preferences on learning management system, and social media applications that could be used for effective language teaching and their perceptions on benefits and limitations of teaching language subjects during online distance learning for better instructional strategies.

Learning Management System and Social Media Applications (SMAs)
Investing a well-functioning system is a must for an established public institution. UiTM in general has been providing Learning Management System to benefit its educators and clients, in this case the students. The platform used by UiTM is called as 'i-Learn', in which this is a learning management system that provides various tools including the course development and managements tools, content management, communication and collaboration, assessment, personal information management and system management (Adora et.al, 2012). The system has been through a huge modifications and improvements from the aspects of usability, interface, functionality and software capability which has benefited both learners and educators in delivering the knowledge. As learning has and will continuously change the ways and approach of teaching and learning, the system has also need to adhere to the current development. In order to further enhance the service and facilitate better usage of the system, UiTM also introduced an upgraded system that helps to provide better platform for the teaching and learning process. Hence, the UFUTURE platform was introduced in line with the Open and Distance Learning (ODL) that is practised by both learners and educators. UFUTURE is a platform for delivering learning content online which helps to enhance the quality of learning and teaching, to meet the learning styles and the need of students and also to improve user accessibility and time flexibility in learning engagement. It is believed that a university which has a unified learning and delivery system for online classes, class schedules, facilities maintenance and schedule can yield encouraging effect towards its staffs and clients as it shows the credibility of the institution itself to maintain their job performance and engagement. In addition, incorporating a proper learning management system with social media application will also lead to a better learning result performance. According to Samat, Awang, Hussin, & Mat Nawi (2020) university learning management system not only gives impact towards the students but also to the lecturers as when the open distance learning was commenced due to the university closures, LMS as well as SMAs are the platforms used for the lecturers to reach students remotely hence, reducing the discontinuation of education in UiTM specifically. Despite the excitement in adopting ODL, the absence of face-to-face learning is a challenging state to the students as well as educators. A study by Sim, Sim & Quah (2021) yielded that the major challenges that faced by most learners and educators were the issue of speed in delivering the process of teaching and learning, student's perceptions, and attitude, as well as the obstacles and hurdles in using the online learning mode during ODL process. Other than LMS, appropriate social media applications are also necessary to conduct a successful process of open distance learning. Chung, Subramaniam & Christ (2020) reiterated that most respondents were fond that if their online learning disseminated through pre-recorded lectures which uploaded via Google Classroom or YouTube. They added that the main obstacle that the students had were poor connectivity which led to the difficulty in understanding the content of the subject that they were learning in the online classes.

Research Gap
It is learnt that LMS and SMAs are the go-to platforms during the pandemic of Covid-19 where face-to-face learning sessions pose a serious risk to both learners and educators. Quite a number of studies have been done previously to explore ESL students' feedback regarding the use of LMS and SMAs before the pandemic (Sofea, Nurul & Rawdhah, 2016;Dogoriti, Pange & Anderson 2014) and during the pandemic (Nanthinii, 2020;Hasan & Lee, 2020;Coman, Tiru, Mesesan-Schmitz, Stanciu & Bularca, 2020). However, there is a scarcity of recent studies that explored the ESL educators' feedback regarding the use of these platforms for ODL during the pandemic. Most studies found were done a while back when the use of LMS and SMAs was still an option, to enrich the learning experience (Mohamed, Afendi, Abdul, 2012;Cheok, Wong, Ahmad, Rosnaini;2017), not as a must to ensure the learning runs as usual through ODL. Therefore, it is essential to seek understanding of what is the current teaching preference on the use of LMS and SMAs for ODL in the realm of ESL. It is expected that the exploration of the educators' feedback on this matter would also provide insights on the benefits and limitation of these tools during ODL, allowing interesting data to be captured and analysed.

