This document summarizes a practice of using mobile learning to teach English outside the classroom in a vocational setting. The goals are to support listening, speaking, and writing skills through authentic experiences. Initially, an English teacher developed mobile materials for students but faced barriers with the technology and need for guidance. Funding from an ESF project helped provide devices and training to implement mobile learning successfully. In the future, students will routinely create mobile materials in different languages for workplaces as part of vocational language learning, guided by teachers and work mentors. For this to scale, teachers need ongoing pedagogical and technical support partnering working life.

1. Presenter Name Event Name
Vocational English
Mobile Learning
Route
Pauliina Venho VISIR Seminar 25-26 March 2014

2. www.visir-network.eu

3. www.visir-network.eu
My practice in 1 slide
• Objectives:
– Learning English outside the classroom in an authentic
environment
• Sector:
– Vocational education, business and administration, sales and
customer service students
• Impact:
– Supports listening, producing language by talking and
writing and using language in authentic situations
• Innovativeness:
– classroom -> to an authentic learning environment, less
teacher centered, activates students, easy to carry out with
mobile devices

4. www.visir-network.eu
The history of my practice
• How did it start:
– An English teacher wanted to produce their own mobile material for the students
and searched for possibilities to let them learn outside of the classroom.
• Finance:
– ESF project “Mobiilisti, MobiLearn” 2011-2014
• What problems/barriers we found along the way
– The teacher was not familiar and comfortable with the mobile devices at first
– Students needed stronger pedagogical guidance for the new way of studying
– Where could all the video material be stored?
• What creative solutions have brought us here
– Seeing mobile devices as pedagogical tools to support authentic vocational
learning: providing devices and guidance.
• What we would change if we could
– We would open the classrooms and enhance the cooperation between
vocational teachers, language teachers and working life.
• What we would NOT change
– The pedagogical and technical guidance provided personally for the teacher
when she/he is ready to learn something new.

5. www.visir-network.eu
The future of my practice
• Where will we be in 3 years?
– It’s a routine that students produce mobile briefing and
marketing material in different languages for the needs of the
workplaces. This is part of their vocational language learning
process guided by the teachers and on-the-job-learning
mentors. Other students and personnel of the enterprise can
benefit from the material.
• And in 10?
– Ubiquitous smart learning surfaces serving teachers and
learners.
• What would we need to make it scalable?
– Provide teachers with pedagogical and technical support and
training and enhance the use of mobile devices in learning
purposes in co-operation with working life.