Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Electronic Learning Programmes (Shaad Application) in Developing Iranian EFL Students' Vocabulary Learning during the Corona Era

The present study explored the effect of using Shaad application on improving Iranian intermediate EFL learners' vocabulary learning. To do the research, ۹۹ Iranian male EFL learners at Shokouh language institute in Khorramabad were considered as the population of the study. Having administered an Oxford placement test, ۳۶ intermediate EFL learners were chosen to participate in this study and randomly assigned into one experimental (Shaad) and one control (usual) group. Then, both groups were given a vocabulary pretest before the treatment sessions to determine the participants' vocabulary knowledge at the beginning of the research period. During the treatment, both the control and the experimental groups received the same teaching material (i.e., the selected vocabulary items) except that there was no Shaad instruction in teaching vocabulary for the control group. Having finished the treatment, the learners in both groups were given the vocabulary posttest. The findings revealed that the control group outperformed the experimental group at the significant level in terms of vocabulary learning. In other words, using usual classes did have statistically significant effect on improving vocabulary learning of Iranian intermediate EFL learners. On the other hand, using Shaad application did not have significant effect on improving vocabulary learning of the EFL learners. Implications of the study suggest that teaching vocabulary through usual classes can enhance the EFL learners' vocabulary learning. It can be concluded that the suitable conditions for the electronic learning are not prepared in Iranian educational context.