Volume 9, Issue 2 August 2013, pp. 169–196 
Regular Articles
Effects of Blackboard on EFL academic writing and attitudes
Abdulaziz I. Fageeh1, & Mohamed Amin A. Mekheimer2
1 King Khalid University, SAUDI ARABIA 
2 King Khalid University, SAUDI ARABIA
DOI: https://doi.org/10.29140/jaltcall.v9n2.154
Abstract
This study aimed to recognize the pedagogical effects of Blackboard as a computer-mediated communication (CMC) environment for teaching academic writing and improving students' attitudes toward academic writing. Learners’ interactions in the CMC environment of Blackboard were analyzed via a controlled descriptive design to examine how students negotiate academic literacy using two types of collaborative online strategies: synchronous chat and asynchronous discussion boards in relation to students' academic writing. This study followed a qualitative research design employing a variety of strategies, such as observations, students' online interactions, questionnaires, interviews, and written assignments to investigate the role of computer-mediated communication (CMC) in the development of EFL learners' academic writing. Quantitative data were analyzed using SPSS, and qualitative data were analyzed using En Vivo. The findings indicated that the students' experiences of using computers, the internet, and Blackboard varied. The longer the students' experience, the more positive their attitudes were toward the use of CMC to develop academic literacy. In addition, the quantitative findings showed that students who experienced Blackboard communication had a more positive attitude toward the factors of productivity, collaboration, and participation. The results also showed that CMC, mainly in the form of online discussion and online peer-review activity, facilitated students' interactions and scaffolded learning within their online community. The paper concludes with recommendations for future research.
Copyright
© Abdulaziz I. Fageeh, Mohamed Amin A. Mekheimer
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Suggested citation
Fageeh, A.I., & Mekheimer, M.A.A. (2013). Effects of Blackboard on EFL academic writing and attitudes. The JALT CALL Journal, 9(2), 169–196. https://doi.org/10.29140/jaltcall.v9n2.154
Related Articles:
Intercultural education in times of restricted travel: Lessons from the Gaza Strip
Maria Grazia Imperiale
Intercultural Communication Education Published: 19 April, 2021, Volume 4(1), 22–38. 
"I don't want to be stereotypical, but..."
Norwegian EFL learners' awareness of and willingness to challenge visual stereotypes
Cecilie Waallann Brown
Intercultural Communication Education Published: 20 December, 2019, Volume 2(3), 120–141.
"Writing like a health scientist": A translingual approach to teaching text structure in a diverse Australian classroom
Sue Ollerhead, Isobel Crealy, Rebecca Kirk
Australian Journal of Applied Linguistics Published: 30 April, 2020, Volume 3(1), 77–90.
(Mis)use of e-mail in student-faculty interaction: Implications for university instruction in Germany, Saudi Arabia and Japan
Anna Danielewicz-Betz
The JALT CALL Journal Published: 30 April, 2013, Volume 9(1), 23–57.
(Re)imagining a course in language and intercultural communication for the 21st century
Adriana Raquel Díaz, Paul J. Moore
Intercultural Communication Education Published: 29 December, 2018, Volume 1(3), 83–99.
3D digital games, virtual worlds, and language learning in higher education: Continuing challenges in Japan
Robert Swier, Mark Peterson
The JALT CALL Journal Published: 31 December, 2018, Volume 14(3), 225–238.
A Case for the Drupal Content Management System
Paul Collett
The JALT CALL Journal Published: 30 April, 2010, Volume 6(1), 57–66.
A case study of using Facebook in an EFL English writing class: The perspective of a writing teacher
Li-Tang Yu
The JALT CALL Journal Published: 31 December, 2014, Volume 10(3), 189–202.
A comparative analysis of face to face instruction vs. Telegram mobile instruction in terms of narrative writing
Jamshid Heidari, Farzaneh Khodabandeh, Hassan Soleimani
The JALT CALL Journal Published: 31 August, 2018, Volume 14(2), 143–156.
A comparison of computer-mediated peer corrective feedback between high and low-proficiency learners in a Japanese EFL writing classroom
Bradley D. F. Colpitts, Travis Hunter Past
The JALT CALL Journal Published: 31 August, 2019, Volume 15(2), 23–39.