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Purpose – Substantial changes in the education system and the shift to online classes during the lockdown have raised teachers’ attention to the idea of practicing cooperative learning in online environments. Cooperative learning activities enhance academic skills if designed effectively. This study aims to explore students’ attitudes toward cooperative learning in online learning environments. Design/methodology/approach – This study is a descriptive study. A survey was administered to 50 graduate and postgraduate students of English as a Foreign Language. Findings – Results indicated that the students had positive attitudes toward the integration of cooperative tasks in online environments. They also revealed no significant differences in the attitudes toward cooperative learning based on the students’ level (i.e. undergraduate or postgraduate) and that the students preferred small groups. Originality/value – Cooperative learning is a widely researched topic, especially in higher education. However, most of the previous studies reported results of the implementation of cooperative learning in traditional classrooms. This study aimed to fill this gap by examining the impact of online tools on cooperative learning.

Arab learners of English often face challenges when it comes to correctly pronouncing English consonant clusters. To address these difficulties, technology-driven methods can be employed to enhance the acquisition of proper English consonant cluster pronunciation. This research endeavor aimed to assess the impact of web-based pronunciation training on the articulation of consonant clusters. The research followed an experimental design, involving fifty-eight Saudi learners of English as a foreign language (EFL) who were enrolled at a public university in Saudi Arabia. These participants were randomly divided into two groups. The experimental group received a list of words containing consonant clusters to practice using YouGlish as a resource. Meanwhile, the control group was instructed to listen to the instructor's pronunciation and then practice producing the words with consonant clusters. The outcomes demonstrated a significant improvement in the production of words with consonant clusters among the experimental group, attributed to the utilization of web-based pronunciation training. These findings hold promise for the field of language learning, highlighting the effectiveness of web-based pronunciation training as a valuable tool for teaching second language pronunciation.

This study evaluates the Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol (SIOP) model and its application in the Saudi classroom from the English language teachers' perspective. The study used a descriptive study design, with a selected sample of 300 male and female English language teachers from elementary and middle schools. The research conducted a group-wide comparison using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). Findings illustrate that educational qualification, career status, job experience and training courses substantially affect application of the SIOP model in the classroom. Results also show that technical, financial capabilities and teachers' qualifications enable the SIOP implementation in the Saudi classroom. The study suggests the implementation of the SIOP model for the sake of transitioning from the traditional English language education system to more advanced methods concerned with the systematic evaluation of English language teachers and classroom environment standards. The recommendation includes training teachers on the SIOP model and emphasizes providing other countries with the guidelines related to SIOP implementation in the English classroom.

The purpose of this research paper was to explore the effects of social media in learning English speaking and reading skills. Although social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Snapchat, are mostly used socially and for marketing, they also have a significant impact on learning English. In determining how social media affects learning English, this paper will be focusing on mobile Apps; Snapchat and Instagram. The paper investigates how user attitude, experience, and perception influence the use of Instagram and Snapchat in learning the English language in a classroom. The research was done on different databases, including Academic Search Complete, Education Source, ERIC, Library, Information Science, and Technology Abstracts, and Professional Development Collection. Research shows that learners with social media accounts are less enthusiastic about learning English, even if it means recreational reading. This differs from the learners without user accounts whose attitude of learning English speaking skills is positive. This research paper concludes that, in comparison to Snapchat, Instagram is a more effective social media platform for engaging and learning of the English language. This contributes to a greater understanding of the English language and its culture while providing more practical knowledge and promoting interactions. However, more research is needed to determine the impact of Snapchat on learning English speaking skills.

Purpose – Based on an experimental study on English for Specific Purposes (ESP) students, at the Business Department at the University of Bisha, the purpose of the study is to examine the effect of chatbot use on learning ESP in online classrooms during COVID-19 and find out how Dialogflow chabot can be a useful and interactive online platform to help ESP learners in learning vocabulary well. Design/methodology/approach – The research paper is based on an experimental study of two groups, an experiential group and a controlled group. Two tests were carried out. Pre-tests and post-test of vocabulary knowledge were conducted for both groups to explore the usefulness of using the Dialogflow chatbot in learning ESP vocabulary. A designed chatbot content was prepared and included all the vocabulary details related to words' synonyms and a brief explanation of words’ meanings. An informal interview is another tool used in the study. The purpose of using the interview with the participants was to elicit more data from the participants about using the chatbot and about how and in what aspects chatbot using the conversational program was useful and productive. Findings – The findings of the study explored that the use of chatbots plays a major role in enhancing and learning ESP vocabulary. That was clear as the results showed that the students who used the chatbot Dialogflow in the experimental group outperformed their counterparts in the control group. Research limitations/implications – The study displays an important pedagogical implication as the use of chatbots could be applied in several settings to improve language learning in general or learning ESP courses in particular. Chatbot creates an interesting environment to foster build good interactions where negotiation of meaning takes place clearly seems to be of great benefit to help learners advance in their L2 lexical development. Originality/value – Examining and exploring whether the use of chatbots plays a major role in enhancing and learning ESP vocabulary in English as Foreign Language setting.

