Using Video Conferences for ESP Postgraduate Students: An Example of Distance Learning At the University Of Abou Bakr Belkaid- Tlemcen

Abstract

Information Communication Technologies (ICT) is becoming part of our everyday life, and this fact is indisputable. It is gaining more and more ground in the worlds of business, administration and education. This is why; the objective of this thesis is to look at the role of video conferences in improving the quality and the sustainability of higher education. It will do so by investigating the potentials and effects of using internet-based desktop video conferences to improve ESP postgraduate students‟ language learning outcomes and examine their perception of using online video conference as an alternative to face-to face interaction. For this purpose, a case study of ESP post-graduate students in the department of foreign languages (English section) at Abou Bekr Belkaid University was undertaken. To obtain and analyze the necessary data, a combination of both qualitative and quantitative methods was used. The main results of this investigation revealed that the internet connectivity was a key factor in determining the effectiveness of video conference as an alternative to face-to-face teaching and the context where video conference determined the pedagogical benefits of this new technique. Moreover, the use of this technology necessitates a good preparation on the part of teachers and students.