Language Learning Through Zoom: The Need for Pedagogical-Technological Knowledge

Abstract

Attributable to the COVID pandemic, Zoom has become one of most widely used digital tools for online interaction. Schools and universities had to transition to wholly online teaching, and Zoom was one of the platforms used for real-time sessions. Therefore, it is necessary to investigate students' experiences of using tools like Zoom to see the positive and negative sides of videoconferencing for language learning. Students' and teachers' digital competence is an important factor that impacts online learning, and therefore students' experiences are analyzed in relation to the TPACK framework, which looks at teachers' digital competences and the intersections between their technological, pedagogical, and content knowledge (TPACK). It is found that especially the intersection between technological and pedagogical competences is sometimes lacking among teachers and is identified as the cause of a lot of negative experiences. Thus, the conclusion of this study is that such competences need to be developed by teachers.