Methodology
This study is under qualitative strand with quantitative and qualitative findings. The data were analysed based on descriptive analysis using frequencies. The frequencies of lecturers' feedback from the questionnaire were analysed and tabulated. The data were then triangulated using interviews where 5 lecturers were interviewed and the data were analysed using thematic analysis approach.
The quantitative data were obtained from 30 English lecturers from Universiti Teknologi MARA. Using Google Form as the platform, the participants were asked to answer a set of online questionnaire consisting of questions related to English lecturers' preferences on learning management system, and social media applications that could be used for effective language teaching. The data were then analysed by using SPSS for frequencies.
As for the qualitative data, five lecturers were interviewed to seek in-depth understanding of their perceptions towards the benefits and limitations of teaching language subjects through online learning for data triangulation. The purposive sampling technique was employed to determine the interviewees that would meet the criteria for the online interview (Creswell, 2007). Purposive sampling was deemed as the most suitable since this study purposely chose English lecturers who were teaching English subjects online during MCO in Malaysia in April 2020. In addition to that, the interviewees were selected based on range of experience; 1-4 years, 5 -9 years, and 10 years and above. This interview was also done in group via Google Meet and the session was recorded and transcribed manually. Subsequently, thematic analysis was done where thematic coding was employed to analyse the data. Thematic coding is a form of qualitative analysis which involves recording or identifying passages of text or images that are linked by a common theme or idea, allowing the researchers to index the text into categories and therefore, establish a thematic framework. For this study, thematic analysis was utilised to observe any recurring themes.

RQ1: What are the English lecturers' preferences on learning management system, and social media applications that could be used for effective language teaching? Learning Management System (LMS)
Based on the survey carried out through a set of questionnaires, a majority of the lecturers have heard about Google Classroom (GC) with 80%, i-Learn with 76.7% and UFUTURE (UF) with 66.7%. Asked on the usage of LMS, 93.3% of the lecturers agreed that they had used LMS in their teaching. To be specific, 86.7% of them used Google Classroom (GC), 46.7% used UFuture (UF) and 6.7% used i-Learn during their ODL classes. The findings are depicted in Figure 1.  For sharing notes, 86.7% of the lecturers used GC, 23.3% used UF and 16.7% used i-Learn. The next purpose which is assigning and receiving assignments, a majority of the lecturers used GC (86.7%) , while 26.7% used UF and 13.3% used i-Learn. For conducting assessments, 83.3% used GC, 33.3% used UF and 13.3 used i-Learn. Besides that, in conducting discussions, 70% made use of GC, 16.7% used UF while 23.3% did not use at LMS at all. Another purpose is to record students' marks where 63.3% made use of GC, 20% used UF and 6.7% used i-Learn. The findings are displayed in Figure 3.  The findings show that a majority of lecturers used LMS (93.3%) during their ODL lessons. As stated by Zurinah, Nazhatul Shima and Nurziyanti (2013), ODL learners depend highly on LMS for the success of their ODL learning experiences. The most preferred LMS used by the lecturers were Google Classroom(GC) despite UiTM having its own learning management systems for the lecturers and students (UFUTURE and i-Learn). This is probably because of the ease of access and faster response time that GC provides to its users. The user-friendly interface of GC also could be an important factor that contributes to GC being the most preferred LMS, instead of UFuture and i-Learn. Nevertheless, between the two LMS, UFUTURE is more preferred than i-Learn; this is probably because of it being more current and updated in term of the interface design and usefulness. As highlighted in the findings, most lecturers used LMS for the purpose of sharing notes or materials with 93%. This could be because of the fact that LMS generally provides the platform for file sharing in various forms such as '.doc, .pdf, .jpeg,. png, ', links and etc. which allows the lecturers to share materials with their students efficiently. A majority of the lecturers (83.3%) also used LMS to conduct assessments. LMS has the feature of creating and sharing quizzes, which is very important aspect in conducting assessments. Besides that, the quizzes also could be marked right away which will also minimise the workload of the lecturers. LMS was also used to assign and receive assignments (83.3%). LMS provides a convenient way of monitoring students who have and have not submitted their assignments to the lecturers. Lecturers can also refer to the record in the system in the future. Addressing the four major components in English language teaching, GC is still the most preferred as it could cater to the needs of teaching or knowledge sharing for the four components namely Writing, Reading, Listening and Speaking.

