Ng Siew Foen1, Mohammad Affiq Kamarul Azlan2, Alia Nadhirah Ahmad Kamal3 Universiti Malaysia Kelantan, Bachok, Malaysia
1[email protected], 2[email protected], [email protected]
Highlights: Digital technology has increasingly engaged remarkable public attention and this has contributed to the formalisation of media use in teaching and learning. Studies have suggested that guided usage of mobile devices in learning is necessary. This framework suggests appropriate web applications that match with a particular language skills development (listening/speaking/reading/writing) and functions as a guide to assist in students' mobile learning.
Keywords: English language, gamification, guided mobile learning, intervention design Introduction Introduction
The development in global Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) has propelled recent advances in media use in teaching and learning (Hafner & Miller, 2011). This includes the formal integration of various digital platforms in English language classroom. In this case, quoting Mattheos et al. (2010) would be right as he agreed that educational methods must be dynamic and continuously adapted to an ever-changing social environment. As information and communication technology has been a serious element of tertiary teaching and learning, one particularly important trend we have recently witnessed with regard to the use of ICT is the increasing reliance on mobile-connected devices not only in daily tasks, but also within professional and educational environments (Koszalka
& Ntloedibe-Kuswani, 2010). Given that situation, there are also concerns regarding the usefulness of mobile usage in language learning. Woodcock et al. (2012) for instance believed that students always use their phones more for playing games and other leisure activities than for learning. Hence, this particular paper will discuss a possible mobile learning intervention design for English language learners that will benefit them in their language learning and performance.
As in Universiti Malaysia Kelantan (UMK, the learners are English as a second or third language speakers.
Most of the learners hail from a background of a number of different first languages spoken in Malaysia such as Malay, Mandarin, Tamil, Iban and Kadazan-Dusun. The learners’ English proficiency ranges from low to medium with a few proficient users. Scaling them according the Malaysian University English Test (MUET), majority of the learners scored Band 3 and above suggesting average level of English language proficiency while there are some who scored Band 1 and Band 2. Overall, it can be concluded that in terms of their language proficiency, the learners can understand any forms of instructions well and can follow the lessons satisfyingly.
All UMK learners are provided with an iPad each. This is part of an effort by UMK to drive the institution towards Industrial Revolution 4.0 that envisions new era society of cyber-physical systems, the Internet, cloud and cognitive computing (Herman, 2016). In line with that, the education system in UMK is also working towards providing 21st century skills needed by the learners to survive namely collaboration, creativity, critical thinking and communication. In attaining the mentioned skills, there is no other way other than embracing mobile learning as through it, the incorporation of the skills is seen as possible. Mobile learning encourages learners’ collaboration through various learning application available be it inside or outside classroom. Language learners can also use mobile learning platform to sharpen their creativity and critical thinking skills through myriad of reading materials and information that they can get at their fingertips. Finally, mobile learning irrefutably would enhance learners’ communication skills through the usage of communication devices such as smartphones and tablets in language lessons.
Description of the Innovation
The innovation proposed is a framework that integrates the existing English language syllabus to possible online English language learning applications specifically according to language skills such as listening, speaking, reading and writing. The framework shows how the existing syllabus can be integrated with online learning apps that were selected with any changes and modifications made to the syllabus. This will allow the instructors to continue teaching based on the required syllabus for that particular semester or year, while using technology, in form of apps and mobile phones inside and outside the classrooms.
Background of the innovation
This innovation is proposed due to the vacuum in the understanding on whether or not guided intervention in mobile learning would effect in an effective language teaching and learning. A number of studies have been conducted on the mobile intervention in language learning and its effectiveness. In general, scholars are divided into two opinions;
one that favours mobile learning and believes it has positive impact on learning and second opinion that opposes the aforementioned notion of understanding. Among the studies conducted is the study by Wilmer et al. (2017) that believed that the body of empirical evidence demonstrating tangible effects of mobile devices on memory and knowledge is limited. Earlier, Sparrow et al. (2011) argued that with the close relation to technology, people are remembering less actual information and instead commit to memory where such information can be found. As Wilmer, et al. (2017) suggested, when people turn to mobile devices, they generally learn and remember less from our
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118 experiences. There are also notions that consider mobile devices in learning correlates with more intuitive but less analytic thinking as proposed by Barr et al. (2015). Meanwhile a more extreme view on mobile learning such as the one proposed by Beland and Murphy (2014) contended that enforcing mobile phone bans in school is associated with better academic performance. Junco (2012) made it clear that the usage of social media in learning is negatively correlated with academic performance as it is used more for socialising than learning.
