Iranian and Turkish EFL Professors’ Perceptions of the (De)Merits of Virtual Learning Platforms: Issues Related to Instruction, Assessment, and Resources

A bulk of research has been done on the use of technology in language learning and the results have shown that multimedia and hypertext environments resulted in greater gains in language learning than more traditional environments. Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, online education was given little importance in the educational system of different countries, including Iran and Turkey. Actually, previously there was no need for online education. However, in the pandemic situation, the need for online classes and their significance in language learning became more ubiquitous. Thus, in view of the paucity of research on perceptions toward the efficacy of virtual learning, particularly the sheer dearth of comparative work on the issue, the researchers in the current study intended to investigate the practicality of commonly used online platforms in Iran and Turkey, i.e. Adobe Connect and Zoom. To this end, a total of 10 EFL professors (5 Iranian and 5 Turkish) participated in the interview session to deeply investigate their attitudes on the platforms of Zoom and Adobe Connect as regards issues related to materials and resources, instruction, and assessment. As the results of the interview showed, both Turkish and Iranian university professors had similar ideas about the online platforms and they listed some merits such as easy access, attractiveness, and applicability for teaching and learning in Covid-19. Also, the demerits were low interaction and communication, being demotivating for not disciplined learners, and so on. In general, based on the participants’ points of view, both online platforms were useful in terms of materials and resources as well as instruction; however, they had less control over cheating on tests, in terms of assessment. Different parties such as teachers, syllabus designers, and materials developers will benefit from the outcomes of this study.