Social Media Applications (SMAs)
Based on the survey, 96.7% agreed that they had heard of GM, 83.3% used Whatsapp (WA) and 63.3% used Telegram prior to conducting ODL classes. It was found that 100% of the lecturers used SMAs to assist them in conducting ODL lessons, with 93.3% used Whatsapp, 86.7% used Google Meet (GM) and 73.3% used Telegram (TG). The findings are depicted in Figure 5. The findings highlighted four (4) main purposes of using SMAs in relating to ODL which are for conducting discussions with students (96.7%), sharing notes/ materials (86.7%), conducting assessments (63.3%) and assigning/ receiving assignments (63.3%). Figure 6: Purposes of Using SMAs 93.3% of the lecturers used GM, 73.3% used Whatsapp and 50% of them used Telegram to conduct discussions with students. It was also found that 73.3% used Whatsapp and 56.7% used Telegram for sharing notes and materials for their ODL lessons. In conducting assessments, 90% of them used GM, 56.7% used Whatsapp and 36.7% used Telegram. 66.7% used Whatsapp and 50% used Telegram to assign and receive assignments.

Figure 7: Preferred SMAs
Addressing the four major components in English teaching and learning, 43.3% used Whatsapp, 20% used GM and 16.7% used Telegram for writing. For reading, 40% used GM and 26.7% used Whatsapp. In term of Listening, 46.7% used GM and 26.7% used Telegram, 20% used Whatsapp and 36.7% did not use SMAs for this purpose. For Speaking, 73.3% used GM and 13.3 used Whatsapp.

Figure 8. Preferences of SMAs based on Language Components
SMAs were used for teaching and conducting assessments. 73.3% of the lecturers preferred to use GM for teaching and 70% preferred using GC for conducting assessments. 66.7% of the lecturers strongly agreed and 30% agreed that SMAs helped them in their teaching during ODL. For SMAs, 100% lecturers used SMAs during ODL. A majority of the lecturers preferred using WA (93.3%) in conducting their ODL classes. This is probably because Whatsapp is frequentlyused by 97% of Malaysian population everyday (Rana et. al, 2019) professionally or socially. This factor contributes to better user acceptance and faster response time among the students. Lecturers resort to using WA to conduct asynchronous learning, share materials and conduct assessments. Though it does not provide comprehensive learning environment to conduct assessments like LMS does, it is a better option for students who did not have good Internet access to take their assessments. Compared to LMS, lecturers preferred SMAs when it comes to communicating information regarding ODL to the students and also for discussions. On the usage of SMAs for teaching the four major components of English language teaching, GM has become the most preferred for Speaking, Listening and Reading. This is probably because of the nature of GM that allows for virtual F2F (face-to-face) session to take place between the lecturers and students, hence making synchronous learning possible. More meaningful communication could take place during the live sessions as the participants could see the gestures and facial expressions during the learning sessions, resulting to better understanding. Students could also ask lecturers spontaneously and get the lecturers' feedback right away. However, for writing, most lecturers still preferred Whatsapp probably because it allows the sharing of notes and materials.