As opposed to the above mentioned views on mobile learning, there are also studies that support mobile usage in classrooms. As mentioned by Harley et. al., (2007) text messaging on academic matters between learners and instructors gave learners a sense of belonging and also made them feel they would do better academically. Yu (2012) believed smartphones have a huge potential to be used as a learning tool in higher education as it can be used to access thousands of materials and there are a lot of inexpensive but useful learning applications that can be integrated in learning using smartphones. As opposed to traditional teaching, mobile learning can benefit learners in many ways as suggested by Goh and Kinshuk (2006) such as games and competition in learning, classroom learning, laboratories learning, field trip learning, distance learning, informal learning, pedagogical and learning theory, learning and teaching support, mobile evaluation, requirements, and human interface. A number of these attributes can be associated with language learning. Talking about 21st century learning where collaboration is involved, Yu (2012) continued that digital technologies such as blogs, wikis, and interactive websites have ushered in a whole new era of information sharing and collaboration where these could be furthered when applied in mobile learning context.
Therefore, a framework that integrates mobile learning apps and the existing syllabus was created and tested and the results showed that students performance in language is improved. Hence, this innovation, which is an idea of integration between language learning apps and language skills is created.
The importance to education
This innovation is important to the field of education as it fulfils what is required for 21st century learning.
The past literatures on 21st Century learning, the mobile learning concepts as well as findings on guided mobile learning have been looked into to provide insights on current surrounding issues. Understanding this would assist in developing a good gamification strategy.
21st century learning has become an integral part of educational thinking and planning for the future (Nichols, 2018). In regard of this, educational communities have been formulating ways to train learners for the future.
This includes the shift from teacher-centred to student-centred learning and from subject-based to problem-based approach. According to Nichols (2018), the role of education in the 21st century is to prepare students to become active, successful, and contributing members of society. 21st century learning thus considers a number of aspects that demand the instruction in a particular lesson to be student-centred. This means that education should be lesser that a teacher giving a lecture about a topic, rather learners are given tasks to be solved. Solving problems thus should involve students acquiring proper information that can be done through the incorporation of technological devices and the Internet in classrooms.
Other than that, 21st century learning also concerns collaboration between learners (Nichols, 2018). This is seen as a crucial factor that prepares learners for future survival where they will have to work with people from different cultures and backgrounds in the borderless world and that they need to have proper skills and knowledge about the world to do so. The implementation of mobile learning for instance is in sync with this particular idea of 21st century learning where learners can access myriad of knowledge about cultures and nations, world’s problems and solutions to be discussed in a problem-based classroom. From a language learning perspective, the idea of collaborative learning is sensible as language is a tool to share ideas and opinions while it serves to bridge people of different background.
Advantages of the Innovation
Given the extensive debate on the strengths and weaknesses of mobile learning, the discussion mainly hovers around the idea of advantages and disadvantages. However, there is a lack in discussion on how proper guided mobile learning intervention can benefit learners as asserted by Kukulska-Hulme as cited in Ng, et.al (2016) that the possible influence of mobile devices on education and their impact is still unclear and is an evolving field of study.
Hence, some researchers emphasized on the idea of guided mobile learning intervention. Barrs (2011) for instance recommended that detailed guidance and explanation on how to use smartphone appropriately in classroom settings is essential if meaningful learning is to take place. With the same understanding, Ng, et.al (2016), found that facilitating the usage of smartphone is crucial and the findings recommended future studies should focus on ways to facilitate learners’ intentional behaviour towards the use of smartphones so that they will develop the capacity to use this device to assist their learning processes. This innovative product proposes a potential guided of mobile learning intervention module to enhance learners’ language performance.
The development of todays’ technology has created a generation of students who are thirsty of the richness of resources on digital media. Moving forward, instructors, especially language instructors should be aware of recent changing trend and adapt the content delivery method to suit the intended audience. Nevertheless, s tudies (Ng et al, 2016; Barrs, 2011) have suggested that the presence of a comprehensive guide for mobile learning is a necessity to ensure that all mobile interventions are not merely creating a fun environment, but assist in effective delivery of the course contents.
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119 Commercial Values
The innovation is highly commercial as it is not just beneficial for university language teaching and learning, but also any other institutions that have English language subjects, be it schools, colleges, polytechnics and matriculations. The mobile learning framework can be printed as a module or distributed in CDs to schools and colleges as a guide for language instructors to implement the integration of the language learning apps to their English language syllabus.
Acknowledgement
We are grateful to Universiti Malaysia Kelantan for the funding of our research grant that has enabled this study to be conducted and the framework to be tested.
References
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