Effectiveness of Electronic Language Learning in USA Community Colleges: A Critical Review

Abstract

This study explores the current literature on ‘the effectiveness of electronic-learning (e-learning)’ in teaching/learning language skills. Through providing a comprehensive synthesis of amassed related empirical and conceptual articles, drawing on students’ and instructors’ experiences, a mapping review is conducted to look at the impact of e-learning within US community colleges. This research aims to examine the most recent literature about the efficiency of implementing e-learning alone to deliver language skills in US community colleges, and to investigate if e-learning leads to an increase or decrease in students’ dropout and success rates from community colleges. After examining the available literature, it is concluded that first, using e-learning alone can be accepted as a delivery mode for language skills, however, it still needs several improvements related to infrastructure, and easy to access virtual applications to provide a quixotic experience for students to learn various language skills. Second, although e-learning positively affected domestic students, it has negatively impacted international students who unfortunately either failed in their e-courses or withdrew from the whole program. Moreover, drawing on the syntheses of the low success rates and high dropout rates of students who registered in e-learning courses, the researcher concludes that the results of this study can be used as an evaluative phase for US Community College administrators to prepare colleges with the needed student free services to present innovative e-learning design and experience, and for faculty and to design ideal e-learning courses that are based on motivation and engagement models.