PhD project
Self-directed learning with mobile technology in higher education
Language learners in higher education increasingly conduct out-of-class self-directed learning facilitated by mobile technology. This project aims to explore how university students use mobile technology for their self-directed language learning and investigate factors that influence their self-directed learning with mobile technology.
- Duration
- 2019 - 2023
- Contact
- Yuzhi Lai
- Funding
- China Scholarship Council - Leiden University Joint Scholarschip Programme
Researchers
- Y. Lai - PhD candidate
- prof.dr. W.F. Admiraal - supervisor
- prof.dr. N. Saab - supervisor
Research questions
- What strategies do university students use in their self-directed language learning process with mobile technology?
- What mobile technology do students use in their self-directed language learning process, and how?
- What factors influence university students’ use of mobile technology in the self-directed language learning?
- How can teachers support students in the self-directed language learning with mobile technology?
Social relevance
In today’s knowledge-based society, self-directed learning is an effective way to improve the quality of students’ learning and prepare students for future citizenship, while mobile technology is an indispensable tool that allows learners to control their own learning to achieve a short- or long-term learning goal. The results of this project will provide recommendations to self-directed learners, language teachers and software developers about how to support self-directed learners to carry out a more effective self-directed learning process with technology.
Scientific relevance
Although various mobile apps for educational purposes have been put into use, research on specific mobile technology remains limited. Future research could focus on specific technology (e.g., social media) to determine how students utilize them in their self-directed learning beyond classroom. Additionally, how to bridge out-of-class learning and in-class learning calls for more attention.
Material and methods
This project consists of four studies, and qualitative and quantitative research method will be combined. Interviews will take place to examine teachers’ perceptions towards and students’ learning experience in the self-directed language learning with mobile technology. Survey will be employed to investigate the factors affecting university students’ use of mobile technology in the self-directed language learning.