Mobile Technology in the Context of Learning Language - Literature review Example

A REPORT ON MOBILE TECHNOLOGY IN THE CONTEXT OF LEARNING LANGUAGE by Student’s Name Code + Name of Course Institution City/State Professor Date Executive Summary The increasing usage of mobile for language production as well as consumption has provided an ideal opportunity for increasing the engagement, authenticity, effectiveness, and overall efficiency of language learning within and beyond the classroom context. Mobile technologies have expanded the learning opportunities for learners. Although mobile technologies are important in learning language in an authentic context, language teachers and learners have to make the best use of the mobile technologies. Classifying the application is important in accessing new applications as well as mobile tools for learning. Mobile devices address the needs of the students to effectively grasp vocabulary and do so in a way, which is sustainable and practical without increasing the workloads for the teachers, students, and academic technician staff. Mobile devices usage can increase the score of language learners in the “Language Literacy and Numeracy Program”, whose objective is to improve the participants’ language, numeracy, and literacy competence. Introduction It has been established that mobile technologies facilitate more engaging language-learning experience through offering all time access to a wide range of resources in the target language as well as context appropriate lesson. The portability of mobile technology has expanded learning opportunities for learners. Moreover, with its user created context, which enhances user participation, mobile technology offers new kinds of learning particularly in second and foreign language instruction. Thomas and Houser (2005) argued that mobile devices are valuable devices for delivering language-learning materials to the learners. Mobile technology thus plays an important role in the context of language learning. This report will summarize and evaluate two journal articles investigating the use of mobile technology in learning and present a discussion on how this technology can be potentially applied in enhancing learning in ‘The Language Literacy and Numeracy Program’ (LLNP). Discussion Article 1- “My Personal Mobile Language Learning Environment: An Exploration and Classification of Language Learning Possibilities Using the iphone” Perifanou (2013) explored and classified language-learning possibilities using the iPhone. According to Perifao (2013), one of the key challenges for both second and foreign language learning is reflecting on the way this technology can intervene or form links between formal and more informal personal learning environments (PLEs). Educators are also faced with the challenge of developing new learning methodologies and theories, which can assist teachers and learners in increasingly using powerful technological tools in both informal and formal learning contexts according to the author. In classifying the iPhone applications, Perifao (2013) first divided the applications into two main categories ‘dedicated’ and ‘not dedicated’ to language education. The dedicated applications were then put into two sub-categories depending on the potential target user group: language learners and language teachers. The author then subdivided the applications into nine categories. The first five categories were “Language courses; language courses offered by HE institutes; language learning materials and authorizing tools; podcasts and audio books; data bases and portals” (p. 217). These categories provided a wide range of applications, which could be used by either language teachers or language learners. The other four categories were “assessment and management tools; course plans and material; podcasting tools; teachers’ professional information, journals, magazines” (p. 217). These were applications created only for the teachers. The non dedicated applications was subdivided into seven different categories “tools for vocabulary and translation; tools for data collection; location aware tools; edutainment tools; administrative tools; social networking, communication and collaboration tools; authentic material and interaction tools” (p. 217). These are applications, which could be used by the language teachers and learners. The author then proposes that students use the ‘open culture’ application to find a topic and ten attempts to find related materials including podcasts, videos, and audio books. The second proposal was a collaborative learning situation, which entailed developing a ‘Wiki tourist guide’ using microblogging tools as well as a wiki in creating a city tourist guide and inviting students from other countries to collaborate in creation of a world cities guide. According to the author, these learning situations had been piloted using a group of language students taking an Italian language course in a school in Greece. The results of this pilot study indicated that students were excited about the learning experience and astounded by the potential of the iPhone for learning. Secondly, the students found the classification useful in accessing mobile tools and new applications for language learning. The author concluded by noting that although mobile technologies are important in learning language in an authentic context, language teachers and learners face the challenge of making the best use of the mobile technologies. Various barriers such as the high cost of advanced mobile phones, development of pedagogies, restriction, or ban of use of mobile phones have prevented the wide application of mobile technology in language learning. However, the author concludes that in spite of these barriers, mobile devices can provide an important support to the language learning process and can provide a basis for creating a Mobile Personal Language Learning Environment. MPPLLEs and PLEs represent a new learning model and include a large number of applications, services, and tools under the learners’ control. MPPLLEs can be part of a wider PLE and can facilitate an authentic learning experience for both the teachers and the learners. This article of a good resource for both language teachers and learners faced with the challenge of making the best use of the mobile technologies in language learning. The author clearly