Handheld Learning - learning with mobile and ubiquitous technologies

My reasoning for considering the racial implications around the concepts of "Digital Native" and "Digital Immigrant", arose from a presentation from Kelly King from the IATEFL conference in Exeter, here is the abstract..

The application of critical race theories to English language teaching
Kelly King (Akita International University, Japan)
Does race matter? Although critical race theory (CRT) and critical whiteness studies (CWS) have had little impact in ELT, the speaker contends that CRT and CWS should in particular inform the ELT pedagogies and practices of white teachers. Key principles of CRT and CWS and their applications to English language teaching will be discussed.


Being and international conference the audience consisted of many global opinions and the issues raised concerning issues around "White Supremacy" proved to be a heated debate, specifically the use of language and technology to emphasize global White Supremacy, i.e. our western morals and ideals are imposed upon not western countries through the use of language and technology; this was examined in the presentation through the need to have "Native Teachers" and the implications around this.

Here "Digital Native" could have a "whiteness" implication around it, perhaps linked to the concept of the "Native Teacher". Being an "Digital Immigrant" perhaps implies that to achieve the "Native" position is linked to the "Non-native teacher" to the "native teacher", a move from non-white concepts, morals and ideals to "white" ideals as expressed through the theories of Critical Race Theory and Critical White Studies?

I am just starting to think around this issue!

I agree with the idea that creating a "Digital Native/Immigrant" concept is misleading and possibly damaging to the whole learning paradigm shift that is happening. The issue I had with this paper was that it suggest that this concept is pushing the paradigm change rather than technology providing a means for this change to happen.

I also have a problem with the teminology which needs to be examined in terms of its racial implications.

A recent article in BJET examines the issues around the concept of the "Digital Native". The article examines the evidence around this concept and finds that ther is no evidence that this classification can be used for young people and that the push for educational change to ecompass this concept is based upon a "Moral Panic".
For me this article misses the point about educational change, the push to incorporate constructivist ideas is not based upon new technologies and their acceptance by the new generation but that the education system is fundamentally flawed in that it is a machine to produce students with qualifications, essentially failing those who do not/cannot engage with the system. Technology gives us now the opportunity to promote this change in school, not because technology is used by students.

There is also a need for a disucssion around the language of "Digital Native" and its racial implications, will the use of this concept alienate through its implication.

Hi Mark,

I have carried out some very basic research with teachers and learners in Milan and Bratislava, the main aspect with teachers was examining how mobiles and video content could act as catalysts for professional development and how learners react to mobile technology in the classroom. The teachers invloved in the workshops all had good mobile technology in hand and were very keen to see how they could use it. Their main interest was understanding more about the technology such that they could "keep up with the kids." In both countries teachers were very concerned about mobiles in the classroom and their fear of appearing on You-tube, this had actually happened to one of their colleagues in Milan and hence all mobiles were banned.

My opinion is that the mobile phone has the potential to give students a voice in the education system as to how they are educated and a possibilites of a real insight into what students are confronted with as learners. As for the Youtube effect, this is clearly an temporary reaction to an event which is soon forgotten as the world moves onto the next thing.

When the learners in Italy were given access to mobile technology they almost immediately changed the pedagogy in the classroom to peer/child centred learning. This was dependant upon the type of content that was available on the mobile device.

There is a barrier between the teacher as professional and the learner, mainly constructed by an education system geared up to manufacture test results. By using the mobile device in the schools the whole education construct can be demonstrated through recorded evidence from the people on the receiving end of policy. This is real learner voice.

I had some "creative" thinking about mobile devices and learning.....

With the authorities on both sides standing back like timid aggressive deer, powerless against the disparate desperate mass, powerless to stop the change, powerless as they watch in delightful horror as they see their beautiful horrific construction being torn down by the rampant hordes of the enthusiastic, energetic, eager, democratic, oppressed, revolutionary, creative life long learners. This edifice, this barrier, this plague: Raised over the years, risen from the torn shreds of standards, curriculum, targets, memos, tests, strategies, policies and pedagogy, sealed with tears of the disrupted classroom into a congealed regurgitated soporific paper thin brick wall façade of impenetrably thin weakness. This rock of gas crumbling before the childish dream, shattered by the interrupted ether of the dit dit dit: dash dash: dit dit dit, and their entire holy demonic web based opportunistic learning fantasies. The wall torn down, a chilly spring, a budding flower, the old paradigm stumbles away like a drunken fool to its past to talk to his old friend Kuhn.

This fantasy may be suggesting that the mobile device could disrupt the current way in which learners are passive in their reception of the way they learn. It suggests that the current pedagogue does not meet current needs and that the learning construction that we have is redundant, requiring overall. How far away are we from this paradigm change and how is the integration of mobile devices and web 2.0 disrupting the pedagogue?

I find that teachers and learners have a desire to use the technology in hand but teachers, Government and Institions are constant referring back to the YouTube effect. Is the mobile device in the hand of the learner providing an outlet for the learner to express their frustrations about the current education system through the ridicule of its profession? Should we as educators accept that our learning clients have the power to dictate the format of education? We should I think embrace the empowerments that the mobile device is giving our learners and start to train our teachers to deal with it.

Does anyone have knowledge or experience or knowledge of teacher training of any sort using mobile technology, focussing on the delivery of pedagogy rather than use of mobile technology for classroom management?

I know of some work in Kenya by John Traxler and reflective work done in Finland.

What are members thoughts on the use of mobile technology for teacher training. There is plenty of practice and debate about the use of mobile devices in the classroom but what about in the teacher training establishments?

Jonathan

Hi Stu,

I am not suggesting that the school lends out a device but a specification is laid out as to what the device should be able to do - 3G, Wifi, memory - suggestions which could make the implementation of the project smoother. The other issues is cost and connectivity, what are the best ways to minimize connectivity costs, especially when mobile. Rather than the school focussing on a device, the connectivity issues should be addressed. The school could also get the students to form the mobile learning working group, produce recommendations, device working groups etc.

I agree with the comment about using the technology in the pocket of the student. What is probably needed is advice to students and partents who are considering getting a device for their student or even upgrading which is very common. By engaging with the parents and outlining a range of devices that would be suitable it may have the effect of the device cohort moving in a similar direction.

  I am currently researching into the use of mobile phones for language learning. I have been looking at both general native language learning theory(L1) and second language acquisition (L2). The first thing that strikes me from Vygotsi is the "Zone of Proximal Development". This suggests to me that learners who have no access to teachers or trainers, that is learners using learning content individually need to have access to a network of peers in order to make their learning more effective. In this instance is effective independent L2 learning using a mobile device a function of their network? If this is correct should L2 or indeed all mobile learning module designs have a social aspect added? If anyone is doing or has done research into this area perhaps they could point me to some papers.

Many thanks

Reagrding the desing,

I am glad to hear that the design has takne into account real-life experiences and indeed the point about theft was very valid. One point about having a line-in. Does the EDA have this option, I could think of many occacions where recording stero would be very valuable.