The Effect of Using the MoodleReader Module on Iranian EFL Learners’ Vocabulary Depth and Breadth

Abstract

The present study investigated the effects of using the MoodleReader Module on Iranian EFL learners’ vocabulary depth and breadth. The participants of this study, chosen based on their availability, were 30 male and female Iranian EFL learners attending two intact reading comprehension classes. One class was assigned to the treatment group and the other one to the control group. Three tests measuring vocabulary breadth, depth, and partial knowledge of vocabulary were used to collect the data. The tests were administered in both classes at the beginning of the study as pre-tests; then, the treatment group received the MoodleReader as the extensive reading tool, while the control group used the traditional intensive reading program during three and a half months. At the end of the study, the three tests were once again administered to both classes as post-tests. To analyze the collected data, a set of paired and independent samples t-tests was run to compare the performance of the participants in both groups. The findings of the study indicated that the treatment group improved regarding all the three aspects of vocabulary knowledge, i.e., breadth, depth and partial knowledge and the control group improved in terms of vocabulary breadth, but not in terms of vocabulary depth and partial knowledge. The findings indicated that the application of the MoodleReader module affected the development of EFL learners’ vocabulary breadth, depth, and partial knowledge.