A total of 272 (N= 272) students responded to the survey questionnaire.
Furthermore, an online survey questionnaire was administered to seek their input on the assessment activities. The scores of the students were analyzed to gauge the suitability of task-based assessment in an asynchronous mode. The participant group, as bachelor's degree students at the Virtual University of Pakistan (VUP), were given word clouds based assessment activities in two communication skills courses: Eng 001 (305 students participated) and Eng 101 (17 students participated in two activities respectively). The study used a mixed methods design and triangulation was used for data collection.
This study explores the effectiveness of word clouds for teaching English as a Foreign Language (EFL) in an asynchronous mode. There are emerging studies that explore their effectiveness, but less so with respect to their use in the online second language classroom. Abstract: Word clouds can be used as an effective tool for the teaching and learning processes in language learning, as the visual input during schemata activation, and other parts of the lesson, serve as manageable and meaningful target language input.