ABSTRACT
This quantitative-qualitative-phenomenological study was conducted to determine the use of Canva application by English teachers and learners as basis for recommended educational materials. The study found out that English teachers generally utilize templates, drag-and-drop tools, and mobile app which align with learners' use of templates, drag-and-drop tools, and photo/video editing features. For their English classes, English teachers use templates, mobile-app, and photo and video editing, while learners use templates, photo and video editing, and drag-and-drop design tools. English teachers found Canva to be visually appealing and offering editable content that promotes effective interaction and enhances comprehension and retention, while learners found it easy to use and time-saving, enhancing creativity and digital skills, and exploring various design tools. English teachers’ challenges include internet dependency, lag and loading issues, and limited access and integration with other applications, while learners faced poor internet connection, limited access to free account, and difficulty to adjust elements. Educational materials were recommended based on the result of this study.
Keywords: Canva Application, English Teachers, Learners, Educational Materials
INTRODUCTION
Canva emerged as a notable topic during the Virtual In-Service Training for Teachers (VINSET) organized by the Department of Education amidst the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Since then, the researcher has been interested in its potential as a valuable digital tool for education, offering engaging learning experiences and essential skills for teachers and learners in the digital age. Among other digital platforms, Canva is the most preferred and recommended by teachers and learners due to its user-friendly features.
In today's educational milieu, there is a heightened emphasis on teaching learners to anticipate and prioritize their future preparedness over solely focusing on their past academic experiences. As the world changes on a fundamental level, learners have been influenced by the transformation as well. This is brought about by digitalization, or in other words, technology. Learners today, from kindergarten to college, represent the first generations to experience the rise of modern digital technology (Sahin, 2009).
In the local scenario, the Department of Education (DepEd) designed a curriculum that could meet the demands of learners in the twenty-first century. Improvements and instructional growth have been brought about in the education industry by ongoing innovation and development. The Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013, also known as Republic Act No. 10533: "An Act Enhancing the Philippine Basic Education System by Strengthening its Curriculum and Increasing the Number of Years for Basic Education," aims to make teachers and learners competitive in terms of technology, pedagogy, content, and knowledge when addressing 21st-century skills. Integration of information, communication, and technology (ICT) in education can help teachers meet the global demand for substituting traditional teaching methods with technology-based teaching and learning tools and facilities. Furthermore, ICT integration in the teaching and learning process makes skill exploration simpler and more pleasant, especially for learners who study English as a second language.
Numerous researchers (Brenes & Rivero, 2018; Wiyaka, et al., 2018; in Nurhidayat, 2022) emphasize the importance of technology in language teaching because it can boost learners' motivation, and Canva is among the most recent media that has the potential in aiding this. With the help of this online design tool, anyone can make stunning visual documents without any prior graphic design knowledge.
Studies have recently examined the impact of Canva application on enhancing students' writing abilities (Anggraeni & Pentury, 2022; Hadi, Izzah, & Paulia, 2021; Candra, Chandra, & Hidayat, 2022; Fauziyah, Widodo, & Yappi, 2022; Jumami, 2021; Utami & Djamdjuri, 2021; in Pedroso, et al., 2023). Others also examined its potential in aiding with language learning (Wahyuni, Riza, & Autila, 2022; Mudinillah & Rizaldi, 2021; Elsa & Anwar, 2021; in Pedroso, et al., 2023), specifically in grammar (Nurhidayat, 2021). Their main emphasis has been on the ways in which Canva enhances fundamental abilities such as writing and language learning. However, these studies had not investigated about the experiences and challenges of English teachers and learners in using its different features for crafting educational materials.
Presently, teaching and learning have returned to five-day in-person sessions, and teachers are challenged to find innovative methods to improve their English instruction to provide learning experiences that are tailored to the personality of 21st century learners, as digital natives, who have different needs and demands. Hence, English teachers look for ways to utilize digital tools like Canva in their teaching to overcome this challenge.
As an educator, the researcher was challenged to conduct a study about the use of Canva application by English teachers and learners as basis for recommended educational materials.
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