Looi, C., & Wong, L. (2014, September). Enculturating self-directed mobile assisted language learning (MALL) and seamless language learning (SLL). Paper presented at the meeting of KAMALL Annual Conference 2014, Seoul, Korea. [Abstract] Recent characterization of mobile learning recognizes that it enables learning environments that transcend physical settings, emphasizing the “mobility” of learning in context. With mobile learning, the learning environment is no longer fixed to one particular location (e.g., physical classroom) or digital context (e.g., e-learning portal), but moves to wherever the learner is, hence enabling the surroundings to transform into the learning environment. Indeed, this perspective presents many opportunities for supporting the learning of languages which is often contextual. This talk reviews the various research efforts in the field mobile-assisted language learning. A productive framework for informing the design of language learning is the notion of seamless learning which refers to the synergistic integration of the learning experiences across a range of dimensions, such as spanning formal and informal learning contexts, individual and social learning, and across time, location and learning media. The basic premise of seamless learning is that it is not feasible nor productive to equip learners with all the knowledge and skills they need based on specific snapshots of an episodic time frame, location, scenario or setting, which is what happens in much of formal education or instruction. Designing for seamless learning requires enabling and supporting learners to be self-directed – to learn whenever they are curious and to seamlessly switch between the different contexts. Learning can be facilitated or scaffolded by teachers, peers or others in one context; yet at other times it could be student-initiated, impromptu, and emergent. Thus, in the design of seamless language learning, we tap on the enablement and the coherence of continuous learning activities in different contexts. Such an advanced language learning model is congruent with the sociocultural perspective and the communicative approach of language learning, where learner autonomy, contextualization, social interactions and learner reflection are foregrounded. We conclude the talk with posing some promising research directions in Mobile- Assisted Seamless Language Learning.

1. Enculturating Self-Directed Mobile Assisted Language Learning (MALL) and Seamless Language Learning (SLL)
Chee-Kit LOOI & Lung-Hsiang WONG
National Institute of Education (NIE)
Nanyang Technological University
Singapore 1
KAMALL 2014 conference: Technology for Self-Directed Language Learning

2. Outline
•
Review of mobile-assisted language learning (MALL)
•
Review of seamless language learning (SLL)
•
Examples of enculturating self-directed language learning 2
Enculturation:
the process whereby individuals learn their group's culture, through
experience, observation, and instruction.

3. Let’s look at mobile learning, then mobile language learning 5

4. Why mobile learning?
M-learning is NOT just about anytime,
anywhere access of resources, etc.
Chan, Roschelle, Hsi, Kunshuk, Sharples, Brown, et al. (2006)
Portability
Social interactivity
Individuality
Context sensitivity
Connectivity
Bridging physical & digital worlds 6

5. 3 generations of mobile learning Yu (2007)
1st gen: transfer of information
(transmissionism, behaviourism)
2nd gen: instructional design-centric (cognitivism, constructivism)
3rd gen: 1:1 & context-aware
(personalisation, authentic learning) 7

6. 8

7. Digital contents (e.g., e-Books)
•
Anytime, anywhere reading/references? 9

8. Quizzes & games
10

9. Focusing on content apps
•
Lack of teacher preparation
•
Treating iPad as a computer / laptop
•
Treating iPads like multi-user devices
•
Failure to communicate a compelling answer to “Why iPads?” 11

10. mCSCL: Spanish Syllable
Zurita & Nussbaum (2004) 12

11. mCSCL: Chinese-PP
Wong, L.-H., Boticki, I., Sun, J., & Looi, C.-K. (2011). Improving the scaffolds of a mobile-
assisted Chinese character forming game via a design-based research cycle. Computers in Human Behavior, 27(5), 1783-1793.
Wong, L.-H., Hsu, C.-K., Sun, J., & Boticki, I. (in-press). How flexible grouping affects the
collaborative patterns in a mobile-assisted Chinese character learning game?, Educational
Technology & Society, 16(2).
Boticki, I., Wong, L.-H., & Looi, C.-K. (in-press). Designing technology for content-independent collaborative mobile learning. IEEE Transactions on Learning Technologies, doi: 10.1109/TLT.2012.8. 13

