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Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences 47 (2012) 1554 1557

CY-ICER 2012

The way we teach, the way they learn

Pir Suhail Ahmed*
English Language Institute, King Abdul Aziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia 21589

Abstract
The journey of learning has gone through all the periods, from classroom teaching to e-learning and m-Learning. The evolution
of mobile devices has changed the way of learning and teaching. Learners have become tech-savvy and are keen to be practical in
using latest technology anywhere and everywhere. This is the society of digital natives who respect knowledge, wisdom and
human experience less and less and rely on the technology around them the most. In this age, students are inventing the ways to
use these devices to learn what they want to learn and how they want to learn.
2012 Published
Publishedby
byElsevier
ElsevierLtd.
Ltd.Selection and/or peer review under responsibility of Prof. Dr. Hseyin Uzunboylu
2012
Keywords: mLearning; postmodern pedagogy; teaching technology;digital natives; youth culture

Introduction
The journey of learning has gone through all the periods, from classroom teaching to e-Learning and m-Learning.
The evolution of mobile devices has changed the way of learning and teaching. Learners have become tech-savvy
and are keen to be practical in using the latest technology anywhere and everywhere. This is the society of digital
natives who respect knowledge, wisdom and human experience less and less and rely on the technology around
them the most.
Digital Natives and their World
Digital natives as Marc Presnky regards them are the ones who have grown up in the new digital landscape. For this
generation, there's never been a time when computers, the Web, cell phones, and all of the other digital wonders
haven't existed. He further writes, we are digital immigrants who speak, hear and think digital with an accent. Like
all immigrants some of us are better than others at adapting to the ways of the new country, but like all immigrants,
we retain some degree of our accent from the old country . We have entered this digital era willingly or forcefully
but we are reluctant to learn the skills to face this change and gain the advantage. We use laptops, palm devices,
iPads, iPods, iPhones, Blackberrys and various other kinds of devices every day without exploring the other uses of
these gadgets. The days of chalk and talk are gone when the teacher used to bring a book and some chalk into the
classroom and students were content and learned in the way teacher taught. In order to survive, function, work and
teach effectively in this digital era we need more than just mere practical acquaintance with the pervasive nature of
*

Corresponding author. Tel.: +966566387056

E-mail address: ppir@kau.edu.sa/ssarhandi@yahoo.com

1877-0428 2012 Published by Elsevier Ltd. Selection and/or peer review under responsibility of Prof. Dr. Hseyin Uzunboylu
doi:10.1016/j.sbspro.2012.06.860

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these digital gadgets. Our learners are inventing the ways to use these devices to learn what they want and how they
want.
The Youth Culture
Our young learners or screenagers ( as Ian Jukes calls them ) are enthusiastic about using tools from their own world
and are impressed by the ultra-modern equipment they possess and expect the teachers to use the same tools.
l assignments as work or tasks that are done with their
latest gadgets; instead they are keen to learn and explore the various features of these devices and their implications
in the process of learning. Our learners are expected to improve communicative competence that would help them
exchange information with the members of the target culture. Effective use of these ingenious tools can make both
educators and learners aware of the learners' special skills, thus grooming their self-confidence and helping
educators to moderate the teaching techniques according to the skills of the learners in their youth culture.
Brown (2006) points out that attitude is related to thoughts as well as feelings and emotions. Attitudes govern how
one approaches learning, which in the case of language requires exposure to a different culture and to the difficulty
of mastering a second language. Our limited traditional resources in a language class may not provide a sufficiently
productive environment for the acquisition of communicative competence. Effective use of technology, combing the
best of behaviourist and cognitive methods may furnish a more suitable platform for students to experience the
ds, iPods, iPhones, Blackberrys ,
target language and culture.
increasingly they have internalized it." In order to meet today's teaching demands, the educators must become not
only experts in their fields, but facilitators of student learning. This technological era has also changed the face of
ing the teacher.
the teacher-learner relationship;
e to Learn
This is the time when educators need to assess the learning and teaching approaches, methods and techniques that
would fulfill and cater to the needs of this Instant Messenger Generation. As a language instructor, I feel a dire need
of the post-modern pedagogies that would satisfy me as an educator and my learners as digital natives.
Postmodernism, according to Clive Beck, is not just a philosophical movement: it is found also, for example, in
architecture, the graphic arts, dance, music, literature, and literary theory. As a general cultural phenomenon, it has
such features as the challenging of convention, the mixing of styles, tolerance of ambiguity, and emphasis on
diversity, acceptance (indeed celebration) of innovation and change, and stress on the constructedness of reality.
I deduce, it is never too late to learn. We should challenge our pedagogical myths and prejudices and welcome this
irresistible digital bombardment. The time has come to recognize new opportunities to put these ubiquitous devices
to practical use in the learning and teaching process.

