Dictionaries on smartphones: Learners' assessment of features and potential of dictionary apps as pedagogical tools

Abstract

The growing popularity of smartphones with their multiple functionalities have made these devices a valuable asset to teaching and learning. The study presents the assessment of free-download electronic dictionaries for iOS, Android and Windows operating systems. Three monolingual (Portuguese) and three bilingual dictionaries (Portuguese-English) were evaluated by a class of Engineering students at a federal institution. The main objective of the investigation was to find out how participants evaluated the constituent elements of the apps and their usability features. The study also verified how students perceived the apps as valid reference instruments to be used in both formal and informal learning situations, and what school level is suit to introduce them as pedagogical tools. Data were collected using a questionnaire with mixed-type questions, including the students’ habits of consulting dictionaries. Results may serve as parameters for eventual selection of this educational resource for both teachers and learners.