12. Hiroaki Ogata’s Lab
15

13. Context-aware writing 16

14. Wong & Chin (2010), extended from Kukulska-Hulme & Shield (2008)
A simple taxonomy of MALL 17

15. Use of Mobile devices
Mobility of devices
Mobility of learners 18

16. Self-Directed Learning from Singapore’s MOE website
21

17. 22

18. 23

19. Seamless Learning
•
Continuity of the learning experiences across different contexts/spaces (Chan et al., 2006)
–
Formal + informal
–
Individual + social
–
Physical + digital …
•
Mediated by: 1:1, 24x7 access to mobile devices
Chan, T.-W., et al. (2006). One-to-one technology-enhanced learning: An opportunity for global research collaboration. Research and Practice in Technology- Enhanced Learning, 1(1), 3-29. 24

20. Chen, Seow, So, Toh & Looi (2010)
25

21. Facilitated vs Self-Directed Seamless Learning
(Facilitated Seamless Learning, FSL)
(Self-Directed Seamless Learning, SDSL)
Wong, L.-H. (in-press). Enculturating self-directed seamless learners through a Facilitated Seamless Learning process framework. Technology, Pedagogy and Education. 26

22. Enculturating Seamless Learners
•
Enculturation! – long-term facilitated seamless learning that engage learners in an ongoing enculturation process …
•
… to progressively transform their existing beliefs and methods of learning … 27

23. Facilitated Seamless Learning (FSL) Process Framework
Wong, L.-H. (in-press). Enculturating self-directed seamless learners through a Facilitated Seamless Learning process framework. Technology, Pedagogy and Education. 28

24. “Move, Idioms!” 29

25. “Move, Idioms!” 成语，动起来！
•
Design-based Research, Feb-Nov 2010
•
48 Chinese idioms + 8 conjunctions
•
34 students from P5 class, 1:1, 24x7 access to Samsung Omnia II
•
Used open-source xwiki to create a wiki space for artifact sharing & peer reviews
Wong, L.-H., Chin, C.-K., Tan, C.-L., & Liu, M. (2010). Students' personal and social meaning making in a Chinese idiom mobile learning environment. Educational Technology & Society, 13(4), 15-26.
Wong, L.-H. (in-press). Analysis of students’ after-school mobile-assisted artifact creation processes in a seamless language learning environment. Educational Technology & Society. 30

26. Show Move Idioms video 31

27. Examples of Student Artifacts 32

28. Can Mobile & Ubiquitous Technology Help?
•
Personalised mobile device as a ‘learning hub’
–
Learning affordances + learner history (Wong, 2012)
Learning Learner
affordances history
Informal settings
Formal settings 33

29. A generic Seamless Language Learning (SLL) Framework
Wong, L.-H., Chai, C. S., & Aw, G. P. (forthcoming). What seams do we remove in learning a language?: Towards a generic seamless language learning framework. Submitted to: Wong, L.-H., Milrad, M., & Specht, M. (Eds.), Seamless Learning in the Age of Mobile Connectivity. Springer. 34

30. Limitations of Traditional/Current Language Classroom Practice
•
Excessive amount of decontextualised information in teaching – confined within classroom
•
Unbalanced instructional or learning emphases
–
Teaching instructions > learner interactions
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Lang. knowledge (symbolic) > lang. skills (functional)
–
Language input > language output
•
Reductionist – compartmentalised instruction
•
PPP (presentation, practice, production)
•
Lack of promotion of:
–
Autonomous learning
–
Authentic social interactions (in & out of classroom) 35

31. What Second Language Acquisition (SLA) tell us?
•
Psycholinguistic or cognitivist/developmental perspectives
–
Comprehensible input hypothesis (Krashen, 1982)
–
Comprehensible output hypothesis (Swain, 1985)
–
Interaction hypothesis (Long, 1983; 1996)
•
Sociocultural perspective
–
Lang. production + thinking (interwoven!)
–
Input + output = interaction 36

