Agnes Kukulska-HulmeInstitute of Educational Technology

The Open University, UK

Beyond the Classroom Language Assistance is a Two-way Street

ICOFE 2015 keynote, Open University of Hong Kong

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Beyond the classroom:cities as environments for opportunistic, immersive and sustained language learning and communication practice

Learner-initiated or learner-led• Mobile experience capture - to research later, or to

discuss with teachers and others• Conversation practice using Skype in a café, chats

and blogs• Following mobile tours and experiences created

by other learners• Apps for language learning and practice:

vocabulary, pronunciation, story-telling…

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Mobile learners - crossing borders and cultures

• International students• Migrants• Global industry employees• Mediators, negotiators,

interpreters• Leisure travellers and tourists

… sometimes with their families

And increasingly, all learners

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Opportunities and challengesof learning in the city (including ‘smart cities’)

Why cities?

Complex and unpredictable environments Transportation systems; security incidents and safety issues; diverse services, employment and housing options; building works and pop-up facilities; shifting populations

Opportunities - but also challenges:

Ubiquitous interactions - but there are cognitive and ethical challenges

Content aligned to learner needs - but difficulties combining formal and informal learning

Cross-cultural encounters - but learners have to negotiate cultural differences

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(Informal, mobile) learning activities in the city

Observation and inquiry

Conversation practice

Translation on the go

Rehearsal e.g. for an interview

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situated

informal

incidental

playful

social

self-directed

mobile

experiential

contextual

What types of learning?

serendipitous

augmented

seamless

rhizomatic

ubiquitous

6Copyright Agnes Kukulska-Hulme 2015

What kinds of support or assistance are needed for informal mobile language learning in the city?

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Fifteen years ago: a “mentor” system to assist learning

Sharples, M. (2000) The Design of Personal Mobile Technologies for Lifelong Learning. Computers and Education, 34, 177-193

A mentor system can:

• act as a companion to a young learner • suggest ways of studying • provide long-term guidance on developing skills• act as a learning assistant in performing tasks or solving problems• store and abstract information from cases• support experiential learning…

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Considering types of learning assistance

Kukulska-Hulme, A. (chapter in press) Mobile Assistance in Language Learning: A Critical Appraisal, Handbook of Mobile Assisted Language Learning, eds. Palalas & Ally

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http://www.maseltov.eu (2012-15)

Developing a “mobile assistant”: a collection of integrated context-aware smartphone services for immigrants in

Europe

-> services: information, social support, navigation,language learning, translation, community building, cultural game

-> integrated through: a user profile, progress indicators, recommendations

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Cultural participation

• bureaucracy • health care• transport • points of interest • understanding of

local culture

• language practice • daily skills• skills for work

EducationSocial inclusion

• communication skills

• community inclusion

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Target learners

Recent immigrants, specifically:– those whose cultural background

differs greatly to the host country

Local residents: “…integration is a two way process of

mutual accommodation by all immigrants and residents of EU countries…”

(European Parliament, 2005)

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Motivations and concerns - daily life, employment, use of mobile technology

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Experiences and incidents in different places in the city

Constraints

Hospital waiting room

“Please turn all mobile phones off whilst in this waiting area”

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Incidental language learning in the city

Incidental learning:

“unintentional or unplanned learning that results from other activities”

(Kerka, 2000)

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The Incidental Learning Framework

 

Outcomes

Social

Time

Tasks

Tools

Place

Learner’s journeyTi

me

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Learning journeys between home & city centre

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Physical journeys: purposeful or leisurely

Home

Shopping mall

Job Centre

Bus journey

POI

Bus journey

Bus stop

Planning

Language learning activity

Game

Info service

Info service

Translation tool

Walking

Social Interaction

Feedback

Reflection

Recommendations

Info service

Achievement/ rewards

Language learning activity

Social Network

ChildcareCentre

Emergency vocab.

PosterHelp Radar

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MApp: a range of services

Navigationguide

Serious game

Language learning

InformationresourcesFinding

local help

Social network

Translation

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Using the MApp: translation tool, language lessons, progress

Language learning activities

Photo of poster

Reflection on learning 20

Weekly survey:  “Write 3 words or phrases to describe your experience of using the MApp”

A thread in the Social Forum on visiting the doctor

I am pregnant and you can imagine already :) using the MApp has been funny but productive… I am writing questions before I go and I will ask (the doctor) to speak slowly. Ha ha ha I will bring my mobile on the day of the birth!

