Teacher-Mediated Use of Digital Information Resources for Vocabulary Learning: Evidence from Kurdish EFL Learners

Abstract

Digital information resources increasingly complement conventional instructional materials by providing interactive, contextualized, and multimedia environments for learning. However, evidence concerning the educational use of such resources in resource-constrained and multilingual learning environments remains limited. This study examines the teacher-mediated use of Trace Effects, an interactive digital educational resource designed to support contextualized language learning, among Kurdish English-as-a-Foreign-Language (EFL) learners in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. An exploratory archival reanalysis was conducted using records from an eight-week, nonrandomized comparison involving 60 learners in two intact classes (N=30 each). One class used Trace Effects in an informationtechnology laboratory under teacher guidance, while the comparison class received conventional teacher-led vocabulary instruction. Both classes completed the same researcher-developed 40-item vocabulary assessment before and immediately after instruction. The class using Trace Effects recorded a mean gain of 9.33 points compared with 4.00 points in the conventional class, representing a descriptive between-class difference of 5.33 points. Archived perception data further indicated that 80.0%–86.7% of learners using Trace Effects agreed or strongly agreed that the resource supported vocabulary recall, engagement, motivation, contextual understanding, learning beyond conventional materials, and future learning. Because each instructional condition comprised only one intact class, these differences cannot be interpreted as causal treatment effects. From a library and information science perspective, the findings highlight the potential relevance of teachermediated digital educational resources for extending access to contextualized and interactive learning content. The study further suggests implications for the selection, accessibility, mediation, and evaluation of digital learning resources by educators, librarians, information professionals, and learning-resource centres, particularly in multilingual and developing educational contexts.