Sunday, November 4, 2012

MALL

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It is common knowledge that mobile phones have become an integral part of our everyday life and they can be used for various educational purposes. I think , this can promote successful language learning both in  and outside  classroom. For instance, learners can use the recorder to interview each other, they can take photos of the things and places they are interested in and bring and share them with the rest of the class. Mobiles are also widely used to interact with others in social networks such as Facebook, MySpace or Skype.  This is can be an effective way for learners to practice their English outside classroom.
In the article entitled “Action Research Approach on Mobile Learning Design for the Underserved” (Kim, 2008), the author carried on a research study for developing a mobile learning model for migrant indigenous children of Latin America. The children had no access to technologies, they lived in very poor living conditions, and most of the population was illiterate. I was surprised to learn that children (3-13-years-old) needed minimal help in operating the mobile devices and were able to learn to use them just in minutes. Also it is interesting to note that children with an early stage of reading proficiency could read the short stories at the same speed as in papers and magazines. Besides, they enjoyed using aural and visual animations and learned to browse the stories very easily. I think this study can serve as evidence of the effectiveness of mobile phones in any learning environment.
Also, mobile learning fosters collaboration among learners. In one of the articles by Kukulska –Hulme and Lesley Shield, mobile learning is described as a means of promoting interaction among learners. Mobile devices create an extra dimension for learning by allowing students to identify, edit and share information with other learners and teachers. According to the authors , mobile learning can successfully support collaborative asynchronous speaking and listening activities. However it was found out that it is more difficult to support synchronous interaction by using Mobile devises as you need you learners to be available at a specific time.

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