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Ubiquitous interaction for ESP distance and blended learners

Soraya García-Sánchez (Department of Modern Languages, Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Las Palmas Gran Canaria, Spain)

Journal of Applied Research in Higher Education

ISSN: 2050-7003

Article publication date: 10 October 2016

349

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to analyse some effective e-tools and interactive tasks to enhance language acquisition and competence building in today’s English for specific purposes (ESP) students in higher education programmes.

Design/methodology/approach

There are countless learning methods, often supported by the access of ubiquitous learning materials, which improve students’ engagement, group interaction and independent learning skills in foreign language learners. More frequently, students become successful, independent and cooperative creative learners by means of participating in multimodal virtual learning platforms that would help them to improve a variety of competences. This study is based on English applied to social work, a compulsory subject offered either in a blended (b-learning) or a distance (d-learning) learning environment as part of the degree in social work. It combines its correspondent course book with digital content and multimedia tasks.

Findings

Results suggest that a ubiquitous practice for ESP b/d learners can be innovative and successfully competence-addressed when implementing interactive learning tasks that can combine individual and group work inside and outside the classroom hours.

Originality/value

The challenge of this research is to integrate a ubiquitous learning approach so that students would interact more and, consequently, enhance their communicative language skills, both in b-learning and d-learning environments.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

As always, the author would like to thank the students of this study for their enthusiasm, hard work and contribution while sharing their experiences and knowledge in the English language.

Citation

García-Sánchez, S. (2016), "Ubiquitous interaction for ESP distance and blended learners", Journal of Applied Research in Higher Education, Vol. 8 No. 4, pp. 489-503. https://doi.org/10.1108/JARHE-04-2014-0052

Publisher

:

Emerald Group Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2016, Emerald Group Publishing Limited

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