Technology has changed the social landscape and the nature of social interaction. Education has been affected by these changes, as technology has facilitated the creation and Implementation of new educational environments and delivery methods (e.g., distance and blended-learning structures). While the prevalence of such approaches has increased over time, little is known about the learning skills that promote academic success; consequently, the ability of instructors and administrators to implement appropriate methods to foster these skills is hindered. This study examines distance education and focuses on the self-regulation literature to identify skills that can predict ESL learning success in a blended educational environment. Data were collected from 70 students attending a blended English language course. Using subscales from Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire, five Self-regulatory attributes likely to predict academic performance were identified: intrinsic goal orientation, self-efficacy for learning and performance, time and study environment management, help seeking, and Internet self-efficacy.

The investigation of learners’ interlanguage could greatly contribute to the teaching of English as a foreign language and the development of teaching materials. The present study investigates the collocational profiles of large-scale written production by English learners with varied L1 backgrounds and different proficiency levels. Using the British National Corpus as reference corpus, learners’ collocation use was extracted by corpus query language and further identified by t-score via Python programming language. The collocation list consists of 2,501 make/take + noun (the direct object) collocations. Findings show that proficient learners tend to use collocations containing more semantically complicated and abstract noun elements for varied communication tasks. Moreover, advanced learners are inclined to use collocations comprised of more difficult and longer noun elements.

Despite recognition that language can best be learned in an authentic context, and a growing emphasis on the importance of using technology to improve listening skills, only limited research in this area exists in a Saudi context. To add to this research, this quantitative study examines the influence of podcasting on the listening comprehension of 46 female Saudi EFL students in higher education. The randomly selected participants were divided into two groups: a control and an experimental group, and given a six week treatment. A T-test and questionnaire were employed, and the results indicate significant differences between the two groups, favoring the experimental group.

The purpose of this study was to determine what difficulties King Saud University students encounter when learning to write academic English and to differentiate between students' learning needs and objectives. The sample consisted of 50 postgraduate students enrolled in King Saud University during the academic year 2009-2010. Analysis of the data showed that English as a second language (ESL) students face many difficulties and stresses in their academic writing, such as difficulty distinguishing between spoken and written English, making an outline before writing a draft, identifying the skills needed for successful writing, and avoiding plague words and phrases.

This paper reports on the students' experiments of using blogs to encourage themselves to do pre-class reading assignment and reflections after class. The sample in the study included five ESL (English as a Second Language) graduate students in a course of teaching methods, and 90 software engineering students in an undergraduate information technology program. Results indicated that there was a positive attitude towards the use of blogs for pre-class preparation and post-class reflections. However, considering the successful experience, it is important to consider the class size, students' educational level, and the type of reading assignment. (Contains 3 tables, 2 footnotes, and 1 figure.)

Background/Aims: The ideal end point of treatment for chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is sustained off-therapy hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) loss with or even without seroconversion to anti-HBs. We investigated the role of adding PEGylated interferon (PEG IFN) to ongoing tenofovir treatment in chronic HBV patients for achieving HBsAg clearance. Patients and Methods: In this randomized controlled trial, chronic HBV patients who have been receiving tenofovir for >6 months with HBV viral load

