This document summarizes a study on students' use of mobile phones as learning tools. The study used qualitative research methods like questionnaires, interviews, and observations to analyze how students appropriated mobile phones for learning and how the phones mediated learning activities. The study examined students' use of mobile phones to access learning content, produce multimedia, and participate in SMS-based learning scenarios. Findings showed that using mobile phones improved students' language skills, engagement, and motivation for individual and collaborative learning of Portuguese and French.

1. University of Minho, Braga, Portugal – adelina8@gmail.com
Mobile phone appropriation and
pedagogical mediation by students
in educational contexts
MoLeNET Mobile Learning Conference 2009
1st December, London
Adelina Moura & Ana Amélia Carvalho

2. University of Minho, Braga, Portugal – adelina8@gmail.com
• Analysis of the students' mobile phone
appropriation as learning tools
• Assessment of how the mobile phone
mediates learning
• Studying the mobile technology
implications in learning: creating learning
strategies and monitoring within and
outside the classroom.
Goals

3. University of Minho, Braga, Portugal – adelina8@gmail.com
Methodology
A qualitative research methodology with
multiple cases, involving a range of data
collection techniques (questionnaires,
interviews, focus group, observations, and
diaries).

4. University of Minho, Braga, Portugal – adelina8@gmail.com
Framework - Activity Theory
Two concepts
i) appropriation ii) mediation
• How mobile phones were appropriated
as a learning tool by students;
• How they mediated the learning activities.
Activity Theory principles helped us to frame the
analysis in our study:
• i) to identify the socio-cultural factors that influenced
the process of mobile phone appropriation;
• ii) to determine how mobile mediated activities
introduced new possibilities.

5. University of Minho, Braga, Portugal – adelina8@gmail.com
Study
We carried out a study
looking at how the mobile
phone has been used in
different learning settings
as a learning tool within
and outside a secondary
school classroom, both in
Portuguese and French
languages.

6. University of Minho, Braga, Portugal – adelina8@gmail.com
Mobile Devices
We examine the use of students mobile
phone in the following contexts:
• i) as a repository of learning content;
• ii) as a production tool for writing and
reading and exploring multimedia features
(audio, video and image;
• iii) as an SMS-based learning scenario.

7. University of Minho, Braga, Portugal – adelina8@gmail.com
Environment description
• Curricular and extracurricular activities
• Individual and collaborative learning
Background
• Inside and Outside classroom

8. University of Minho, Braga, Portugal – adelina8@gmail.com
Curricular Activities
• Video in Portuguese and
French classes for discussion
Podcasts:
i) to study Portuguese Literature
and language;
ii) to improve French language
and reading.
• Photos and videos creation by
students for individual and
collaborative activities
• SMS-based learning scenario

9. University of Minho, Braga, Portugal – adelina8@gmail.com
Individual & Collaborative Activities
• Micro stories creation
• Mobile Quizzes:
i) grammar
ii) curricular learning
iii) general culture
• iDictionary – both in Portuguese &
French languages
• Three SMS-based scenario:
i) Receptive activities
ii) Productive activities
iii) Collaborative activities

10. University of Minho, Braga, Portugal – adelina8@gmail.com
Geração Móvel - Mobile Generation
http://geramovel.wirenode.mobi

11. University of Minho, Braga, Portugal – adelina8@gmail.com
Findings
Outcomes showed that:
i) Students' competences (writing and reading) in
French language had benefited from mobile
phone use (podcasts);
ii) Students' engagement in learning Portuguese
and French languages was enhanced (SMS-
based learning):
iii) We noted an increase in students' motivation in
both individual and collaborative learning.

12. University of Minho, Braga, Portugal – adelina8@gmail.com
Thank you for your presence!
Comments?
Adelina Moura