摘 要

随着大数据技术、新媒体平台兴起，近年来国内外关于移动学习、碎片化学习的研究开始出现并迅速发展。为了进一步了解国内大学生英语碎片化移动学习的可行性、应用现状及学习效果，本文首先基于新媒体、大数据的背景，对移动、碎片化学习进行界定，然后通过问卷和访谈，对各省市24所高校157名大学本科生进行调查，以实现研究目标。

结果表明：碎片化移动学习有可行性并在英语学习中逐渐普及；目前已有一定数量及特色的学习资源与平台，且学习材料呈现方式多样；英语碎片化移动学习对学习者的英语知识水平、学习能力的提高等有一定影响：通过一段时间的合理学习，学习者在词汇、听力上的提高最为显著，在翻译、写作、语法上提高较少；学习者学习策略的掌握、自学能力及语境中的实际应用能力有较高提升。

本文丰富了在大学生移动碎片化英语学习方面的实证研究成果，为后续相关研究提供重要的调查结论。笔者在其基础上，分析了基于移动设备的碎片化英语学习的不足之处与发展趋势。为大学英语学习者优化学习方法、英语学习资源及平台的建设者结合新技术以完善设计、英语教育相关部门探索行之有效的英语教学策略指明方向。

关键词：英语学习；新媒体；大数据；碎片化学习；移动学习

Abstract

As the appearance of big data and new media, domestic and overseas research on mobile learning and fragmented learning have emerged and developed rapidly in recent years. This paper aims to investigate the feasibility, current situation and learning effects of English fragmented learning on mobile devices. Firstly, fragmented learning and mobile learning was defined based on the background of big data and new media. Then, for realizing the research purposes, questionnaires and interviews were employed with 157 undergraduates from 24 universities in different provinces.

It turns out that fragmented mobile learning is feasible and has popularized gradually in English learning, there have been a certain number of learning resources and platforms with respective features that the presentation forms of learning materials are various. Besides, English fragmented learning on mobile devices has certain effect on the improvement of learners’ knowledge and learning ability: After a period of learning reasonably, learners improve significantly in vocabulary and listening, but improve a little in translation, writing and grammar. Learners’ mastering of learning strategies, their ability of self-learning and applying knowledge in contextual situation elevate.

This paper enriches the empirical research and provides essential inquiry conclusions for further research. Based on the result, deficiencies and future development of English fragmented learning on mobile devices are analyzed. The direction is indicated for English learners in universities to optimize learning methods, for constructers of learning resources and platforms to improve the design with new technologies, and for relevant departments of English education to explore efficient instructional strategy.

Key Words: English learning; new media; big data; fragmented learning; mobile learning

Contents

1 Introduction 1

1.1 Introduction to Big Data 1

1.2 Introduction to New Media 2

2 Literature Review 4

2.1 Fragmented Learning 4

2.2 Mobile Learning 6

3 Research Methodology 9

3.1 Research Question 9

3.2 Participant 9

3.3 Instrument 10

3.3.1 Questionnaire 10

3.3.2 Interview 10

3.4 Data Analysis 11

4 Result and Discussion 12

4.1 Result 12

4.1.1 The Feasibility of English Fragmented Mobile Learning 12

4.1.2 The Current Situation of English Fragmented Mobile Learning 15

4.1.3 The Effects of English Fragmented Mobile Learning 19

4.2 Discussion 22

4.2.1 Feasibility Analysis of English Fragmented Mobile Learning 22

4.2.2 General Situation of English Fragmented Mobile Learning 23

4.2.3 The Effects of English Fragmented Mobile Learning 24

4.2.4 Future Development 25

5 Conclusion 28

5.1 Implication 28

5.2 Limitation amp; Suggestions 28

References 30

Appendix A （First Draft） 32

Appendix A （Final Draft） 38

Appendix B 43

Acknowledgements 44

Research on English Fragmented Mobile Learning of Undergraduates in the Background of Big Data and New Media

1 Introduction

1.1 Introduction to Big Data

Big data is a data set which can’t be captured, managed, and handled in a certain time by using ordinary software tool. Furthermore, by using new processing mode, big data is the massive, variable and high growth information asset with better decision-making power, discernment and ability of optimizing process (Lian, 2014). Big data analyzes and handles all information but not just samples randomly (Mayer-Schönberger, 2012). The traits of big data is volume, velocity, variety, value and veracity.

