Mobile Learning And MALL: A Formal Investigation Into The Value Of Informal Learning
Otemon Gakuin University, Japan
ABSTRACT
This paper begins by dissecting the evolving meaning of “mobile learning” and its offshoot: mobile assisted language learning (MALL). It then explores the literature regarding informal learning, especially as it relates to mobile learning and MALL. It finds that there is often a fine line between what is considered formal and informal learning. One of the greatest affordances of modern mobile technology is that learners are freed from the educational restraints of time and space, yet the literature review found that most implementations of MALL fell into traditional behavioristic models of pedagogy: formal learning at its most extreme. On the other hand, the literature also showed some creative uses of mobile devices used with varying degrees of formality. However, not all students adapt to the changing potential of the learner so easily. This paper shows that in some Asian countries, education regarding affordances of mobile technology and the power of informal learning was not enough to help students become more autonomous learners. This paper concludes with an argument that teachers need to provide opportunities for students to create with their devices, not simply consume, and on the importance of designing instruction to focus on the learning, not on the learners or their devices.
KEYWORDS
Informal Learning, Mobile Learning, MALL