Smart Learning: Approaches and Materials for Language Learning

Abstract

With the exponential growth of smartphone users, mobile learning (mlearning) or ubiquitous learning (ulearning) has enjoyed popularity. This fad in recent years has generated another learning trend: smart learning. While smart learning has some commonalities with mlearning or ulearning, it is distinctive and unique, in that it implies something more than the use of mobile devices. The purpose of this paper is to define what smart learning is in the Korean academic context and examine ways to embody smart learning in the college English classroom settings. This paper aims to describe how problem-based learning (PBL) and flipped learning are related to smart learning. Specifically, the paper suggests that smart learning environments are ideal for realizing the features of problem-based learning, and that the PBL implemented in the smart learning environments is similar to flipped learning in many aspects. In addition, it delineates how materials and tasks can be designed and implemented to facilitate smart learning, and introduces mobile applications that can be useful for creating smart classroom contexts. Finally, the paper discusses prospects and challenges of smart learning and pedagogical implications.