Understanding students’ learning practices: challenges for design and integration of mobile technology into distance education

Abstract

This study explores the design requirements for mobile applications for second language learning in online/distance higher education settings. We investigate how students use technology and how they perceive that these technologies-in-practice facilitate their language learning. Structuration Theory is used for the analysis. Results show that design needs to consider that (i) students use their private mobile technologies frequently when conducting self-initiated learning tasks, (ii) students’ mobile technologies-in-practice are important, and course designers should design materials and tools for such use practices, and (iii) students prefer to work on their own due to the limited time they want to devote to their learning. Consequently, in regard to the pervasive nature of mobile technology integration in society and into students’ habitual use, they need various software tools on such devices to support individual learning.

Keywords:

• mobile-assisted language learning
• mobile applications
• technology-in-practice
• structurational analysis
• design

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes on contributors

Olga Viberg is a lecturer at the School of Languages and Media Studies, Dalarna University (Sweden) since 2008. Olga is a PhD candidate in informatics at the Swedish Business School, Örebro University, and belongs to the Research School in Technology-Mediated Knowledge Processes (TKP). She is an active member of the International Association for Mobile Learning (IAmLearn) and the coordinator of the IAmLearn Language Learning SIG. Olga’s research includes a focus on the application of mobile technology in language learning in higher education, the integration of formal and informal learning environments, MOOC knowledge management.

Åke Grönlund is a professor of informatics at Örebro University. He received his PhD in Informatics from Umeå University (Sweden), where he has worked since 1987. Åke’s research concerns the use of information and communication technologies in various human activities. Key words include information systems, informatics, electronic government, ICT for Development (ICT4D), e-learning, education, mobile technologies, and others. The common denominator of his research projects is understanding how people arrange their work, their organizations, and other activities pertaining to private life, such as socializing on the web, and how ICT can be used to make improvements.