Factors that influence the development and performance of academic oral presentations using a blended learning environment

This study investigated how students designed English academic oral presentations via a blended language learning environment. Data were collected from focus group interviews, observations of students, and instructor perspectives to explore how students develop academic presentation skills. In addition, a total of 36 oral presentations were assessed by a rubric and frequency counts of presentation language and features. By adopting an ecological approach, we identified the interactions between different factors that influenced learning. Interview findings and observations suggested students welcomed the immediacy of the technology and demonstrated signs of autonomous learning by self-selecting the chat application Line for group collaboration. Participants preferred both online and face-to-face collaboration, as students discovered the limits of online communication. Results indicated that group oral presentations improved, with stronger introductions, linking devices, and visual elements. However, students had problems constructing conclusions and trouble linking the main ideas to the content.