and concisely states the problem that most teachers and learners face in using mobile technology in learning language- it gives the reader a context or big picture on the research problem. This research article provides a new point of view on the application of mobile technology in language learning. The research generated encouraging results, which suggest new, effective, and better ways of deploying mobile technologies in the modern classroom. The author provides a basic theoretical framework for mobile learning and personal learning environments to portray the benefits as well as the challenges of using mobile technology in language learning. This helps the reader to understand the gap between merely using mobile technology and making the best use of the technology in learning. The research design (classifying the iPhone applications and pilot testing them using language students in Greece) used by the author is also effective. The author’s classification of the iPhone applications has been applied to a group of language learners, which has shown the classifying the application is important in accessing new applications as well as mobile tools for learning. Language teachers and learners can thus use the classification in exploring various iPhone applications and services. The main weakness of the article is that the author does not offer a detailed account of the pilot study to include details such as the number of participants, the research strategy, sampling method, data collection process and data analysis. The author just presents the result of the pilot study and this limits reliability of the results. Article 2- “Closing in on Vocabulary Acquisition: The Use of Mobile Technologies in a Foreign Language Classroom” Born, Nixon and Tassava (2011) focused on the application of mobile devices to address the problems of vocabulary acquisition. They argued that mobile devices would address the issue more effectively and do so in a sustainable and practical manner that does not increase the workload for the students, faculty, and other academic support staff. The author explored the application of mobile technology as a supplementary means in a classroom learning French as a second language. They argued that incorporating technology such as mobile learning in language learning contexts leads to a rich context for research into pedagogy. Technologies have to be chosen depending their design and ease of use and the curriculum pedagogical goals. The authors also argued that the student perception of usefulness and usability plays an important role in their willingness to continue and adopt to the use of mobile platform. To investigate the efficacy of mobile devices as a supplement to the existing French curriculum in a college, the authors started a small pilot program in 2009. iPod touch devices were used in the experimental study. The flashcards were chosen as they did not require the instructor to adjust the curriculum and hence it would therefore not lead to changes in the current practices. The use of flashcards was a natural extension of a pre-existent technique as the French faculty had been encouraging the students to use paper flashcards. The authors hoped that the increased frequency of contact with French vocabularies would lead the students to retain the vocabularies more- students would have brief occasions of studying their flashcards when waiting for class to start or standing in line. With time, the authors were able to provide 50 iPods to all the students enrolled in Elementary French 101 class. The Mental Class flashcard application was chosen because of its pedagogically sound design and ease of use. Together with the professors teaching in the class, the authors developed a program for exploring the impact of digital flashcards on test scores for the students who took part in the study. The students completed a survey on their language learning history as well as an online version of the learning style survey. The authors then used a pre-test/post –test format for investigating vocabulary acquisition using mobile devices. During the first half of the school tern, the students completed the first two chapters of a textbook without the iPods. The iPods were given during the second half of the term and collected at the end of the term. The iPod back up files provided the usage data of the mental class flashcard application. The data included both the number of minutes the students used the application and the application launch counts. The study results showed that the students who used the iPods had greater test scores gains than those who did not. The authors recommended that for mobile delivery, pedagogically useful activities should be designed. The mobile activities should also blend well with the existing curriculum and teachers should take better advantage of multimedia to accommodate different learning styles and create interactive activities in order to encourage engagement. This research article provides a new point of view on the application of mobile technology in language learning. The research generated encouraging results, which suggest new, effective, and better ways of deploying mobile technologies in the modern classroom. The authors clearly show that mobile devices can have a positive impact on the student language scores if they are used under the right circumstances. The article showed that mobile devices are not a revolutionary change to language learning but a clear enrichment or development of the existing computer assisted language learning. In addition, the other important implication of this research is that an institution support staff should be well informed in order to offer the required and proper levels of training and technical support to both the students and the faculty. The technical staff should also have closer ties with the academic curriculum and be ready to collaborate with the faculty on developing new technological applications for language learning. The strength of this article lies in the research design; the pilot study results are valid and reliable and can be generalized to other language learning settings. Application of technologies in the “Language Literacy and Numeracy Program” (LLNP) The two research articles explored technologies that language teachers can use to effectively use mobile technology in teaching. These