Pieter Warnich & Claire
. Gordon North-West
University
(Potchefstroom Campus)
School of Human and Social Sciences for Education
Faculty of Education Science
Republic of South Africa
pieter.warnich@nwu.ac.za
+27 18 2994728
Title
Integrating cell phone technology to support and
enhance teaching, learning and assessment practices
in the History classroom by making use of the learner
response service Poll Everywhere. com
"To prepare kids for their future, we need to start speaking
the language of kids. They’re using this stuff anyway - let’s
teach them how to use it productively”.
Matt Cook, a teacher near Texas
Overview
1. Introduction and background
2. Cell phone policies in schools worldwide
3. Why should History teachers in SA consider the integration of cell
phones as a teaching, learning and assessment tool in their
classrooms?
4. Practical demonstration on how the cell phone can be used as a
teaching, learning and assessment tool in the history class
5. History learners' feedback after the use of the cell phone in their
class
6. Conclusion
1. Introduction and Background
 In recent years there a growing amount of research
concerned with integrating mobile technologies for the
teaching and learning purposes
 But the utilisation of the basic low tech cell phone to
assist teachers in teaching, assessing and direct
learning is still regarded as a relatively new phenomenon
worldwide
 This is notwithstanding the fact that cell phones
becoming increasing more affordable and accessible to
everyone in both the developed and developing
countries
1. Introduction and Background
•
In 2011: 87% of the world’s population possessed a cell phone
• Traditional school policies inhibited teachers from the opportunity
to embrace this popular handheld device as a tool for learning in
their classes
• Various reasons why schools policies worldwide limited or
banned cell phone use in classrooms:
 It is seen as a disruptive force which distracts learners’ attention
 Creates worries about learners become involved with activities
such as cheating, visiting inappropriate websites, sexting,
and to engage in cyber-bulling
2. Cell phone policies in schools worldwide
• In the United States more than 70% (2010) of the high school learners
are in possession of a cell phone
•
A 1997 national school policy ruled that “the possession or use of
cellular telephones by students within schools buildings is prohibited"
• 69% of the schools had stuck to the ban
• Some school somewhat loosened the ban by allowing their high school
learners to carry cell phones during the day on the condition that they
are not in use or sight during class hours
• Some schools were prepared to allow the use of cell phones in
classes providing that the teacher has asked permission in
advance with an explanation of what will be done
and why it is necessary
2. Cell phone policies in schools worldwide
• In some cases where schools started to realise the value of cell
phones as an teaching, learning and assessment tool they lifted
the ban by allowing teachers to incorporate it into their lessons
• United Kingdom there is still a “policy vacuum” regarding cell
phone use in schools: Left each school to decide what best
practice is for them
•
A few schools imposed a complete ban while others allowed
them on the school grounds provided they are switch off and put
away
• In some schools however, cell phones are allowed in classes
at the teacher’s discretion with punitive measures
when misused
2. Cell phone policies in schools worldwide
• In Canada policy once unilaterally dictated that cell phones
should be turned off and stowed away during school hours
• But in some schools teachers are now permitted to use them
at their discretion
• In the case of Asia clear national-level policies, plans and
actions to promote cell phone use in classes are for the
greater part still lacking
• In South Africa no formal national policy on the use of cell
phones at schools presently exists
2. Cell phone policies in schools worldwide
• Pressure is practised by some school organisations such as the National
Association of School Governing Bodies (NASGB) for a no-tolerance
policy
• The NASGB is supported by the Department of Basic Education
2. Cell phone policies in schools worldwide
• From the above we can conclude:
 There is to a great extent a tendency in schools
worldwide to allow their teachers to embrace and
integrate cell phones as a pedagogical tool in their
classes despite existing national school policies that
disallows it
 As in the case with South Africa where a national cell
phone policy for schools is still lacking, it leaves the door
open for those teachers to use it as a technological
teaching, learning and assessment tool
3. Why should History teachers in SA consider the integration of cell
phones as a teaching, learning and assessment tool in their
classrooms?
• Regardless of their diverse socio-economic status a large number
of secondary school learners in South Africa are in possession of a
cell phone (Kreutzer, 2009:54)
• In the provinces of the Western Cape and Gauteng alone,
approximately 84.8% and 88,4% of learners in secondary schools
respectively owns a cell phone
• Teachers of today represents the younger generation who were
born after the 1980s (“Net generation”)
•
They have grown up surrounded by digital technologies and will
therefore be more comfortable and willing to take chances to
experience with mobile devices in their classes than their older
counterparts
3. Why should History teachers in SA consider the integration
of cell phones as a teaching, learning and assessment tool in
their classrooms?
• These "Net generation" of teachers are learning differently in the
sense that they respond much better to active experiential learning
opportunities than the traditional lecture-style of teaching
• For most of our 21st century learners the cell phone became an
indispensable tool in the manner in which they experience their
world
• They share in the digital age by skillfully apply the technology their
cell phone offers to access information and other learning
resources outside the classroom
• But returning to the traditional learning environment of a classroom
the applications of their favourite device are in most
cases disregarded as a tool that can support their
3.Why should History teachers in SA consider the integration of cell
phones as a learning tool in their classrooms?
• The challenge is therefore to “develop designs” in which connections
between these two settings will be made
• Pedagogical approaches such as constructivism, blended learning,
collaborative learning and active learning are all embedded in mobile
learning (Most of these approaches are asked for in the CAPS)
• Studies in the literature proofs that teachers and learners are ready to
share in this undertaking as both groups have positive perception
levels towards the use of technology in the classroom
• Research shows that teachers are keen to use technology
applications to support their lessons, but are against a teaching
and learning process that only relies on technology
4. Practical demonstration on how the cell phone can be used as a
teaching, learning and assessment tool in the history class
• An demonstration will follows on how the cell phone can be used in
the history class as an extended and enriching teaching and learning
tool in an attempt to bridge the gap between the informal and formal
learning environments
• This will be demonstrated with learning content on the World War II,
the use of instant Short Message Service (SMS) and the learner
response system Poll Everywhere.
• Grade 9 learners will be utilised for this demonstration building on
research that suggest that pupils in secondary schools dispose of a
high level of mobile learning readiness