Pedagogical Affordances of Smart Mobile Devices Integrated with Web 2.0 Tools to Enhance English Language Teaching and Learning

Abstract

I report on the provisional findings of an ongoing research project investigating the pedagogical affordances of mobile learning in combination with Web 2.0 tools for the learning of English for English as Second Language (ESL) learners. Using Design Based Research (DBR) as an approach to conduct this study, this paper presents the finding from an iteration that has completed so far. The initial design framework for the study was developed from the literature. It was tested and developed through a series of iterations and the impact of each iteration was evaluated using interviews and qualitative data analysis. One of the most important finding reported in this paper is the impact of a sense of social obligation whereby participants felt under pressure from their peers to post and to participate. This social obligation effect can have both positive and negative consequences for learning. Future research will focus on exploring ways in which pedagogical designs for m-learning with social networking can take this social obligation effect into account in order to avoid its negative consequences and make best use of its positive consequences.