In 2016, The Horizon Report of Higher Education Edition predicts 6 trends that big data and information technology may have on higher education in the next 5 years: promoting culture innovation, rethinking works in universities, redesigning learning spaces, shifting to the deep learning methods, focusing more on measurements of learning and applying the design of blended learning widely. There are also 6 challenges: balancing the life of connected and unconnected, maintaining the applicableness of education, competing with different education models, learning individually, integrating with formal and informal learning, and improving the digital literacy.

In the period of big data, studying isn’t only confined to regular classroom teaching, but also appearing in real extensive socializing environment. Big data offers opportunity and convenience of observing and researching language to learners. Not only the language productions in electronic version which is stored in mobile network terminal, but also grand scale of learner corpus can be taken as research materials for language learners. Their authenticity, dynamic nature, representativeness and scale provides reliable guarantee in summarizing and expounding learners’ language features. As Wang Haixiao pointed out, big data has brought new behaviors and thinking methods to English learning, such as MOOCs and flip class (Chen, 2015). In the field of English learning, big data is not only a specific environment, but also a large-capacity resource, which changes the mode of language learning, reshapes learning behavior, and even promotes a new learning cognition method (Fang, 2016).

1.2 Introduction to New Media

The secretary general of the New Media Industry Alliance named Wang Bin have said, new media is a kind of innovative media that bases on the digital information technology and is characterized of interactive communication. American Wired magazine defined new media as “Any spread between human beings and human beings.” According to UNESCO (united nations educational scientific and cultural organization), new media is the medium that spreads information based on digital technology and regarding network as its vehicle. Such as mobile phones, computers, virtual worlds, single media, website games, human-computer interface, computer animation and interactive computer installations

The features of new media are digital, interactive, hypertextual, virtual and networked (Lister amp; Dovey, 2008). It can meet the demands of people whose spare time is becoming fragmented because of the fast-paced modern life and work. We use new media for more specific purposes and we tend to choose on our own initiative. New media can provide the public with personalized content simultaneously. With it, the spreaders and the recipients can communicate peer to peer, and all communicators can have personalized communication at the same time. Compared with traditional media, new media is faster in speed of spreading and updating, lower in cost, larger in quantity of information, richer in content, wider in propagation range, easier in interaction, and more convenient in searching. Without complex equipment, technology and professionals, everyone can spread and receive information.

The application of new media reflects that learners capture information more deeply, hoping for interaction of higher extent and self-reinterpretation of information. Learners can gain information most wanted by getting involved in new media according to our own interest and experience. The occurrence of new media is not only an improvement of print media’s deficiencies in capturing information, such as baldness, retardance and non-interactivity, but also an improvement of inferior position when learners face redundant or fragmentary information of low quality by applying digital technology, wireless technology and internet.

The superiority of applying new media in English learning is obvious. Firstly, its abundant resources like pictures, texts, audios and videos can form plentiful, unique and multivariant learning circumstances. Secondly, learning content can be presented by various forms. Secondly, new media facilitates English learners to form practical English experience by offering English scenes and interactive platform, such as video chat between English advisers and learners. Thirdly, the openness of new media changes traditional relationship between students and teachers. Students obtain the active position that they can choose what they want with the guidance and recommendation of teacher who used to be the dominant power. Students question teachers when they face problems in learning, but not being questioned and forced merely by teachers as before (Qu, 2017).