(The British University in Dubai (BUiD), 2006-12) Hamad, Runak A.
The study was carried out to investigate the effectiveness of a computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL) programme in Al Ain University of Science and Technology (AAUST) in the UAE. It attempts to evaluate Tense Buster for its effectiveness in learning outcomes and attitudes toward grammar among students in an entry college level in comparison with teaching the same material in a traditional classroom.
This study compares the outcomes of two groups of students: the first was taught by Tense Buster, a CALL software programme, and the second by a traditional method or face-to–face instruction. In order to compare the learning outcomes of the two groups the author carried out a pretest-posttest randomized experimental design. The results show statistically significant differences among students who favour traditional teaching methods to CALL.
These differences can be attributed to a variety of factors such as sociocultural, students’ mentality, teachers’ attitudes and knowledge of technology, and lack of integration of material into the overall course design.