Investigating effects of mobile learning in familiar authentic environment on learning achievement and cognitive load

Abstract

This study designed English as foreign language learning activities in a familiar authentic environment with mobile technological support. Students learned at school and then applied new knowledge to solve daily life problems by taking pictures of learning objects, describing them, and sharing their homework with peers. This study carried out two experiments in which 59 junior high school students participated. One class with 28 students served as the control group in the experiment 1 and as the experimental group in the experiment 2. The other class with 31 students served as the experimental group in the experiment 1 and as the control group in the experiment 2. Control students studied and completed each learning activity with traditional textbooks while the experimental group studied with an electronic textbook and a learning system installed in the tablet PCs. This study aimed to investigate effects of mobile learning in familiar authentic environment on learning achievement and cognitive load. This study discusses results, research findings, and implications along with conclusions and several suggestions for future development and research.