Digital teaching and learning are constantly improving and renewing, which makes traditional teaching progress into computer-assisted learning, and e-Learning in the digital age progress into current ubiquitous learning (u-Learning ). u-Learning will be the learning model carrying the best potential since students can break the limits of time and space, using smart mobile devices to obtain and share information via wireless network (Wi-Fi, 3G and 4G), and feel and observe learning in real-life scenarios. This study leverages u-Learning to make students go out of classrooms and learn English in real-life scenarios. It also enables students to do independent and personalized learning, construct their own learning competence and plan their own learning progress with tablets and by applying the u-Learning system in English teaching. In such learning scenarios, students are able to sense the problems they may encounter in real life. Students are made to reflect and discover in the process, enhance learning understanding, cultivate problem-solving ability and social adaptation ability so that their diverse development can be improved.

u-Learning system adopted in this study is developed by Professor Tzu-Hua Wang in National HsinChu University of Education. Regarding the teaching activity design, after logging in the system, learners can walk out of classrooms and learn in real-life scenarios at campus and step-by-step learn English names of the campus spots they often spend time at and the possible conversations happening there by scanning QR Codes (quick response codes) (Figure 1). Students make use of u-Learning system and perform task-based and role-playing learning activities.

Figure 1 Learning contents

Student's tasks are listed below:

Task 1: use tablets to log in u-Learning system, scan QR-code at specific spots on campus (Figure 2), and read teaching materials, English words, example sentences and word pronunciations in the system. Read and learn learning contents at different spots on campus, including word translation, introduction, photos, example sentences, and listen to pronounced words and spoken example sentences.

Figure 2 Learning information obtained by scanning QR Codes

Task 2: use u-learning system to do the following: after reading and listening, follow task instructions to key-in English words using the noting function, record pronounced words using the recording function, take a situational photo using the camera and make sentences using the noting function based on the scenarios.

Task 3: use the camera in u-Learning system to take a situational photo for each word at the specific spot on campus (Figure 3), and follow the photos to make sentences corresponding to the scenarios using the noting function.

Figure 3 Situational photos of campus spots for new words

Task 4: In groups of five, students go to the situational spots teachers designate to do group discussion and design situational conversations. Then they need to use the recording function in u-Learning system (Figure 4) to record situational role-playing conversations of two-people and then each group needs to share the situational conversation video they recorded using tablets.

Figure 4 Videos of role-playing situational conversations of two students

During learning activities, after finishing each task, they can upload it to u-Learning system anytime and teachers can leverage teacher's functions to provide immediate feedback and comments on the uploaded contents.

After the course had been performed, it is found that learning English using the u-Learning system adopted in this study with tablets is able to improve student's learning motivation, interest and learning achievement. This study also finds that when teachers provide appropriate teaching activity designs and offer different teaching strategies based on student's abilities and learning styles so that students can learn English via video and audio recordings, students can learn in a more diverse, lively, interesting and effective way. This way of learning is able to leave a seed in student's mind, making them filled with enthusiasm and curiosity all the time and gain the ability of spontaneous learning and getting knowledge on their own. Moreover, the great learning experiences will gradually spread and bloom in their mind.

Notice
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Acknowledgement
The author deeply appreciates the Ministry of Science and Technology of Taiwan (R.O.C.) for the financial support and encouragement under Grant No. 100-2511-S-134-007-MY3.