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Wilson disease (WD) is a rare autosomal recessive disease. Our objective was to describe the diverse patterns, therapies, and outcomes of this disease. DESIGN AND SETTING: A retrospective study over two decades on WD patients in a tertiary care center in Saudi Arabia. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Clinical and laboratory findings of 71 patients with WD were retrieved from their charts, referral notes and our hospital electronic records and were analyzed. RESULTS: The mean age and standard deviation was 16.8 (10.7) years and 56.5% were males. The main manifestations of WD were hepatic, neurological, and mixed in 39 (54.9%), 12 (16.9%), and 20 (28.2%) patients, respectively, and 11 (15.5%) were asymptomatic cases detected by family screening. A family history of WD was positive in 41 (57.7%) patients, and consanguinity of parents was found in 26 (36.6%) patients. The mean (SD) follow-up period was 92.2 (72.9) (range, 1-320) months. Ten (14.1%) patients died during follow up, while 45 (63.4%) and 16 (22.5%) were still on or lost from follow-up, respectively. The mean (SD) age at the end of follow-up was 25.3 (12) (range, 4-62) years. Hepatoma was discovered in 5 (7.0%) patients. Penicillamine therapy was used by 58 (81.7%) patients, while zinc and trientine were given to 32 (45.1%) and 11 (15.5%) patients, respectively. Sixteen (22.5%) patients underwent liver transplantation and one died (1.4%) on the waiting list. The liver condition remained stable or improved in 35 (49.3%), and the neurological status showed improvement in 11 (34.4%) of the 32 patients who had neurological involvement. CONCLUSIONS: This is the biggest cohort to be reported from the Middle East. WD presentation and outcome of WD are very diverse, and its diagnosis still depends on clinical, laboratory, and radiological evidence of abnormal copper metabolism. WD should be considered in patients of any age with obscure hepatic and/or neurological abnormalities.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The epidemiology, clinical characteristics, and natural course of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in Saudi Arabia are still largely unknown. Hence, we decided to conduct a large retrospective, cohort study to determine these features of the disease. DESIGN AND SETTING: Retrospective study conducted in a tertiary care hospital in Riyadh from January 1970 to December 2008. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We reviewed all the cases of IBD diagnosed and collected all data pertaining to patients with IBD. RESULTS: A total of 312 patients with IBD were included for this analysis, including 197 (63%) patients with Crohn disease (CD) and 115 (37%) patients with ulcerative colitis (UC). The mean age (standard deviation) of patients with IBD was 25.5 (10.6) years; 152 (48.7%) were males and 160 females. The referral rate in the past 10 years was 72.1% compared with preceding 20 years, and 56% (n=178) of patients with IBD were from the central region of Saudi Arabia. The patients were followed up for a mean duration of 9.5 years; during their follow-up, 206 patients (66%) required hospital admission and 9 patients (2.9%) with UC developed colon cancer. A total of 6 patients died during the follow-up. Fifty-three percent (n=104) of the patients with CD underwent surgeries as part of their treatment, whereas only 20% (n=23) of the patients with UC underwent colectomy. CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of IBD has been gradually increasing in Saudi Arabia over the years. Clinical features and morbidity in patients are not different from patients with IBD seen in the West.

Background and Objectives: Knowledge of the predictors of sustained viral response (SVR) to pegylated interferon (PEG-INF) alfa-2a and ribavirin (RBV) therapy in patients with hepatitis C genotype-4 (HCV-4) is crucial for selecting patients who would benefit most from therapy. We assessed the predictors of SVR to this combination therapy in Saudi patients with chronic HCV-4 infection. Patients and Methods: This retrospective study included 148 patients with HCV-4 infection who underwent clinical, biochemical and virological assessments before treatment and at 12, 24, 48 and 72 weeks post-treatment. Results: Of the 148 patients, 90 (60.8%) were males. Mean (SD) for age was 48.5 (12.7) years and BMI was 27.9 (7.5) kg/m 2 . Seventy-nine of 148 (60.1%) patients were treatment naivve and 110 (74.3%) underwent pre-treatment liver biopsy. Eighteen (12.2%) patients did not complete therapy because of side effects or they were lost to follow up. Early virological response was achieved in 84 of 91 (92.3%) patients. In the 130 (87.8%) patients who completed therapy, 34 (26.2%) were non-responders and 96 (63.8%) achieved end-of-treatment virological response (ETVR). SVR and virological relapse (24 weeks after ETVR) occurred in 66/130 (50.7%) and 30/130 (31.2%) patients, respectively. Compared to relapsers, sustained responders were significantly younger (P=.005), non-diabetic (P=.005),had higher serum albumin (P=.028), lower alpha-fetoprotein level (P=.026), lower aspartate aminotransferase (AST) (P=.04) levels, and were treatment-naivve (P=.008). In a multivariate regression analysis, the independent predictors of SVR were younger age (P=.016), lower serum AST (P=.012), and being treatment naivve (P=.021). Conclusion: Approximately half of HCV-4 patients who complete the course of combination therapy achieve an SVR, especially if they are young, treatment naivve and have lower AST levels.

