How long has it been since you
heard the term “m-learning “ for the first time? Well, in my case it was in
2010. Not long ago, right? As a matter
of fact, that might be true for you,
too! But how much of your time have you actually dedicated to learning more
about m-learning and how it is affecting the way we teach today? I am a huge educational technology enthusiast
and I would like to share some of my reflections and discoveries upon this theme
based on events I have attended and
books and articles I have recently read.
I`ve been to several different conferences
before and it is still not very common
to find many sessions on m-learning. During this year`s TESOL Conference, for
instance, I tried to attend as many m-learning sessions as possile but the
options were very limited. There were
less than 10 (including the session delivered by Lilian Marchesoni and
me ) and most addressed similar content, such as using QR codes and other widely known apps like
Educreations, Popplet and Show Me. These
numbers are ridiculous if you consider that there were over a thousand speakers
at the event!
So, was I frustrated? Definitely
not! The use of smartphones, tablets and
other mobile devices in the classroom is a very recent trend in education and
not many professionals are familiar with it. As a matter of fact, the number of teachers
who seek innovation in their teaching practices through mobile technology grows
each year as such gadgets become more popular and accessible. It is a growing
movement which seems to have no turning back and it means wee need to be better prepared to
deal with the current technology.
Learning through mobility (while
you are in movement) is actually not a very new and innovative concept. For many
decades, people carried books, magazines
and paper notebooks with them. Learners
, thus, could always choose where and when to learn if they had access to those
“portable devices” . Today, however, such “devices” have evolved to very
sophisticated gadgets, giving “mobile” a
whole new meaning and status.
So, how can we take full
advantage of such rich and and unique resources and make the teaching and
learning experience as effective as possible?
Unfortunately, the answer for that question is not 100% known yet.
Because it is a very recent phenomenon, there aren`t many scientific studies or
published books linked to this field . We are actually living the blossoming of
mobile computing and transformations in the teaching practice are taking shape
as we speak.
But, is m-learning just a fad or
should we teachers embark upon this venture? Well, how many times have you already had to
tell your students to turn their cellphones off while teaching something very
important on the board? I am sure you will not be able to answer this question!
We cannot ignore the presence of such devices in the classroom anymore! Dede(2005) states that we are witnessing the
rise of generation Y and that the new technologies offered clearly match a new
profile. This new generation of learners
belong to a group labeled as “digital natives” (Prensky, 2001), that is, people
who were born after 1982 and grew up in the Internet era, surrounded by many of
the tech gadgets we know and use today. For them, the traditional education centered in the
teacher and developed in a linear way
does not make sense. They are used to acting instead of watching or taking
things passively. Instead of simply absorbing knowledge, this generation is
used to producing it individually and in groups and sharing it in social
networks. No wonder why Orkut, Facebook
and Twitter have become so popular. Moreover, materials produced by this
generation do not rely on text and written materials only, but rather on
images, sounds and animations, in other words, the use of multiple medias. In sum, The Y generation is empowered by the
massive use of technology and that is why the use of mobile devices should be considered
a serious issue and an important element in the teaching and learning
process of today`s generation.
M-learning has become such an
important educational issue that UNESCO (United Nations Educational,Scientific
and Cultural Organization) launched a document called “ Policy Guidelines for
Mobile Learning” in February which listed down 13 unique benefits of mobile
learning. According to UNESCO, mobile learning:
·
expands the reach and equity of education
·
facilitates personalized learning
·
provides immediate feedback and assessment
·
enables anytime, anywhere learning
·
ensures the productive use of time spent in
classrooms
·
builds new communities of learners
·
supports situated learning
·
enhances seamless learning
·
bridges formal and informal learning
·
minimizes educational disruption in conflict and
disaster areas
·
assists learners ith disabilities
·
improves communication and administration
·
maximizes cost-efficiency
This document not only adresses the use of mobile devices in
the classroom but also the unique opportunities it can bring to distance and
ubiquitous learning experiences. By the way, as a matter of fact, after
attending several seminars, workshops,and webinars and reading a few books, I
learned that m-learning is not limited to what we might know as “using smartphones and tablets in the classroom” but
it also comprises the use of devices to enable distance learning (online
education).
So, should we then start using
mobile devices on a daily basis? Not really. The use of technology itself does
not imply innovation in education. Indeed, the indiscriminate use of technology
in the classroom might lead to ineffective learning outcomes. We need to leave the initial “enchantment”
behind and focus on the true potential of technology. M-learning practices might
have a focus on its technological nature
rather than the pedagocial one and that is exactly what should not happen. Mobile devices were not specifically designed
for educational purposes, so their use should be carefully planned. It is still
very common to see teachers using mobile devices in practices that simply
reproduce what is in the book. Honestly speaking, there is no point in taking
advantage of technology if it will not improve the quality of learning. So when is the use of mobile devices
appropriate? Brazilian EFL teacher and EdTech guru, Carla Arena, likes to bring
up a question which, in my opinion, is perfect to solve this dilemma :” Can you do
the same thing and have the same outcome if you don`t resort to
technology? If the answer is yes, then
you should think twice and consider not using it.”
According to WIN (Worldwide
Independent Network of Market Research), the use of mobile devices is growing
at a staggering rate all over the world. On average,
people spend 74 minutes a day
using smartphones and 71 minutes using
tablets. It is thus, paramount that we educators, researchers and
teachers observe how users handle these protable devices, how they access
information, how they communicate, interact, produce and share knowledge and
information. These are elements that can signal how technology can contribute
to major changes in the way we think, solve problems, live and teach. In the
March 2013 issue of Você S/A, a Brazilian magazine, there is a very interesting
article on how technology is quickly affecting human behavior. In the
article, Kelly McGonigal, a professor at
Stanford Univerity, claims that recent studies have shown that the human brain
has adapted to the digital era in the sense that we starve for information just
as we feel the need to eat food in order to survive. That certainly explains
why people feel the need to be “connected” 24/7. Don`t you think this is another
issue that we teachers also need to look at closely if we want to deal with
technology in our teaching practices?
So, when going to the next
seminar or conference, how about picking some sessions which address the use
of smartphones and tablets in the
classroom? Attending the sessions on
m-learning at TESOL 2013 definitely contributed to my better understanding of
this complex universe in which m-learning is inserted and has definitely been
helping me make better decisions regarding the general use of technology in my
teaching practices. By the way, have you heard of the new terms “digital
visitor” and “digital resident”? I have recently learned that there is a new
current which prefers to use such terms instead of “digital natives” and
“digital immigrants”? When it comes to technology-related issues, concepts,
trends and practices might change as quickly as technology itself. I guess we
all need to get used to this new dynamics if we want to be a teacher in the
21st century!
References:
MARINO, C.; NEVES; N.; ROSSI, L. Viramos Escravos da
Tecnologia? Ela pode melhorar sua produtividade ou disparar sua ansiedade. Como
usar as ferramentas da tecnologia a seu favor no trabalho. Revista Você S/A,
São Paulo, issue 178. March, 2013. (pages 27-37)
