Qin, W. (2015). Learning Chinese vocabulary through Mobile-assisted activities: An investigation in China. International Journal of Education and Research, 3(10), 387-400.
This two-week study evaluated the effect of smartphone usage upon beginning-level L2 Chinese vocabulary acquisition. During eight 50-minute classes, 47 African students in a Chinese university learned vocabulary with the aid of multimedia. In preparation for follow-up class presentations, 25 of these students used their own smartphones out of class to take pictures corresponding to the targeted vocabulary and then posted these to WebChat accounts as prompts for collaborative discussions. On a pre-/post-test of vocabulary, the experimental group significantly outscored the control group of 22 which undertook no out-of-class activities.
Qing, X. (2016). A brief study on English autonomous learning ability based on mobile learning in EFL curriculum. Canadian Social Science, 12(11), 114-118.
This Chinese paper describes in very general terms the effect of using a mobile-based communications app (WeChat) to promote the learning of L2 English by 60 intermediate-level college students. Over a 16-week period, these students used WeChat in their course while a control group of 60 did not. The experimental group achieved much better scores on their English test compared to the control group. A post-treatment questionnaire showed that the experimental group had a positive attitude and high learning motivation toward mobile learning.
Qiuyao, W., Zhao, S., & Noordin, N. (2024). The role of MALL-based dubbing in developing oral English skills: A pilot study. International Journal of Academic Research in Progressive Education and Development, 13(4), 3078-3100.
This Chinese study evaluated the effect of a mobile-based L2 English video dubbing app (Qu Pei Yin) upon the oral skills of five L1 Mandarin university students with an A2-B2 English competence level. Participants accessed the app via unspecified mobile devices 3-5 times per week for three weeks to dub short films, cartoons, documentaries and storybooks of unspecified content. A matched control group of 5 read aloud the video scripts. In the post-test, the lexical density of the experimental group was lower than that of the control. No significant difference was found between the two groups in complexity or accuracy.
Quan, Z. (2016). Introducing “mobile DDL (data-driven learning)” for vocabulary learning: An experiment for academic English. Journal of Computers in Education, 3(3), 273-287.
This study from New Zealand investigated the attitudes of upper-intermediate-level L2 English pre-entry bridging university students towards the use of a mobile-based concordancing app (AKWIC) for the acquisition of academic vocabulary. Two groups of volunteers trialed AKWIC with loaned tablet computers, eight for four weeks and twenty for two weeks. Despite generally positive comments from post-treatment student questionnaires and interviews, about three-quarters of participants indicated that they would not want to use AKWIC in the future. They disliked the approach because of the need to find meanings on their own.
Quan, Z. (2018). The Potential of Mobile-Based and Pattern-Oriented Concordancing for Assisting Upper-Intermediate ESL Students in Their Academic Writing. PhD dissertation, Auckland University of Technology, NZ.
This PhD dissertation describes the results of three studies that evaluated the effectiveness of two mobile-based concordancers, an experimental app (Patterns in Context) and a traditional keyword in context (KWIC) app. All studies were run using a Samsung T110 tablet computer, involved academic English, and were undertaken by B2/C1-level L2 English pre-university students in New Zealand. The first study was preliminary in nature and intended to pilot test the experimental app. It was trialed for four weeks by ten volunteers while another eight used the KWIC version. Based on the results of this trial, improvements were made to Patterns in Context (PIC) and a second trial was undertaken, this time with ten students alternating between two weeks using PIC and two weeks using the KWIC version. The results confirmed the participants’ preference for the PIC version. The third study involved 20 students, all of whom used PIC for two weeks. Overall, the participant’s evaluation of the usefulness of PIC was positive, though about a quarter of the users expressed only a neutral appreciation of it.
Quan, Z., Grant, L., & Hocking, D. (2022). Comparing concordances of language patterns and words by ESL intermediate learners: A preliminary experiment with two mobile concordancers. Computer Assisted Language Learning, xx.
This study investigated the perceptions of intermediate-level L2 English language school learners in New Zealand regarding their use two mobile concordancers over a two-week period. Using a loaned Samsung tablet with pre-loaded apps, 10 participants accessed an experimental concordancer (PIC) based on grammar patterns while 8 others used a traditional individual word-based Key Word in Context concordancer. Participants used the apps at will with no tasks or assignments. The results showed that PIC use did not demonstrate strong engagement and was not perceived as very effective in finding target language.
Quan, Z., Grant, L., Hocking, D., & Connor, A. (2022). Distinctive mobile learning: Where it is different and how it can make a difference. Interactive Learning Environments, xx, 1-16.
This study examined the MALL learning behavior of 60 intermediate-level L2 English language school students in New Zealand as it related to the mobility of devices, learners and materials. Over two weeks, participants were loaned Samsung tablets with a custom-made concordancer app pre-installed. This enabled them to look up words as needed among concordances and dictionary entries. Use of this material was entirely self-directed with no imposed tasks or assignments. The high portability and genuine personalization of the treatment was shown to correlate with the usage behavior of the participants.