IPhones and Education

Nagat Zeinelabdin

IPhones and Education

The iPhone is an ideal device for students of various disciplines and specializations; particularly students learning foreign languages. The iPhone can be a highly valuable educative tool that suits the busy and mobile lifestyle of most of today’s students, particularly those in higher education. The device is pocket-size, yet it function’s as a cell phone and provides internet access with multimedia features. The iPhone is accessable anytime and everywhere; while riding the bus, taking a walk, lying on bed, etc.

Experimenting with the iPhone in the classroom:
Since the emergence of the first iPhone in 2007, not many educational institutions have experimented with using the device in teaching. The largest of such projects was launched by Abilene Christian University (ACU), in 2010, i.e. the Mobile Learning project. The project aimed at experimenting with the use of telecommunication and recording digital devices in classrooms.

ACU issued iPods and iPhones for students and teachers. Up to March 2010, 2000 devices have been issued to students and faculty; many students already owned one or two of the devices and therefore did not loan. As part of its Mobile Learning project, ACU initiated a strong network coverage designed to handle the type of high web traffic that take place in crowded classrooms. The devices were equipped with special applications for students and teachers across campus. The applications served a number of administrative and curriculum objectives such as providing online enrolment information, course schedules, and mobile movie and podcast materials.

Out of the two devises, the iPhone was the most popular choice (among students and teachers). Although the two types of devices share similar features on many levels, the iPhone was designed for more telecommunicating and socializing. Of course the iPhone has the advantage of being a cell phone, while providing the basic functions of a media player. Also, unlike the iPod, the iPhone does not need a Wi Fi signal to connect to the internet; the iPhone is designed to provide full internet access (using cellular networks) with no specific signal range limit; everywhere and at all times. The iPhone also contains more built in materials such as camera, compass (in 3G), maps, and GPS.

The iPhone and student performance:
ACU research indicated that the use of iPhone helped strengthen communication between teachers and students. For example, the university equipped classrooms with automatic notification systems; any student marked absent, gets an automated absence email notification. Also, field trips and outside class work, where more communication between teachers and students is needed, iPhones were found to be particularly efficient.

The majority of teachers indicated that the use of iPhone did not necessarily increase student efforts; however, most teachers thought that the device improved student participation and engagement in class activities.Research by ACU and the St. Scholastica College, indicated that students remembered digitally pre-recorded lectures more than class lectures. In an experiment, at ACU, Pre-recorded lab instructions were delivered to a student group through iPhones and to another group through an in-class lecture. Interestingly, the group that received the lab instructions through the iPhones showed better understanding of the material than those who were lectured on it.

This may be explained by other research findings that indicate the common tendency among students to watch digitally recorded lectures more than once (five times average), as opposed to in-class lectures where students get only a one time opportunity to listen to the lecture.

 Personal Reflection:
 MIT research indicated mobile devices like iPhones to be particularly valuable in foreign language teaching. Foreign language classes from MIT has already incorporated digital devices like MP3s as part of their curricula.
Although the use of the iPhone is allowed in the DLI, it has not been recognized in the curricula yet. From my experience as a teacher, the iPhone serves essential tasks in improving student’s language skills in listening, reading, and speaking.
For their listening skills, students are encouraged to listen to as much material in the target language as possible. The iPhone is an excellent tools for such a task for it provides a 24 hour internet coverage.  Several television channels (e.g. BBC Arabic) are broadcasted and can be watched on the internet through the iPhone.

Also, for their writing and reading homework assignments, DLI students are instructed to read and write reports on authentic news material.  Of course, the internet is the only option available for students. Some students, who do not have iPhones and do not have working internet in their homes, usually stay after school to finish their assignments. For such students, completing the homework assignments is exhausting and time consuming.
Also, as part of their speaking skills, students are encouraged to practice communicating with each other in the target language. The iPhone, of course, offers students the opportunity to communicate among themselves; through calling or even texting each other in the target languages (i.e., Arabic is available in iPhones).

Also, through chat rooms, students get to befriend and communicate with native speakers of the target language on the internet.  Chatting with native speakers, especially through Facebook, has been a rising phenomena among students across foreign language programs.
 For such reasons, I think the iPhone ought to be included in the curricula, not only for the DLI, but for all foreign language programs.  

References:
Abilene Christian University. (2010). Past and Current Mobile Learning Fellows. Retrieved November 10, 2010 from http://www.acu.edu/academics/orsp/Mobile_Learning_Fell/list-of-members.html

Association of Foreign Language Teaching Assistants Worldwide. (2009). Retrieved from Facebook November 10, 2010 from http://www.facebook.com/pages/Association-of-Foreign-Language-Teaching-Assistants-Worldwide/115296938577

Bongey, S. B., Cizadlo, G., & Kalnbach, L. (2006). Explorations in course-casting:
podcasts in higher education. Campus-Wide Information Systems, 23(5), 350-367. Retrieved from http://resources.css.edu/IT/ATC/CWISPodcast.pdf

Cain, J. (2007, Januuary 3). Podcasting enables 24/7 foreign language study. MIT News: MIT Information Services and Technology. Retrieved from http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/