“Classrooms without borders” – Instructive scenarios based on mobile learning to support differentiated learning in vocational school settings

Abstract

The present work focuses on a survey conducted with 157 Vocational school students and six teachers, all randomly selected. Interviews were conducted with the teachers the aim of which was to detect why teachers suggest mobile learning, how they exploit mobile devices for instructive purposes and their opinion on the effect mobile learning has on their learners’ participation and motivation. The questionnaire to the learners aimed to detect their opinion on mobile learning. The answers revealed that students consider it an easy, interesting, innovative and useful method which helps vocabulary and all four skills though to a lesser extent writing. The thematic analysis of the interviews revealed teachers use mobile devices to enhance learners’ level, minimize distances and cover for students’ absences. They suggest detailed instructive scenarios, for differentiated teaching the implementation of which they found motivating and useful for their learners, weak students and employed learners. © Springer International Publishing AG 2017.