THE USE OF MOBILE PHONES IN PEER TEACHING AND LEARNING OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE AMONG UNIVERSITY STUDENTS: THE CASE OF BOMET UNIVERSITY COLLEGE, KENYA

Abstract

Mobile phones are one of the most successful technologies of the past two decades. More and more educators are using them as an educational tool. Language learners are day by day more motivated by the individualized learning needs, not only those arising from greater mobility and frequent travel. Many researchers have argued that mobile devices are appropriate for supporting social contacts and collaborative learning opportunities. Interactivity in the classroom is reported to promote a more active learning environment, facilitate the building of learning communities, provide greater feedback for lecturers, and help student motivation. Allowing the use of primarily social technology, such as instant messaging or mobile phones, can focus student attention away from the classroom (Roschelle, 2003; Peck, B., Deans, C., & Stockhausen, L., 2010), acting as an ‘intruder’ and removing the lecturer's centrality in communication (Mifsud, 2002; Cavus, 2009). During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2019, many learning institutions turned to blended learning as a way of managing the spread of the Virus. One of the technologies that was crucial for both lecturers and learners was the mobile phone. It became an option for the chalkboard that required physical classes. However, even before the outbreak of the virus, some institutions around the globe were advocating for a green economy as a new way of life. Furthermore, some institutions around the world, particularly Bomet University College in Kenya, have adopted the green economy as their niche area. Therefore, the use of technology, particularly the internet, was a way of reducing paperwork, hence a clean environment, free from much paperwork. The present paper sought to investigate the use of mobile phones in peer teaching and learning in the English language among university students in Kenya. A review of research on the use of mobile phones in learning has been done to get useful insights and findings discussed and presented.