32. What Task-based Language Learning (TBL) tell us?
•
Breaking PPP
•
Willis’ framework (1996)
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Pre-task + task cycle + language focus
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Meaning making first!
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Don’t correct errors immediately! Spontaneity & fluency first!
–
Situational vs. interactional authenticity 37

33. What SLA + TBL tell us?
•
Learning by doing (language applications)
•
Opportunities for social interactions
•
Interweave input + output
•
Situationally/interactionally authentic activities
•
Attention for form + meaning; or meaning before form
•
Learners to co-construct linguistic knowledge
•
Integrate language skills development 38

34. Generic SLL Framework (i)
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(SL1) Across time
•
(SL2) Across locations
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(SL3) Encompassing formal & informal learning
•
(SL4) Encompassing physical & digital worlds
•
(SL5) Encompassing individual & social learning
•
(SL6) Knowledge synthesis 39

35. Generic SLL Framework (ii)
•
(SLL1) Create opportunities for situationally/interactionally authentic activities among learners
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(SLL2) Interweave input & output activities
•
(SLL3) Interweave learning, application & reflection
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(SLL4) Simultaneously draw learners’ attention to form & meaning, or even meaning before form
•
(SLL5) Apply multiple language skills in different combinations
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(SLL6) Promote learner co-construction of linguistic knowledge
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(SLL7) Formative assessment & peer evaluation on learners’ holistic language development 40

36. Follow-up Project: MyCLOUD 语飞行云
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My Chinese Language ubiquitOUs learning Days
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Parties:
–
National Institute of Education
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Singapore Centre for Chinese Language
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Nan Chiau Primary School
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Microsoft Singapore 41

37. Show MyCloud video 42

38. So, what has our Mobile Seamless Learning (MSL) research informed the field so far?
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The two keywords for SL practice: “Bridging” and “Enculturation”
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Longer term, multi-cycle SL design
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… to enculturate (nurture) students towards self-directed seamless learners
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Systematic variation of activity design across FSL cycles to facilitate learners’ progressive growth in both content knowledge & SL skills/mindset
•
A spiral style design:
–
in present cycle, target knowledge to learn, learning activity types, skill sets to learn & apply, mobile affordances to use, and student artifacts to reuse & create, are all building on or rising above previous cycles. (bridging)
(Wong, in-press) 43

39. Contexts
In a context
“that which surrounds us”
Creating a context
“that which weaves together”
44

40. Learner Generated Contexts (LGC)
•
The re-conceptualised ‘learning context’ embodies learners’ relevant prior knowledge & experience, their personal or group-level learning goals, and their emergent interactions with each other and with the given environment. (Wong, in-press)
•
So, contexts are dynamic.
•
“We are much more empowered to augment the world that we are living.” – Rosemary Luckin (2011.12.1, keynote @ ICCE, Chiang Mai)
Cole (1996); Dourish (2004); Lonsdale, Baber, Sharples & Arvanitis (2004); Luckin (2010); Wong (in-press)
45

41. Weaving Together
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Less structured learning activities
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Requiring greater spontaneity and wit
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Foregrounding mobility and personalisation
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“Mediation by artefacts” and LGC as theoretical foundation in designing for seamless learning experience 46

42. So This is What I Think ‘Learning’ Should be
•
Humans are intrinsic sense makers, looking to organise new information so as to find meanings, significance, or patterns in it …
•
… in order to make sense of the world and cope with new situations and problems (Schank, 1999).
•
Apart from the formal curriculum, any experience or encounter in a learner’s daily life is a potential source for sense making (or learning). (Wong & Looi, 2011) 47

43. •
The opportunities for learning exist everytime, everywhere.
•
It is up to an individual who has established the habit of mind and competencies of seamless learning to identify and appropriate such opportunities to advance her/his learning.
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And so it is with enculturating self-directed learning …
(Wong, Chen & Jan, 2012; Wong, in-press) 48

44. The End
Contact me at: cheekit.looi@nie.edu.sg 49