International Journal of
Information and Education Technology

Abstract—This study investigated the effect of a connectivism-based program on enhancing Oral Communication (OC) and Critical Thinking (CT) skills among EFL university students in Egypt. Thirty-five second-year students participated in a ten-week intervention (consisting of 20 sessions and 70 instructional hours) designed around authentic tasks, collaborative activities, and digital platforms aligned with the principles of connectivism. A mixed-method, single-group pre/post-test design was employed, integrating quantitative assessments with classroom observations, and student and reflections. Quantitative results revealed significant improvements in both OC and CT skills, with students demonstrating greater fluency, evaluative reasoning, problem-solving, and synthesis of diverse perspectives. Qualitative findings further revealed that authentic tasks, peer collaboration, and technology-mediated engagement fostered autonomy, confidence, and meaningful language use. Taken together, the findings suggest that connectivism provides an effective pedagogical framework for simultaneously developing communicative proficiency and higher-order thinking skills in digitally mediated EFL contexts. The study contributes theoretically by extending the application of connectivism to dual skill development and offers practical implications for EFL instructors and curriculum designers seeking to integrate collaborative, technology-enhanced strategies in under-resourced higher-education settings.

Keywords—connectivism, critical thinking, English as a foreign language, higher education, oral communication

[PDF]

Cite: Israa Ismael, Sen Li, Nasir Ali, Yousry Aly, and Kai Ren, "Using Connectivism to Enhance EFL University Students’ Oral Communication and Critical Thinking Skills," International Journal of Information and Education Technology, vol. 16, no. 3, pp. 838-852, 2026.

Copyright © 2026 by the authors. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited (CC BY 4.0).