Language learning ‘on the go’ by

Cécile Tschirhart, Chris O’Reilly and Claire Bradley

Presented by Chris O’Reilly

RLO-CETL, London Metropolitan University

Why m-learning in HE?

• Popularity with ‘digital natives’• One and a half billion mobile phones (more than

3 times the number of PCs)• Mobile phone penetration among young people

75% -100%• Learning tool in Asia• Consensus among e-learning theorists and practitioners: “The future is wireless”. http://www.youtube.com/

M-learning applications

• Mobile phone quizzes (e.g. spelling and maths tests)• Collaborative learning activities involving camera

phones and multi-media messaging, using mediaBoard• Use of iPods to access audiobooks and lectures• Personalised guided tours using hand-held Augmented

Reality guides• MILOS (mobile Interactive Learning Objects) using

graphics, animation, text, video clips, and audio

Practical Benefits

• Anywhere/anytime/personalised learning

• Portability and space saving

• Connectivity (instant access)

• Context-sensitivity (e.g. museums)

• Cost (less than PC)

• Inclusiveness/group work

Pedagogical advantages• Consistent with socio-constructivist pedagogy

– Problem solving and exploratory learning; – Contextualised learning; – Independent and collaborative learning; – Scaffolding

• Personalised learning

• Enhanced learner motivation

• What phones? • What software?Other aspects to consider:• Introduction / Splash screen• Instructions / Information• Layout / Aesthetics• Content / Activity / Pedagogy• Help / Feedback / Results

• Functionality / Navigation / Usability

Designing for the phone

Our designs for the phone

Video

Vocabulary Gap-fill

Word searchGrammar

Designs and Developments for the future…

Designs and Developments for the future…

The Pomegranate Phone - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K05mi7G3jIk

EvaluationAims• The concept of mobile learning generally

• The mobile e-packs and their value for mobile language learning

• The pedagogic approach, the type of activities produced, and design and usability

• Would students use them, and if so, how

Methods• Evaluation session with 8 students - each given a Nokia N95 phone with activities

pre-installed and headphones

• They worked through the activities

• Completed a questionnaire

• Took part in a focus group

The students• 6 females, 2 males

• Aged between 18 and

35 (3 over 25)

• All owned a mobile phone

• All rated their mobile phone experience as

‘experienced’ (62.5%) or ‘very experienced’ (37.5%)

• All except one had used the e-packs

Mobile learning and mobile e-packs

• Students gave a very positive response towards mobile learning

• All would like the University to provide them with resources like this

• All would be prepared to use their own mobile phone within their

University course

• How useful would it be to access learning materials via your mobile?

Extremely important 1 2 3 4 5 Not at all important

62.5% 37.5% 0% 0% 0%

Mobile learning and mobile e-packs• How would you rate their usefulness in terms of learning a language?

• What did you think of the prototype mobile e-packs?

• “It is a very good idea and people/students will be interested. However there are improvements that could be made on the whole. Yet students will be attracted to this idea because it gives us the opportunity to practice on-the-go and not at home by the computer.”

• “I found the majority of them really useful. You can listen and at the same time read the examples that are being made.”

• “It is very useful. Convenient.”

Extremely useful 1 2 3 4 5 Not at all useful

25% 37.5% 25% 12.5% 0%

Mobile learning and mobile e-packs

• More elaboration was given in the focus group

• One said “they’re handy”, “they’re useful” and thought they could save you

time as you could use them on the bus to practice your French when there

is nothing else to do

• Another felt it was better to do them on the mobile rather than at home,

because you can spend less time studying but still practise the same

amount of grammar and vocabulary

• What they liked about the activities were that they were “convenient” and

easier to access “almost everybody has got a mobile phone these days”

The mobile learning experience• More convenient

• Can learn wherever you are - “learning on the go”

• More accessible

• Mobile is always with you and available, don’t need access to PC or Internet

• Saves time – study in dead time

• Travelling (particularly on the underground), waiting for people

• Freedom from the computer

• “Chilling on the sofa with your phone”, lying in bed

“I would do it more … because it’s right there. It’s… I mean, I don’t

know about you guys but I can’t live without my phone. It’s my phone and it’s my second heart.”

Conclusions• A very encouraging start: Mobile learners do not need

convincing unlike online learners• Need for pedagogical research into language mobile learning

identifying advantages and constraints• Constant need to keep up-to-date with technology and its

potential• Need for staff to be aware of students’ learning environment

Conclusions

Zune phone - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nRKIDdIaFyE

Conclusions

Microsoft Ophone - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WazA77xcf0A