Exploiting the Potentials of Interactive Live Worksheets in French Online Classes in Jamaica

Abstract

[EN] The incorporation of interactive live worksheets at universities in Jamaica gained traction during the COVID-19 pandemic when educational institutions worldwide were plunged into online teaching to lessen the spread of the virus. Foreign language (L2) instructors needed to find creative and innovative ways to engage and motivate students in online settings. However, even beyond the pandemic, L2 instructors still have a responsibility to stimulate students’ interest, which can be done through integrating live worksheets. Presently, only one recent study speaks to teachers’ and students’ perceptions of live worksheets in L2 classes in Jamaica (Madden et al., 2023). This current study hopes to broaden the literature. The authors sought to garner students’ perceptions of live worksheets in online French classes. Nine undergraduate students at the University of Technology, Jamaica, who participated in a 13-week beginning-level French class, responded to a questionnaire. The qualitative approach was used to analyse the data. Major findings revealed that students perceive live worksheets to be effective in promoting recall and application of knowledge, as they enrich vocabulary and syntactic development. Live worksheets are also appreciated because of their user-friendly nature, instant feedback and appealing designs. However, the absence of a keyboard in the target language can cause problems with the responses.