This study examined undergraduate students’ perceptions of effects of online course types such as face-to-face classes, online classes, and blended classes using survey data from 331 students during three semesters from 2020 to 2021. There were differences in effects using ‘PPT video’, ‘voice only in PPT’, and ‘real-time zoom’ between theoretical courses and practice courses. In terms of media types for online classes, ‘PPT video’ was perceived as the most effective type by students, followed by ‘voice only in PPT’, ‘real-time video’, and ‘blended media use’ meaning a 2-hour-course mixed with 1-hour PPT video and 1-hour-real-time video. The effectiveness of ‘real-time video’ and ‘blended media use’ was gradually decreased as time went by. Students had difficulties in academic achievement and daily life with online learning. They were eager to return to face-to-face classes after COVID-19 passes. Some online learning media types were preferable to use for face-to-face classes after COVID-19.

The purpose of this study is to analyze the characteristics of action research in the field of English education in Korea from 2001 to 2015 across 36 masters/doctoral theses and 21 articles from journals. The researcher specifically focuses on the following criteria: purpose, theme, methodology, differences between such characteristics across action research published in journals to that published in dissertations. According to the results, the number of action research dissertations has increased in recent years and the study suggests the number of action research continue its upward trend; action research in Korea has been more prevalent at the primary school level rather than at the secondary and university levels; and the proportion of mixed method in English education was much higher than that of the mixed research in education with a 43% mixed method proportion accompanied by 55% of qualitative research. The study concludes that action research in English education in Korea will become a more meaningful and feasible tool for practitioners’ inquiries, as it provides graduate students with applied experience in their current demanding school environment and writing assignments such as their thesis and research papers. The author suggests that the aforementioned factors enlarge the existential meaning of current graduate schools in Korea.