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A Study of English Mobile Learning Applications at National Chengchi University

A Study of English Mobile Learning Applications at National Chengchi University

Pei-Chun Che (National Chengchi University, Taiwan), Han-Yi Lin (National Chengchi University, Taiwan), Hung-Chin Jang (National Chengchi University, Taiwan), Yao-Nan Lien (National Chengchi University, Taiwan), and Tzu-Chieh Tsai (National Chengchi University, Taiwan)
Copyright: © 2011 |Pages: 23
DOI: 10.4018/978-1-60960-539-1.ch018
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Abstract

The pervasive popularity of the Internet in the past decade has changed the way many students live and learn, in part, because modern technology has made it possible for learners to access Real-Time Multimedia information on the Internet, or research any topic of interest to them from virtually any computer anywhere in the world. Students can also receive immediate feedback from their peers and/or their teachers when involved in collaborative projects. As a result, teachers of all disciplines need to incorporate the Internet and the concept of mobile learning into today’s classrooms to take advantage of this technology. This research investigated the response of English majors to a mobile learning platform (NCCU-MLP) developed at National Chengchi University (NCCU) in which they were involved as participants. The goal of the NCCU-MLP is to improve the students’ English ability as well as to update the teachers’ understanding of how to use the technology. The purpose of this research was to investigate the responses of students to a mobile learning environment. The research involved 18 participants in a pilot study and 37 participants in a follow-up study who participated in a group activity involving mobile learning activities. The students were asked to complete the activity following which they completed a brief survey of their response to the mobile learning activity. The findings indicate a positive response from the participants regarding the content and procedures involved in the activity. Technical support for the project was found to need enhancement for future projects of this nature.
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Literature Review

To receive an education, schools are no longer the only option for students. In fact, a student can take courses tailored to one’s needs at any time and any place today. Such is the nature of distance learning (d-learning), where students and the instructors are separated by time and/or distance (Georgiev, T., Georgieva, E. & Smrikarov, A., 2004). D-learning offers numerous advantages, especially for those who need flexibility in their life, such as learners with restricted mobility, an irregular work schedule, or family responsibilities. In addition to having freedom in time and location, d-learning is also student-centered. Not only do learners choose their materials in some cases, they also proceed at their own pace and intensity in some cases (USjournal.com, LLC). Students are not the only beneficiary of distance learning; institutions also increase revenue by delivering education to distance learning students since the class size increases while overhead stays the same in some cases (Valentine, 2002).

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