Mobile Revolution
Cell phones are ubiquitous and have become an indispensable element in the lives of our students who have grown
up with a digitally mediated life from cradle. Mobile technologies have excluded the idea of formal learning style or
the concept that learning only happens in the classroom by furnishing the teaching and learning materials where ever

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Pir Suhail Ahmed / Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences 47 (2012) 1554 1557

and whenever needed. Mobile learning provides new paths and real world resources to the teaching and learning
process. Due to its latest approach towards assessing and acquiring knowledge, it has a positive impact. Some
researchers (Waycott, 2005, Kukulska Hulme and Traxler, 2005) theorize that the use of mobile technologies such
as cell phones or PDAs (Personal Digital Assistants) have the potential to revolutionize learning. The mobile
revolution is a reality and no one can resist its impact."Mobile technologies, particularly mobile phones can provoke
a sense of personal ownership of learning tasks and technologies used to support learning in learners. (Waycott,
2005)
Under-utilized Devices
Mobile devices are omnipresent, especially mobile phones, which are widely used in many developed and
developing countries, and have become part and parcel of our lives. Instead of using other expensive mobile devices,
it would be appropriate to use these pervasive devices as educational tools. Combined with visual, kinaesthetic and
tactile learning styles, these under-utilized devices as educational tools can contribute to a more holistic approach to
learning,
Motivational Tools
There is a need to promote motivation amongst students to learn English. It is believed that students lack motivation
to learn language and are said to enter universities, especially Saudi Arabian universities, with poor EFL skills. In
fact, about 70 per cent of those who enroll at the university preparatory year program (PYP) are placed in the lowest
level based on the university's entrance exam. Motivation is regarded "as a key component of a model of language
learning" (Sponsky, 2000). It is the combination of desire and effortful behavior to learn a language. There is a need
of thinking innovatively and seeking new ways to motivate our learners. A blended learning like, mobile learning,
could be used as part of a learning approach that provides various kinds of activities. Mobile devices can serve as
, we can
motivational tools if used effectively and tactfully
strengthen their confidence and self-esteem. Digital mobile learning approaches increasingly support the principles
a learner centered philosophy that allows for a high degree of
of social Figures i
-Steele 2006:3).
learner control and the in
It is my belief that , if the students are encouraged to use these mobile devices in their formal learning, this new
aspect of the learning experience would help the teaching and learning process become more meaningful and resultoriented. Sharing this new pedagogical use of devices wouldn't only improve learners' motivation but also would
promote autonomy among learners.
timate attainment of goals is possible only
Modern technology has given ample opportunity to learners to participate in the choice of method and approach to
their learning that has placed them equal to the teacher. So the teacher is required to accept this change and waive
some of his/her power and control.
Conclusion
"Someday, in the distant future, our grandchildren's grandchildren will develop a new equivalent of our classrooms.
They will spend many hours in front of boxes with fires glowing within. May they have the wisdom to know the
difference between light and knowledge?" - Plato
. We have stepped into the age where we can learn anywhere and anytime. The
utmost need is to know how to utilize these ubiquitous devices in our learning environment. The role of a teacher in
a widespread computing environment is not only to support individual learning, but to blend individual learning into
a shared class experience (Roschelle & Pea, 2002; Swan, Kratcoski, Schenker, Cook, & Lin, 2007). As teachers we

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should accept this new trend and pedagogical progress with an open mind and welcome it in our classroom settings
and let the learners learn the way they want.
References
Clive Beck (1993). Postmodernism, Pedagogy, and Philosophy of Education
Ontario Institute for Studies in Education http://www.ed.uiuc.edu/eps/PES-Yearbook/93_docs/BECK.HTM
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James P. Byrnes (2001). Minds, Brains, and Learning, Understanding the Psychological and Educational Relevance of Neuroscientific Research,
Guildford Press, ISBN: 1572306521
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Realize Them
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Kukulska-Hulme, A., and J. Traxler. (2005). Mobile learning: A handbook for educators and trainers. London: Routledge
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