O n f e r e n c e

Summary of key findings 
Responses from the survey, open-ended questionnaires and interviews revealed that by 
completing multiple activities, students were able to hone their language, reading and 
writing as well as general cognitive skills. Moreover, students were able to engage more 
independently and interactively with very technologically diverse peers. Here, traditional 
face-to-
face instruction was complemented “by autonomous computer
-based or online 
learning activities” (Tal & Ye
lenevskaya, 2012, p.263). Although participants commended 
the usefulness of the programme, they stressed that there were several challenges that 
hindered the overall effectiveness of the pilot and the ensuing online pilot. Firstly, 
because CPUT is still a resource-constraint university, there was inadequate technical 
support to deal with recurrent computer glitches. Consequently, the pilot and the data 
collection process were repeatedly interrupted because of malfunctioning computers 
and/or limited internet connectivity (Papadima-Sophocleous, 2012; Ghasemi, Hashemi & 
Bardine, 2011). For example, the online survey was not easily accessible to students. 
Secondly, the programme is designed for an American context, so many students 
grappled with the set of phraseology and accent in both visual and auditory exercises. 
Finally, the students were not fully committed to the programme because of their 
perceptions about the inclusion of a communication skills course in an IT programme. 
This affected the quality of empirical data because students did not apply their minds on 
the questions.
Conclusion 
The 
use of Learning 100
to provide language support to first year IT students at CPUT 
was an exciting experience for both the students and lecturers. Despite the challenges 
encountered during the pilot, it was evident that “CALL is more beneficial and helpful 
than using the traditional methods” (Naba’h, Hussain, Al
-Omari & Shdeifat, 2009, p. 
433). In fact, the programme provided a unique space for diverse students to develop 
their writing, reading and general language skills. The students were able to share 
computer-related knowledge and experiences ( Papadima-Sophocleous, 2012; Tal & 
Yelenevaskaya, 2012; Levy 2002 &1997; Levy & Stockwell 2006). For the lecturers, it 
was an opportunity to expriment with new technology in a course which has been taught 
using mainly traditional methods for several years.

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-38- 
2014 CALL Conference 
LINGUAPOLIS
www.antwerpcall.be 
However, for a university like CPUT to fully embrace computer-assisted language 
learning, it should upgrade its technological facilities and provide requisite training to 
staff members.