In this series, Nicky Hockly explains aspects of technology which some people may be embarrassed to confess that they don’t really understand. In this article, she explores mobile learning, also known as m-learning.
1 Mobile learning … what’s that?
Mobile learning is essentially learning on the move. The concept itself is not new – I regularly did my homework on the bus to school several decades ago. What is new is the wealth of electronic mobile devices available nowadays to help us.
2 Does it mean learning a language via your mobile phone?
Not entirely, although this is an assumption that many people make. Mobile learning, or m-learning, refers to learning with the aid of any portable wireless handheld device. This includes mobile phones and devices such as small handheld computers and PDAs (Personal Digital Assistants, such as a Blackberry), MP3 or MP4 devices (such as an iPod), or any sort of smart phone. As devices get increasingly sophisticated, the difference between a mobile phone, a handheld computer, a PDA and an MP3 or MP4 player becomes increasingly blurred – the latest gadgets have all of these functionalities rolled into one.
3 Is mobile learning a bit of a buzzword these days?
Definitely. Mobile technology in general, and mobile learning in education, are considered by many pundits to be the Next Big Thing. The mainstream and educational press (not to mention blogs) are full of reports about the surge in sales of mobile devices in both developed and developing countries. Particularly interesting is how internet-enabled mobile devices are being used to access the web in countries without fixed-line internet infrastructure. In several countries in Africa, for example, mobile phones with internet access can be rented from small roadside stalls and, in this way, one handset can be used by many people. A recently published 2010 Horizon report (http://wp.nmc.org/horizon2010) flags up ‘mobile computing’ as a key trend which will be mainstream within the next 12 months.
4 So what does mobile learning mean for our students?
Your students now have access to mobile materials that are specially produced for English language learning and to authentic materials already out there on the web, via their handheld devices. They have access to all this anytime and anywhere – on the bus or train, in the gym or training for a marathon, or sitting on the sofa at home. They can download and install mobile phone applications for learning grammar or bilingual dictionaries. They can access websites and online course environments from their mobile devices. They can download podcasts and play educational games in English. They can talk directly to teachers who may be in another part of the world via Skype.
(Of course, teachers and students can also use mobile devices inside the classroom. There are plenty of cases where these devices are enhancing classroom teaching and learning. But in this article, we’re focusing on the informal and unstructured learning opportunities afforded by m-learning.)
The bottom line is that mobile learning means you no longer need to be tied to a computer terminal or a desk to learn. And although many teachers bemoan the fact that all this digital learning cannot possibly be as good as the real thing (meaning face-to-face learning), well, this is somewhat missing the point. Distance mobile learning is not the same as face-to-face learning. They are not meant to be the same. They are entirely different forms of engagement with learning and language, and there is no reason why they can’t be seen as complementary, rather than as antagonistic. Mobile learning simply provides the student with more choices and options.
5 How can I introduce some mobile learning elements into my own teaching practice?
As a start, English language teachers can point their students in the direction of useful and interesting mobile learning materials. Whether the students then take advantage of these out-of-class learning opportunities is, of course, up to them. An informed teacher should know about the applications already available for learners of English. The first thing to do is to check out what materials are on offer (eg via the Apple iTunes store), and to aid the students in deciding what applications might be helpful for them. Would they find it useful to receive an ‘idiom of the day’ on their mobile phones? What about having a bilingual dictionary on their mobile device? And how about subscribing to the BBC or CNN news in the form of video podcasts, and watching these on the way to work every morning?
Try spending some classroom time asking your students how they use their mobile devices in their daily lives already, discussing what options are available for out-of-class informal language learning and helping them make informed choices. But don’t just leave it at that. Get your students to share what informal mobile learning they have been doing by discussing it in class regularly. Make it optional – even if you start with just a handful of students picking up on your recommendations, word will soon spread, and more and more of your students will be keen to try it out. Remember, however, that, at the end of the day, mobile learning options may not be for everyone.
So start small, start optional, and see what happens!
Nicky Hockly has been involved in EFL teaching and teacher training since 1987. She is Director of Pedagogy of The Consultants-E, an online training and development consultancy. She is co-author of How to Teach English with Technology (Pearson) and Learning English as a Foreign Language for Dummies (John Wiley & Sons).
This article first appeared in issue 68 of English Teaching professional, May 2010
