A presentation on mobile assisted language learning presented at he 7th International Technology, Education and Development Conference
Valencia, Spain, 4th - 6th March, 2013
2. MOBILE-ASSISTED LANGUAGE
LEARNING
Outline of Presentation:
What is Mobile Learning
Why mobile language learning?
Classroom applications of MALL
The role of educators
Challenges and limitations
More reading and Resources
3. WHAT IS MOBILE LEARNING?
Researchers’ perspectives of mLearning
Defining characteristics of mLearning
Mobile Assisted Language Learning (MALL)
5. WHAT IS MOBILE LEARNING?
Researchers’ perspectives: Lot’s of
DEBAT
WHAT IS MOBILE IN MOBILE LEARNING?
E
Learner?
Device? (orientation/
(technology)? needs/wants)?
Content?
( cloud computing)?
6. WHAT IS MOBILE LEARNING?
Kukulska-Hulme & Traxler, 2005:
“the possibilities opened up by portable,
lightweight devices that are … small enough to fit
in a pocket or the palm of one’s hand. Typical
examples are mobile phones … smartphones,
palmtops and PDAs; Tablet PCs, laptop computers
and personal media players”
Cameras, data storage
devices
7. WHAT IS MOBILE LEARNING?
Sharples et al. (2005)
“[it] is the learner that is mobile, rather than the
technology” (p3).
8. WHAT IS MOBILE LEARNING?
Defining characteristics:
Personalized Situated
Authentic Informal
Mobile Continuous
Collaborative
Portable
Spontaneous
Ubiquitous
9. WHAT IS MOBILE LEARNING?
Simple definition
A mode of learning which takes place using
content or interaction affordances facilitated by
mobile devices such as cellphones, mp3 players,
notebooks, hand-held mini computers, PDAs,
cameras, data storage devices and a number of
other portable devices
10. MOBILE ASSISTED LANGUAGE
LEARNING (MALL)
An approach to language learning that
is assisted or enhanced through the
use of handheld mobile devices
Subset of mobile learning and CALL
11. WHY MOBILE LANGUAGE
LEARNING?
1. Mobile device and network ubiquity:
90%
of the people on earth are covered by mobile phone
network. Colley et. all. (2010)
41%
of users have more than one mobile device.
The Oracle report (Yu Vespi and Hazen, 201
12. WHY MOBILE LANGUAGE
LEARNING?
1. Mobile device and network ubiquity:
85%
of mobile phones shipped worldwide by 2011 will have an
Internet browser on them. Colley et al. (2010)
Near Future:
between 2010 – 2015 Web access via mobile will exceed
desktop Web access.
(Colley et al. 2010).
13. WHY MOBILE LANGUAGE
LEARNING?
1. Mobile device and network ubiquity:
(Generation Y)
downloaded the most of the commercial or free
applications downloaded by all mobile users.
(Colley et al. 2010)
What about the developing world?
“In most African countries Internet usage via cellphones is
growing: not by 10 or 20 %, but by several hundred percent
year-on-year.”
(Colley et al. 2010)
14. WHY MOBILE LANGUAGE
LEARNING?
2. Our learners – real life:
All own cellphones and most of them own smartphones
Motivated towards the technology (POSITIVE)
Geared to learn informally
Suggesting mobile-based materials
Already into mobile learning
ARE CREATING mobile learning Content
15. WHY MOBILE LANGUAGE
LEARNING?
3. Research:
We need to re-conceptualize learning for the mobile
age. Sharples et al. (2005)
Mobile learning in general is inevitable in the coming
years. (Kukulska-Hulme 2006)
16. WHY MOBILE LANGUAGE
LEARNING?
3. Research:
Equip educators at individual and institutional
levels with appropriate designs for learning that can
cope with and work well for new generations of
learners who take the use of sophisticated technology
for granted. ( Beethan & Sharpe, 2007)
17. WHY MOBILE LANGUAGE
LEARNING?
2. What if we as educators just
ignored this new mode of learning?
Failing to do so, will only result in widening the
gap between educators’ ideas about learning and
those of their students
(Kukulska-Hulme & Jones, 2011).
18. WHY MOBILE LANGUAGE
LEARNING?
