Research On College English Mobile Learning From Perspective Of Distributed Cognition

As a new way of learning, mobile learning is beyond the constraints of time and space, so learners can take advantage of wireless mobile technology and equipment to gain knowledge at any time and any place. Since the concept of “mobile learning” was formally proposed, numerous researches on mobile learning have been conducted. However, many of them focused on the development of learning technology and the design of teaching resources. In recent years, with the rapid development of network information technology and improvement of the requirements towards higher personnel in the high-tech era, college students have become the major subjects of mobile learning applicants.According to Salomon(1993), distributed cognition means that cognition is distributed in the person, across the persons, in the mediators, in the environment, in the culture, in the social world and in time, which is a unit analysis system with the involvement of cognitive subjects, cognitive environment and cognitive artifacts. Distributed cognition theory is beyond the limitation of the traditional cognition which only emphasizes on individual cognition. It maintains that cognition exists in the interactions among learners, artifacts and learning environment, which has the important instructive meaning for the design and development of curriculum communities.The present study designed a questionnaire on the basis of the distributed cognition theory. It randomly selected six hundred and twenty-seven students in Hunan University of Science and Technology for questionnaires and survey respondents, thirty-six of whom are interviewees as well. The survey covers issues such as: attitudes towards mobile English learning, current situations of college students' mobile devices, English learning resources available on wireless devices and English learning environment for college students on wireless devices. After analyzing and discussing the questionnaire and interview results, the research uncovers that(1) English mobile learning has been widely used among college students. Most of respondents believe that college English mobile learning has a great developmental prospect, and all of the students have their own mobile devices. This shows that English mobile learning has been increasingly embraced by college students with the development of wireless technology and the need to the reform of college English teaching. Therefore, it is necessary and feasible to develop college English mobile learning.(2) The improvement of English learning effects has a significant positive correlation w i t h l e a r n e r s ' a t t i t u d e s, l e a r n i n g d e v i c e s, l e a r n i n g r e s o u r c e s a n d l e a r n i n g Environment. Students' attitude towards mobile English learning is the main factors influencing the process and effect of college English mobile learning. As the mobile English learning media, learning equipment's functions and characteristics also influence college English mobile learning effect. In addition, the abundance and applicability of learning resources; the natural and cultural learning environment are directly related to college students' mobile English learning interests and their learning effects.(3) This thesis constructs a model for college English mobile learning. The model is established on four factors: improving the interactive relations between college English teachers and students or the interactive relations among students, enhancing the compatibilities of mobile devices, enriching the types and forms of mobile learning resources and constructing a good learning environment.The thesis combines mobile learning with foreign language teaching, proposing a correspond model from perspective of distributed cognition theory. From the theoretical point of view, it can enrich the existing research on mobile learning theory and broaden the research perspective of foreign language teaching. From the practical point of view, it will help to improve college students' mobile learning effects and provide the possibility to establish a student-centered, self-controlled and personalized learning path. And it is good for the reform of College English Teaching.