Background/Aim: This retrospective study assessed the efficacy, safety, and the predictors of sustained viral response (SVR) to a 48-week-course of peginterferon α-2a (Pegasys) and ribavirin combination therapy in 335 consecutive Saudi patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. Materials and Methods: Clinical, biochemical, and virological parameters were collected at time 0 (pretreatment) and at 12, 24, 48, and 72 weeks posttreatment. The mean ± SD age was 49.1 ± 13.0 years; 229 (68.4%) were males, mean ± SD body mass index was 27.8 ± 7.4, 85 (25.4%) were diabetic, 25 (7.5%) had renal impairment, 136 (40.6%) had previously received interferon ± ribavirin therapy, and 247 (73.7%) underwent pretreatment liver biopsy. Patients with genotypes 1, 2 or 3, 4 and mixed genotype were 60 (22.15%), 30 (11.0%), 148 (54.4%), and 34 (12.5%), respectively. Results: Early viral response (≥2-log10 HCV-RNA decline 12 weeks posttreatment) was achieved in 253 (75.3%). Patients who completed 48 weeks of treatment were 292 (87.1%); of these, 121 (75.6%) achieved ETVR, 161 (55.1%) continued to have SVR and 60 (20.5%) had a viral relapse following end-of-treatment response, that is 48.1 and 17.9% of all patients (n = 335), respectively. Nonresponders (NR) were 71 (24.3%) patients and 43 (12.8%) were unable to complete treatment (due to side effects or loss to follow up). Compared to the relapsers, patients with SVR were significantly younger ( P = 0.000), nondiabetics ( P = 0.015), had higher serum albumin ( P = 0.007), had less pretreatment inflammatory grade ( P = 0.011), infected with genotypes 2 or 3 ( P = 0.014), and treatment-naοve patients ( P = 0.001). However, in stepwise multivariate logistic regression analysis, only treatment naivetι and low pretreatment inflammatory score were the independent predictors of SVR ( P = 0.005 and P = 0.018, respectively). Conclusion: Combination therapy, if tolerated and completed, is effective in treating chronic HCV patients, especially those with no previous interferon therapy and lower pretreatment inflammatory grade.

Recipients of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant can develop life-threatening complications at any time following their transplants. These complications require repeated clinical assessment, appropriate and thorough screening as well as a comprehensive management approach. We report a young adult male who received a sibling allograft in the second complete remission of his acute lymphoblastic leukemia at King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre in Riyadh. The patient developed severe colitis which was caused by: acute exacerbation of chronic graft versus host disease of the lower gastrointestinal tract, cytomegalovirus disease of the colon and a superadded Salmonella infection caused by food poisoning. The multifactorial colitis was properly investigated and successfully managed. To our knowledge, this is the first case of multifactorial colitis in a recipient of hematopoietic stem cell transplant.

Purpose:To compare the in vitro 3-dimensional (3D) accuracy of fit of laser-scanned Computer Numeric Controlled (CNC)--milled implant titanium frameworks to that of conventional cast frameworks. Materials and Methods: Nine cast frameworks were fabricated on the mandibular master casts of 9 patients with 5 implants each following the well-established conventional fabrication technique. The frameworks were then laser scanned, and 9 CNC-milled titanium frameworks matching the outline of the conventional frameworks were fabricated. The accuracy of fit of both framework types was measured using a contact-type coordinate measuring machine and a computer program developed specifically for this purpose. Statistical analysis was done by a series of paired ttests. Results:The laser-scanned CNC-milled frameworks showed significantly less distortion along the x-axis (transversal, dx) compared with the conventional frameworks (means: 33.7µm and 49.2 µm, respectively) ( P= .011). The titanium frameworks also demonstrated significantly less distortion on the horizontal plane compared with the conventional frameworks (means: 56 µm and 85 µm, respectively) ( P= .012). The dy (sagittal) and dz (vertical) axes and total 3D distortion (√ dx² + dy² + dz²) showed less distortion overall in the laser-scanned CNC-milled frameworks, but this was not statistically significant (mean: 22.3 vs 35.6 µm, 13.3 vs 59.2 µm, 51 vs 114.1 µm, respectively, for y, z, and 3D distortion). Conclusion:Within the limitations of this study, fabrication of an implant-prosthodontic framework using the CNC milling technique yields a more accurate fit than the currently used cast technique. In vivo studies are needed to investigate the clinical significance of this recorded difference. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]