ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF ONLINE HOMEWORK SOFTWARE: THE CASE OF “LIFE” IN VIETNAM

Abstract

Technology has dramatically changed the way we teach and learn a language and created new trends in English language teaching such as Blended Learning and Computer-Assisted Language Learning. It has become so popular that recently-published textbook series, including Life begin to have their workbooks uploaded in online platforms. However, there have been only a few studies on how online workbooks benefit teachers and students and what issues they may cause in specific context. The paper aims at filling in this gap by investigating the online homework of Life series. Through an interview with teachers and a survey with students at School of Foreign Languages – Thai Nguyen University, the research reveals both benefits and drawbacks of Life’s online homework software. Results of the study have provided suggestions for administrators to improve online homework systems and for teachers to take better advantages of the online assignments for students.