The Role of Mobile Technologies in Blended Learning Environments

Abstract

Mobile technologies exist in a wide spectrum and have a great impact on today’s world. One of the reasons of mobile technologies’ becoming a vital part of everyday life may be various features they possess such as easy access to content with no time and limit boundaries. This has brought up the question whether they may assist language learning.  Considering Web 2.0 tools in the context of mobile technologies, for this study a well-known Web 2.0 tool has been chosen to investigate its effects, Duolingo, on students’ academic performance when used in blended learning settings to support formal language education. The academic performance levels of students are determined before and after the intervention in a high school in accordance with an instructional design prepared to support students in and out of school hours.  Data were analyzed by using descriptive analyses techniques. The results of the study are discussed considering the significant difference in students’ academic performance after the intervention.  It can be concluded that there are possible advantages of integrating a Web 2.0 tool in blended learning contexts.