technologies can greatly benefit students in the Language Literacy and Numeracy Program. The aim of this program is to improve the participants’ language, numeracy, literacy so that the improvement will enable them to take part more effectively in the labor force or during training hence leading to better gains for them as well as the society in the long term. The first article recommends that mobile devices can create a personal mobile language-learning environment. Mobile technology, use of smart phones, should be integrated in the learning process for students in the program as it will offer an important support to the process and provide basis for creation of mobile personal language learning environment (PMLLE). The tools and applications in the mobile technologies will support self-directed learning. These technologies will pave way for creation of a new, more democratic and open way of learning which will promote the learning process. Mobile devices have become a part of people’s lives and can thus be naturally integrated in the program-learning context. Cell phone platforms have provided user-friendly, flexible, adaptive, and controlled learning (Collins, 2008). They will facilitate situated learning in a context with real interactions in the target language. They will offer information access whilst moving around a particular situation and promote information sharing in collaborative learning. The increasing development of mobile phone learning applications has contributed to challenging and authentic language experiences and bridged the informal and formal learning contexts. This means that the adoption of mobile technology in language learning in the program will provide both language teachers and learners opportunities for developing an MPLLE, which will includes applications such as quizzes, flashcards, tour guides and phrasebooks. For the learners in the program to benefit from mobile devices in learning, the language teachers have to be able to explore the potential of mobile technology in their own learning actively to facilitate its application to the teaching practice. To deal with this challenge, the program should adopt a framework for classifying mobile language learning applications. For instance, the program can adopt the framework provided by Perifao (2013) and divided the applications into two main categories ‘dedicated’ and ‘not dedicated’ to language education. The dedicated applications can then be put into sub-categories depending on the potential target user group. The non dedicated applications should also be subdivided into different categories. Exploring and classifying the language learning possibilities can create a mobile personal language-learning environment. Mobile technology-iPods can also play an important role in helping the students in the program to grasp vocabularies. Using mobile devices as flashcards can address the needs of the students to effectively grasp vocabulary and do so in a way, which is sustainable and practical without increasing the workloads for the teachers, students, and academic technician staff. Mobile usage can increase the score of language learners in the program. To improve the efficacy of the mobile devices, such as the iPod, the technology should match with the learners study habits and it should advance their academic goals. Pedagogically useful activities should be designed to ensure mobile delivery. The mobile activities should match with the program curriculum The program technicians should also ensure that they use multimedia afforded by mobile devices to accommodate diverse learning styles, for instance taking advantage of audio recordings and graphical materials The program should incorporate interactive activities to encourage student engagement. The program should also not assume that students have the required skill to complete technology-enhanced tasks. Peters, Weinberg & Sarma (2009) argued that most students are usually hesitant to use new technologies in learning, as they require competence in technical skills instead of just language skills. The program should thus make screen casts or tutorial handouts for the students, which should be directly linked from the content the learners are expected to use. The technical support staff should also be well informed of the new technological applications in the curriculum so that they can be helpful in identifying supportable and appropriate technologies, which meet the pedagogical objectives, identifies in the curriculum. Conclusion The extensibility and flexibility of mobile devices such as iPhones and Ipods can greatly benefit language learners in the Language Literacy and Numeracy Program. Mobile technology can be effectively integrated in the language-learning program to meet the needs of the learners. Mobile technology should be integrated in the learning process for students in the program as it will offer an important support to the process and provide basis for creation of mobile personal language learning environment (PMLLE). Using mobile devices as flashcards can address the needs of the students to effectively grasp vocabulary and do so in a way, which is sustainable and practical without increasing the workloads for the teachers, students, and academic technician staff. Mobile technology can transform the language-learning context and improve student learning outcomes. Reference List Born, C, Nixon, A & Tassava, C 2011, Closing in on Vocabulary Acquisition: The Use of Mobile Technologies in a Foreign Language Classroom, IGI Global. Collins, T 2008, Proceedings of the fifth IEEE International Conference on Advanced Learning Technologies, Kaohsiung, Taiwan. Hsueh, S 2011, Challenges of Adopting Web 2.0 and Mobile 2.0 for Language Learning, Academic Podcasting and Mobile Assisted Language Learning: Applications and Outcomes, IGI Global, Pp.70-91. Language, Literacy and Numeracy Program, Available at: http://www.innovation.gov.au/SKILLS/LITERACYANDNUMERACY/LANGUAGELITERACYANDNUMERACYPROGRAM/Pages/default.aspx [Accessed 29 April 2013] Perifanou, M 2013, My Personal Mobile Language Learning Environment: An Exploration and Classification of Language Learning Possibilities using the iPhone, IGI Global. Thornton, P & Houser, C 2005, ‘Using mobile phones in English education in Japan’, Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, vol. 21, no. 217-228. Read More