Web-based digital tool: A way forward for synchronous and asynchronous computer-mediated communicative language learning

Abstract

During the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, institutions of higher learning were forced to shut down and physical classes were prohibited to curb the spread of the virus. It initiated lecturers and instructors all over the world to start learning and using web-based digital tools to teach their students online. This phenomenon still continues in this COVID-19 endemic period whereby lecturers, including language instructors are beginning to blend their physical classes with online ones via web-based digital tools such as Padlet. Padlet is a digital notice board that is accessible online with features that enable its user to post texts, images, links, audios, videos, documents and comments, as well as interact on a shared "wall"at the same time and at different times. In order words, it affords both synchronous and asynchronous computer-mediated communication (SAS CMC). This paper therefore aims to report a group of undergraduate students' feedback of their experience using Padlet for SAS computer-mediated communicative English language learning. Three themes which emerged from analysis of their written responses are usability, experience and usefulness in which majority of them gave positive comments with reference to the themes. Hence, it can be concluded that web-based digital tools such as Padlet has the potential to enable SAS CMC, increase language learners' interest and motivation to learn the target language and eventually improve their competency in the language.