Computer Assisted Language Learning and Mobile Assisted Language Learning is popular and many studies have been published about them, but I am not convinced that faculty have the resources to know the instructional design best practices.
I am NOT asking what you think the best practices are, but whether you think that the academic literature has sufficiently defined best practices for instructional design. Why or why not?
It is a very good question. I wish to respond to it as a teacher in India. Firstly mobile phones are still seen as devices that distract classroom participation. They are not considered, at least in a normal Indian classroom, as useful learning tools. Secondly, even in he contexts where some researchers are convinced the implementation seems to be a one shot trail where the researchers' interests are pursued until the publication of a research article. The potential is enormous, yet people have not put in their trust!!!
Your comments are interesting, Vijayakumar. Some colleagues and I have a manuscript under review that reaches the same conclusion that many studies are short term tests that have little curriculum integration, based on data we have collected. To be blunt, we conclude that academics are doing this kind of research to get papers published and get promoted, not because it is good for the curriculum.
If you design right activities, phones must not be a distraction in the clasroom.
You have try to design continuous activities, a lot of them.
Hi. This issue is particularly relevant in several countries like Colombia where there has been important government investment to provide schools with tablets. There are also several programs intended to train Math, Science and Language teachers to effectively integrate ICT in the classroom and the school. There is much need to work on curricular integration and apps dessign for mobile devices.
Suggested work and litterature on this particular issue will be welcome.
In the discipline in which I do research, Computer Assisted Language Learning, the technology is usually learning activities performed outside the classroom, i.e. as homework. I asked my question because I think that some teacher craft their technology-assisted learning activities well, but many do not. In part, this may be because they do not KNOW what the best practices are.
Hi Michael. I think you need to look at the three types of Blended Learning in classroom. The first being Low-Impact type which requires the teacher to add only 1-2 online activities to his existing lesson. For example, you may add a website for students' reference and then conduct a discussion on FB after students are done visiting the site and obtain all the relevant information from there.
The second type which is the Medium Impact requires a teacher to replace 1-2 existing lessons with CALL or web-based activities. But this demands greater planning, focus and work. The last type is the High Impact which requires a teacher to reconstruct the whole lesson from scratch via CALL or web based learning. Indeed, this is the most difficult since it's like re-inventing the wheel.
Interesting
I was trying to find the same answers like you as my PhD topic is about the factors affecting CALL use and trying to create a model to integrate CALL in my country.
So, It was hard to find what is the best practice of CALL as there enough sources.
I tried to discover it by myself in my country Saudi Arabia but I found that the use of CALL face many barriers even with the huge funding for education and ICT integration but it seem its not just about money and devices. Its a big circle starting from the culture of the context to the Policy of education including many parts.
Its interesting question and hope we find an example of best practice.
I think CALL and MALL are the best Tools to make students realize that they have born in the era of digital world.MALL is the abridged version of CALL.
At present I am doing PHD on " Effectiveness of MALL among Engineering Students of Gujarat." During the Journey of my research I observed that most of students possess Smartphones and other powerful digital devises but they are demotivated as the authority do not allow Mobile Phone in the Class room.A convincing research or proper direction is needed to open up the eyes of authorities.
To channelize the use of Smart Phones can go a long way in providing a proper platform for the students to use the English Language effectively in an ESL context.
The academic literature is designed and is being in use keeping the traditional chalk and talk method.No doubt there are many researches which claim the impact and effect of using Computer assisted as well as mobile assisted language learning.The doubt is that how many from these become the part of academic syllabus ? I think the answer may be few.Present era is the proper time and also need of learners to change the academic syllabus and to accept the tools such as PC or Mobile as a medium to teach and learn language in effective way.
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