Learning Across the Content Areas With Mobile Devices: The Case of Middle School English Learners and Digital Pen Technology

• In Event: 35.076 - Writing Practices and Digital Literacies in Multilingual Settings

Abstract

This study examines the potential of digital pen technology to support the education of English Learners (ELs) in content areas present in mainstream classrooms. Longitudinal data were collected from 7 middle school ELs who used the Echo Smartpen over an 8-month period in various subject area classes, and included students’ digital notebooks, individual, and focus group interviews. A collective case study analysis revealed that participants used the Smartpen to extend their opportunities for learning through the creation of co-constructed artifacts with their teachers, which increased their exposure to the instruction and helped to make it more linguistically comprehensible. Findings also indicated that the recordings captured with the Smartpen were most helpful for supporting learning in the academic discipline of math.

Author

• Rae Mancilla, Duquesne University