Investigating EFL Students' Experiences and Perceptions about Blackboard in the Preparatory Year

This study investigated university students' experiences and perceptions about using the Blackboard online learning management system in the Preparatory Year at Imam Abdulrahman bin Faisal University, Dammam, KSA. Blackboard has been used as a technological tool to support students' blended learning and seamless involvement by means of a set of integrated features. The study used a mixed-methods descriptive explanatory design including quantitative and qualitative tools. A survey was administered to 225 male and female students from a population of 756 participants with various levels of English language competency (beginner, intermediate and advanced). The results indicated that Blackboard had numerous positive effects on university students' attitudes owing to its convenience, effectiveness, and flexibility in learning without place and time constraints. They also revealed that university students encountered no technical difficulties in using all the built-in features thanks to their prior knowledge of Blackboard. Finally, the study included several recommendations for enhancing the use of this learning tool based on current research findings and students' suggestions.