Paper Title
Undergraduate EFL Students' Perceptions about their First Time Experience Attending Online Classes at a Saudi Novice University
Abstract
The purpose of this study is to examine undergraduate EFL students' perceptions about their first-time experience attending online classes at a Saudi novice university. Random sampling used, the sample size of the study comprises 8 undergraduate EFL students who attended am online classes in a blended course for the first time in Al-Baha university; Saudi Arabia. SWOT analysis used to process the collected data. Findings of the study indicate the followingstrength points of using online classesin EFLcontext: time-place flexibility, promoting more active-interactive learning style and finally the availability of recorded sessions helps revising the content delivered asynchronously.Findings indicate that weakness points are some technical related issues (voice as it was breaking and some students that accessibility to an adequate internet connection and required gadget). This study generates new insights into processes of adopting online classes or blended classes to teach the English language in the Saudi context and the potential strength, weakness, opportunity, and threats to such adoption in the target university. These findings might be beneficial for other Saudi higher education institutions of similar context, Saudi higher education policymakers, and targets of Vision 2030 in Saudi Arabia.
Keywords - E-Learning, Perceptions, TEFL, Saudi context, higher education