All-in-one gadgets in the classroom: mobile devices as e-collaborative learning tools for content co-creation

Abstract

Smartphones, tablets and mobile devices have become ubiquitous in everyday life. Blended learning, e-learning and M-Learning (Mobile Learning) have led us restate, together with some other tools such as social educational networks, new ways of teaching which allow socialization and the possibility of e-collaborative practice on a regular basis. The present research shows a case of implementation of the social educational network Edmodo in the subject “Information Management in Communication” in the 3rd year of the Degree of Advertising and Public Relations at the University of Alicante. Lessons were delivered in English as the vehicular language, having a 31.25% percentage of Erasmus students. By means of team-work practices, where there was at least one Erasmus student in each team to boost the language skills of Spanish students, contents were co-produced in different formats (Power Point, Prezi presentations, pdf documents, mp3 recordings and YouTube videos). Assessment was achieved through discussed and agreed rubrics previous to each of the assignments. To assess the experience, a questionnaire was devised comprising three main parts that checked the frequency of use of smartphones and other mobile devices in class, the efficiency of Edmodo when compared to some other educational networks and how students valued collaborative work in relation to their informational, digital, social and linguistic skills. From the questionnaire carried out (N=48), it can be stated that the versatility of instant messaging through mobile and laptop connection let students achieve higher levels of productivity and effectiveness, not to mention the increase of the levels of motivation and foreign language acquisition. Efficient teaching and instant feedback were promoted by means of the use of mobile devices in the context of content co-creation and collaborative learning, simplifying and strengthening the bonds in the learning process.