Collaborative learning using tablets in EFL to develop oral communication

Abstract

This paper describes a study with two Portuguese 8th grade classes and two teachers about Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) and the use of tablets, which implied implementing a didactic unit using several iPad devices. For that, an iBook and other digital educational resources were produced for students to explore together in class and to test their reading comprehension in small groups. Each group also had to produce a short video that was to be presented to class afterwards. The main goal was to evaluate the impact of this unit on: i) oral communication development, ii) student motivation, and iii) teachers’ adoption of tablets. Students and teachers were surveyed before and after the deployment. The students' products were also evaluated, to assess oral production skills, and the teachers were interviewed at the end of the study. This mixed methodology of data collection and analysis proved the existence of a positive impact of the project concerning the three constructs under analysis.