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Duration of app use in seconds

Movements around the city

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Tue. 20/01

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Fri. 23/01

Sat. 24/01

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Mon. 26/01

Tue. 27/01

Wed. 28/01

Thur. 29/01

Fri. 30/01

Sat. 31/01

Sun. 01/02

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Tue. 03/02

Wed. 04/02

Thur. 05/02

Fri. 06/02

Sat. 07/02

Sun. 08/02

Mon. 09/02

0

45

90

135

180MApp90

Tim

e/m

inute

s

One participant’s use of MApp services

I have really liked the English course, it is very practical for the times when you have to use English for different occasions. It has helped me a lot .The second is the translation tool because now I take a photo of everything I don't understand and at that moment I know what it says

I have learned a lot more English language

I have learned to develop myself in different aspects of speaking English with the help of the course

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SALSA: Sensors and Apps for Languages in Smart Areas

Szkoła wyższa

AptekaRozkladjazdy

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http://www.open.ac.uk/iet/main/research-innovation/research-projects/salsa-sensors-and-apps-languages-smart-areas

Beacons

• Small, low cost devices broadcasting basic information

• A user’s mobile app can be enabled to look for the beacon’s transmission

• The app can notify the phone user of location-relevant content

The beacons are located on buses, in libraries, art galleries, shops etc. around Milton Keynes in the UK. 25

Social inclusion?Still the hardest part

realenglishspeaker.com

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One-direction assistance or a two-way street?

Asking for help = a common topic in language learning

Are we assuming learners are mainly recipients of help?

How much time do learners spend practising how to offer help to others in the target language?

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In summary… we should consider how we can:

• Find opportunities to harness incidental, unplanned, city-wide learning

• Help learners to engage with mobile, location-based, context-aware learning

• Connect formal and informal learning

Implications:• Rethink educational content, curricula and

learning management to reposition assistance as a two-way process

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References and Readings

Jarvis, P. (2006). Towards a Comprehensive Theory of Human Learning. London: Routledge.

Kerka, S. (2000). Incidental learning: trends and issues: Alert No. 18.http://www.eric.ed.gov/ERICWebPortal/contentdelivery/servlet/ERICServlet?accno=ED446234

Kukulska-Hulme, A. (2013). Re-skilling Language Learners for a Mobile World. The International Research Foundation for English Language Education http://www.tirfonline.org/english-in-the-workforce/mobile-assisted-language-learning/re-skilling-language-learners-for-a-mobile-world/

Gaved, M., Jones, A., Kukulska-Hulme, A., & Scanlon, E. (2012). A citizen-centred approach to education in the smart city: incidental language learning for supporting the inclusion of recent migrants. International Journal of Digital Literacy and Digital Competence, 3(4) pp. 50–64. http://oro.open.ac.uk/36648/

Pearson, C., Gaved, M., Brasher, A., Jones, A., Kukulska-Hulme, A., Scanlon, E., Jones, J., Neumann, L. & Busta, M. (2014). Mobile Situated Language Learning. MASELTOV Deliverable Report 7.5.2. http://oro.open.ac.uk/42108/

Gaved, M., Kukulska-Hulme, A., Scanlon, E., Jones, A., Jones, J., Dunwell, I. & Lameras, P. (2013). Incidental Learning Framework. MASELTOV Deliverable Report 7.1.2. http://oro.open.ac.uk/39698/

Kukulska-Hulme, A., Gaved, M., Brasher, A., Jones, A., Scanlon, E., & Paletta, L. (2012). Designing for inclusion through incidental language learning. In: ICT for Language Learning (5th Edition), 15-16 November 2012, Florence, Italy. http://oro.open.ac.uk/35113/

Jones, A., Gaved, M., Kukulska-Hulme, A., Scanlon, E., Pearson, C., Lameras, P., Dunwell, I. & Jones, J. (2014). Creating Coherent Incidental Learning Journeys on Smartphones Using Feedback and Progress Indicators. International Journal of Mobile and Blended Learning, 6(4), 75–92. http://oro.open.ac.uk/42078/

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Agnes Kukulska-HulmeInstitute of Educational Technology

The Open University, UK

Twitter: agneskhPublications: http://oro.open.ac.uk/view/person/ak35.html

Thank you

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Beyond the Classroom Language Assistance is a Two-way Street