Student voice in distance foreign language course design and its practical implications in higher education

Abstract

The purpose of this research is to analyze whether university students would be willing to engage in distance foreign language (FL) course design, and if the knowledge of their preferences could be used to present guidelines for course designers. Student engagement is seen as crucial to graduates’ achievement in HE, especially in online courses, yet there are no studies examining student voice in distance FL course design or curriculum delivery in the context of HE in Poland and very few international ones. The study identified five dimensions and feedback as the basic constructs to analyze students’ preferences about learning design of distance foreign language courses. The research study design is quantitative with descriptive and correlational methods. Data were gathered from HE students (n = 626) studying in Poland. The results show statistically significant differences regarding students’ gender, age, and academic level. The findings suggest that the learning paths in a FL distance course in HE should be created by taking into account the language skills students want to practice, gender identity, educational stage, learning communities, and age. The latter can influence students’ willingness to co-design the course, the course content, and the type of interactions.