Advantages:
Learner driven and Potential for learner
centered autonomy
Relatively cheap Encourages and facilitates
technology peer interaction
Very cheap or totally free Integrates real life into
content learning
Portable Easy content creation
Ubiquitous eBooks etc.
Still new and fashionable
http://www.teachthought.com/technology/reasons-to-use-tablets-in-
the-21st-century-classroom/
19. CLASSROOM APPLICATIONS OF
MALL
Some Examples
Educational Apps
eBooks and eLibraries
Social media
Informal learning activities
Course Management Systems: Moodle for mobile
Course administration
Audio, video , picture
The power of QR Codes
20. CLASSROOM APPLICATIONS OF
MALL
Educational Apps
on the rise
Leading app producers
Augmented reality
affordances
Mostly for free
Easy to use
Choice
User reviews
23. CLASSROOM APPLICATIONS OF
MALL
QR Codes
What are QR Codes?
• Quick Response Code
• Optical labels readable by smartphone
software
Powerful teaching/learning tools on
smartphones
26. CLASSROOM APPLICATIONS OF
MALL
QR Codes
How can they be used for language learning?/teaching
Apps Text
Web Course administration
links Classroom activities and quizzes
Video
Advantage: Do not always require Internet access.
27. CLASSROOM APPLICATIONS OF
MALL
QR Codes - Example
Mobile Students
Convert
app scan app to
link to QR
their App gets
Code
smartphon downloaded
e
30. THE ROLE OF EDUCATORS
Planners: initiate and administer learning schemes, offer
opportunities, set policies, rules and regulation
Guides/facilitators: appropriate materials – apps, sites
etc.
Facilitate work of leaners as needed
Resource: offer resources and encourage students to
explore
Tech support
LISTENERS: to students’ needs and wants
31. CHALLENGES AND LIMITATIONS
Teacher resistance
Alignment of mobile learning with theoretical frameworks
Technology-driven materials and practices
Institutional rules
Cultural appropriateness
Cost
Privacy
Access to network
Cross platform compatibility
32. MOBILE LEARNING RESOURCES
MALL on wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mobile_Assisted_Language_Learning
Mobile learning portal:
http://www.mobilelearningportal.org/contentview/journals
Journal of technology for ELT:
https://sites.google.com/site/journaloftechnologyforelt/archive/april2011/
mobileassistedlanguagelearning
EDUCAUSE REVIEW ONLINE:
https://sites.google.com/site/journaloftechnologyforelt/archive/april2011/m
obileassistedlanguagelearning
33. MLEARNING AND MALL
RESOURCES
Apple Education:
http://www.apple.com/education/apps/
Mobile Learning: An online reflective journal on Mobile learning
practices:
http://mlearning.edublogs.org/2006/08/14/immersive-situated-
learning/
Top 50 mearning Resources:
http://www.slideshare.net/UpsideLearning/top-
50mlearningmobilelearningresources
34. MORE READINGS
Beethan, H., & Sharpe, R. (Eds.). (2007). Rethinking pedagogy for a digital
age: Designing and delivering e-learning. London, UK: RoutledgeFalmer.
Chinnery,G. (2006). Emerging technologies. Going to mall: mobile assisted
language learning. Language Learning and Technology, 10(1), 19-16
C
olley, J., DeGani, A., & Stead, G. (2010). What in the World are you doing
with your mobile phone? World differences in the use of mobiles. Retrieved
August 27, 2011, from http://www.mole-project.net/
Colley, J., DeGani, A., & Stead, G. (2010). Future trends in mobile use.
Retrieved Aujust 27th, 2011, from http://www.mole-
project.net/images/documents/deliverables/global_mobile_trends.pdf
35. MORE READINGS
Dias, A. Carvalho, L., Keegan, D. Kismihok, G., Mileva, N., Nix, J., &
Rekkedal. T (2008). An Introduction to Mobile Learning. Retrieved 25th July,
2011, from
http://www.ericsson.com/ericsson/corpinfo/programs/the_role_of_mobile_lear
ning_in_european_education/products/wp/socrates_wp1_english.pdf
Geddes, S. (2004). Mobile learning in the 21st century: Benefit for learners.
