Students’ perceptions of e-learning ESP course in virtual and blended learning modes

This study compared students’ perceptions of their e-learning experiences in virtual and blended English for specific purposes (ESP) classes in an English as a foreign language (EFL) context. The study was conducted during an academic semester. The participants were two groups of Saudi ESP undergraduate students who took the same ESP course but in different environments, namely virtual and blended modes. Data were collected via a questionnaire to explore students’ perceptions of the five pedagogical aspects in an e-learning course: course design, student–instructor and student–student interaction, individual learning processes, and learning outcomes. The results revealed that students in both learning modes reported similar evaluations with respect to the clarity of course structure, individual learning processes, and learning outcomes. A particularly important result in this study concerns students’ perceptions of a lack of interaction between student and instructor, as well as among the students themselves, in both virtual and blended learning modes. Nevertheless, students in the virtual group proved to be significantly more capable of using the learning management system and perceived it to be easy to use. They also demonstrated greater enthusiasm about working in small groups with other students than did their counterparts in the blended group. The results have implications for teachers seeking to identify students’ needs before offering online courses and suggesting recommendations to enhance the implementation of future online ESP courses.