Learning Management System (LMS) has become an integral part of education technology in every institution. Almost all the Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) are using LMS to facilitate their teaching and learning processes. The study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of LMS and the basic perception of students on the usage of LMS and various plugins to support their learning process not only to ensure its quality but also to evaluate different strategies for its future enhancement. Hence, this study adopts a developmental evaluation framework to assess students’ satisfaction and perception of using the (LMS) in their experiential Flipped Learning (FL) of English language modules. The methodology follows the pragmatic paradigm based on Dewey’s theory to allow for mixed-method instruments to be employed for a better understanding of the LMS, exploring its challenges and opportunities. This small-scale evaluative study involved a survey of 70 respondents and a focus group of ten students in a private HEI in Oman to explore their FL experience in English modules. The depiction of this experience represented positive responses emphasizing how FL technology-enhanced individualized/experiential learning reinforced in life-long learning skills suitable for career practice. Recommendations are offered for LMS to facilitate enhanced flipped teaching implementation, promoting a student-centered environment ideal for a broader approach of active learning in HEI contexts.

Learning Management System (LMS) has become an integral part of education technology in every institution. Almost all the Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) are using LMS to facilitate their teaching and learning processes. The study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of LMS and the basic perception of students on the usage of LMS and various plugins to support their learning process not only to ensure its quality but also to evaluate different strategies for its future enhancement. Hence, this study adopts a developmental evaluation framework to assess students’ satisfaction and perception of using the (LMS) in their experiential Flipped Learning (FL) of English language modules. The methodology follows the pragmatic paradigm based on Dewey’s theory to allow for mixed-method instruments to be employed for a better understanding of the LMS, exploring its challenges and opportunities. This small-scale evaluative study involved a survey of 70 respondents and a focus group of ten students in a private HEI in Oman to explore their FL experience in English modules. The depiction of this experience represented positive responses emphasizing how FL technology-enhanced individualized/experiential learning reinforced in life-long learning skills suitable for career practice. Recommendations are offered for LMS to facilitate enhanced flipped teaching implementation, promoting a student-centered environment ideal for a broader approach of active learning in HEI contexts.

Despite the numerous benefits presented within Critical Media Literacy (CML) in understanding societies, cultures, and even our values globally, the lack of teacher preparation, including English language teachers, in teaching (CML) skills remains noteworthy. Such education could arm teachers with sufficient media literacy competence to pass on to students’ capabilities in democratic self-expression and social progress. The research gap that exists, therefore, leads to this qualitative research study where the aim is to explore how a group of five College EFL teachers in a Middle Eastern institution in Oman relate to critical media awareness. This is by deconstructing a US film entitled ‘Freedom Writers’ (2007) to discuss issues related to social injustice, prejudice, and violence in society. The method used to collect data was semi-structured interviews. The interview questions, guided by a semiotic Inquiry Graphics (IG) approach, aimed to capture those EFL teachers’ interpretations, values, and beliefs relevant to CML and their subsequent intentions to teach CML in their future English classrooms. The findings suggest that although the teachers demonstrated positive attitudes and increased awareness of CML, they lacked confidence in applying it and needed to expand their perceptions of CML further. Generally, they viewed CML as being helpful for students in its ability to develop their criticality and citizenship. However, the teachers stressed the harsh realities of a packed curriculum and restrictive program requirements that may obstruct any comprehensive implementation of CML education at a university level, an issue that merits further consideration.

Learning Management System (LMS) has become an integral part of education technology in every institution. Almost all the Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) are using LMS to facilitate their teaching and learning processes. The study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of LMS and the basic perception of students on the usage of LMS and various plugins to support their learning process not only to ensure its quality but also to evaluate different strategies for its future enhancement. Hence, this study adopts a developmental evaluation framework to assess students' satisfaction and perception of using the (LMS) in their experiential Flipped Learning (FL) of English language modules. The methodology follows the pragmatic paradigm based on Dewey's theory to allow for mixed-method instruments to be employed for a better understanding of the LMS, exploring its challenges and opportunities. This small-scale evaluative study involved a survey of 70 respondents and a focus group of ten students in a private HEI in Oman to explore their FL experience in English modules. The depiction of this experience represented positive responses emphasizing how FL technology-enhanced individualized/experiential learning reinforced in life-long learning skills suitable for career practice. Recommendations are offered for LMS to facilitate enhanced flipped teaching implementation, promoting a student-centered environment ideal for a broader approach of active learning in HEI contexts.

Despite the numerous benefits presented within Critical Media Literacy (CML) in understanding societies, cultures, and even our values globally, the lack of teacher preparation, including English language teachers, in teaching (CML) skills remains noteworthy. Such education could arm teachers with sufficient media literacy competence to pass on to students' capabilities in democratic self-expression and social progress. The research gap that exists, therefore, leads to this qualitative research study where the aim is to explore how a group of five College EFL teachers in a Middle Eastern institution in Oman relate to critical media awareness. This is by deconstructing a US film entitled 'Freedom Writers' (2007) to discuss issues related to social injustice, prejudice, and violence in society. The method used to collect data was semi-structured interviews. The interview questions, guided by a semiotic Inquiry Graphics (IG) approach, aimed to capture those EFL teachers' interpretations, values, and beliefs relevant to CML and their subsequent intentions to teach CML in their future English classrooms. The findings suggest that although the teachers demonstrated positive attitudes and increased awareness of CML, they lacked confidence in applying it and needed to expand their perceptions of CML further. Generally, they viewed CML as being helpful for students in its ability to develop their criticality and citizenship. However, the teachers stressed the harsh realities of a packed curriculum and restrictive program requirements that may obstruct any comprehensive implementation of CML education at a university level, an issue that merits further consideration.