Integrating Interactive Whiteboards in EFL Learners' Learning and Retention of Non-congruent Collocations

Abstract

Drawing on the assumptions of socio-cognitive linguistics, focusing on the effective role of interaction in terms of reducing the cognitive burden in the process of learning, this quasi-experimental study aimed at investigating the effect of the Interactive Whiteboard (IWB) usage on the learning and retention of non-congruent collocations among 60 homogenized Iranian EFL learners, aged 18 to 24 years old. To this end, the sample selection procedure yielded two intact groups: the experimental group (N=30) who experienced learning collocations through the IWB and the control group (N=30) who learned them through the use of conventional board. The t-test results of the comparison between the two groups on both the immediate and delayed post-tests indicate that the experimental group outperformed the control group, suggesting the effectiveness of the IWB for the purpose of learning (Sig. value = 0.01; Eta squared = 0.10) and retention (Sig. value = 0.04; Eta squared = 0.06) of non-congruent collocations, thus providing support for the interactive function of instructional materials, such as IWB. The procedure and promising findings may provide insights for considering the integration of IWB into Iranian EFL learning settings.