RQ2: What are the perceptions of English lecturers towards the benefits and limitations of teaching language subjects through open and distance learning (ODL)?
The second research question was addressed using a group interview session which focuses on securing the lecturers' perceptions on the benefits and limitations of teaching language subject through open and distance learning (ODL). The recorded interview data were then transcribed and analysed using the thematic analysis approach. The analysis yielded ten main themes that can be presented in the following tree diagrams. The thematic analysis conducted proves that English lecturers are having unanimous insights on the benefits of teaching language subjects through ODL. Among the five keywords deduced from the interview are plenty of choices, students enjoy the use of technology, students enjoy class activities, lecturers are aware of new teaching materials and time flexibility. This is supported by Sadeghi (2019) as he mentioned that distance learning allows students to experience a more flexible learning schedule compared to the rigid traditional class schedule. The findings also suggest that ODL has opened more rooms for the lecturers to explore a variety of online platforms such as Google Meet, Google Classroom, Instagram Live, Webex, uFuture and other available platforms. Other than that, since most of the students love using the technology, they feel more comfortable when interacting with the teachers while enjoying the class activities. Likewise, the lecturers are also benefitting from the evolution of new teaching materials and research area whilst completing several tasks simultaneously. The findings could be linked to the study by Fitria (2020) as the approached English lecturers believed that online learning is vital as it is flexible, enjoyable, and practical to be empowered in line with the sophisticated digital era.
Figure 2: Tree diagram (Limitations of teaching language subjects through ODL) The second tree diagram depicts the limitations of teaching language subjects through ODL conveyed by the English lecturers based on their experience. There are five keywords listed which are internet and data connection, marking tasks/test, plagiarism issue, weak interaction, and right materials. The keywords were derived from their opinions on how teaching language subjects trough ODL has negatively impacted the students' and the lecturers' journey. For instance, students might find it costly to spend on their Internet data monthly since they have more than one subject to attend per semester. Besides, the stability of the internet connection at their respective places is also worrisome. This finding follows the study conducted by Chen (2020) as she noted that technical glitches are bound to happen when dealing with distance learning. Other than that, lecturers are also having a challenging experience dealing with assignments or test marking since they must do it online. Apart from that, online tasks or test could also lead students to plagiarise their works, thus the lecturers will be in a dilemma when awarding marks. ODL class has also weaken the class interaction since it is difficult for the lecturers to provide instant feedback due to internet connection issues and limited class hours where the primary focus is completing the syllabus. Hutt (2017) agreed that the chances for students to get an instant feedback from the instructors regarding It is hard to decide the best materials and platforms Different students with different needs their assignments are lower compared to the traditional one to one consultation hours. Undeniably, passive students tend to take things for granted by remaining passive in the class. This issue was also addressed by Brown (2017), as he pointed out that even though students and lecturers can use the chat rooms and other online applications to communicate with one another, the experience will never be the same as face-to-face interaction. In brief, since different students need different kinds of approaches and materials, it is quite a hurdle for the lecturers to decide the right materials and platforms to be used in ODL class.

Conclusion
In conclusion, lecturers used LMS for sharing notes and materials and conduct assessments while they prefer using SMAs for the purpose of communicating and discussing with the students. There are lots of applications and technological tools available currently that makes it possible for ODL to take place in Malaysia. With the right knowledge and skills, the educators and students in Malaysia could benefit tremendously from the technological applications available for their ODL. Ubiquitous learning is not something that is far-fetched anymore with all these applications available to be used, correct attitude and knowledge of the lecturers. All things considered, the English lecturers consistently agreed that the shift of face-to-face traditional classroom instructions to online distance learning or merely online learning is inevitable even though without the intrusion of Covid-19 pandemic. They further added that it is anticipated that the world of teaching and learning will not solely revert to the traditional classroom instructions as there will be an employment of online applications at 50:50 ratio or 30% of face-to-face classroom instructions at the least.

Suggestion for Future Research
Based on the study, it is recommended for researchers to look into other possible areas of ODL to identify any weakness that could be improved and strengths that could be used as advantage for educators to improve the quality of their ODL teaching. Researchers could look into other teaching possible methods or approach that could be utilised for ELS teaching in this current era.

Co-Author Contribution
There is no conflict of interest in this article. Author 1 and 2 prepared the results and discussions, author 3 prepared the methodology, author 4,5,6 prepared the literature review and author 7 reviewed the paper.