Knowledge Tree e-journal. Retrieved August 9th, 2011, from
https://olt.qut.edu.au/udf/OLTCONFERENCEPAPERS/gen/static/papers/Cob
croft_OLT2006_paper.pdf.
36. MORE READINGS
Hartman, G. DeGani, A., & Stead, G. (2011). Cross-platform mobile
development. Retrieved August 27th, 2011, from http://www.mole-
project.net/images/documents/deliverables/WP4_crossplatform_mobile_dev
elopment_March2011.pdf
Ismail, I., Baharum, H., & Idrus, R.M. (2010). Simplistic is the ingredient for
mobile learning. International Journal of Interactive Mobile Technologies,
4(3), 4 – 8) retrieved July 25th, 2011, from http://online-journals.org/i-
jim/issue/view/85
Kukulska-Hulme, Agnes and Jones, Chris (2011). The next generation:
design and the infrastructure for learning in a mobile and networked world.
In: Olofsson, A. D. and Lindberg, J. Ola eds. Informed Design of Educational
Technologies in Higher Education: Enhanced Learning and Teaching.
Hershey, PA: Information Science Reference (an Imprint of IGI Global), pp.
57–78.
37. MORE READINGS
Kukulska-Hulme. A., and Shield, Lesley (2008). An overview of mobile
assisted language learning: From content delivery to supported collaboration
and interaction. ReCALL, 20(3), pp. 271–289.
Kukulska-Hulme, A. (2006). Mobile language learning now and in the future.
In: Svensson, Patrik ed. Fr°an vision till praktik: Spr°akutbildning och
Informationsteknik (From vision to practice: language learning and IT).
Sweden: Swedish Net University (N¨atuniversitetet), pp. 295–310.
Mirland, M. (2006). How should learning activities using mobile technologies
be designed to support innovative educational practices?. In M. Sharples (ed.)
(2006) Big issues in mobile learning. Report of a workshop by the
Kaleidoscope Network of Excellence Mobile Learning Initiative. University of
Nottingham, UK. (p.27 - 29) Retrieved July 9th, 2011, from
http://mlearning.noe-kaleidoscope.org/repository/BigIssues.pdf
38. MORE READINGS
Naismith, L., Lonsdale, P., Vavoula, G. and Sharples, M. (2004) Literature
Review in Mobile Technologies and Learning, Report 11 for Futurelab,
Retrieved September 10, 2011, from
http://www.futurelab.org.uk/sites/default/files/Mobile_Technologies_and_Lea
rning_review.pdf
39. MORE READINGS
Norbrook, H. and Scott, P. (2003) Motivation in mobile modern foreign
language learning. In: Attewell, J., Da Bormida, G., Sharples, M. and Savill-
Smith, C. (eds.) MLEARN
2003:Learning with mobile devices. London: Learning and Skills Development
Agency, 50-51. Retrieved 15 Auggust, 2011, from
http://www.lsda.org.uk/files/pdf/1421.pdf#.
Ruan, G., Wang, J.Y., & Li, A. (2009). Theoretical foundations of Mobile
learning mediated by technology. Retrieved August 31st , 2010, from
http://dl.acm.org/citation.cfm?id=1727706
Sharples, M., Taylor, J., & Vavoula, G. (2005). Towards a theory of mobile
learning. Retrieved August, 27th, 2010, from
http://www.mlearn.org.za/CD/papers/Sharples-
%20Theory%20of%20Mobile.pdf
40. MORE READINGS
Sharples, M. (ed.) (2006). Big issues in mobile learning. Report of a
workshop by the Kaleidoscope Network of Excellence Mobile Learning
Initiative. University of Nottingham, UK. Retrieved July 9th, 2011, from
http://mlearning.noe-kaleidoscope.org/repository/BigIssues.pdf
Thornton, P., & Houser, C. (2005). Using mobile phones in English
education in Japan. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning (21), 217-228
Yu Vespi, C., & Hazen, J (2010). Opportunity Calling: The future of Mobile
communications. Retrieved August 27th, 2011, from
http://www.oracle.com/us/industries/communications/oracle-
communications-mobile-report-170802.pdf