Using the iPad in a cooperative learning context: implications for creating narrative texts in the ESL classroom

摘要

The study reported in this paper describes a Cooperative Learning (henceforth CL) experience in Secondary Education integrating mobile technologies -the iPad - to create free narrativeshortstories in the ESL classroom. The line of research the present studybelongs to is included in the project 'Cooperative Learning in the inclusion of gifted students by the Autonomous Community of Madrid, (Spain;Reference: EDU 2013-47696-P, sponsored by the Ministry of Economy and Competitivenessof the Spanish Government). The current case study was conducted during the 2013/14 academic year and the first term of 2014/2015 at Colegio Nuestra Sra. de las Maravillas LaSalle, Madrid (Spain). The main ideas which justify the study are presented in the first place. Secondly, the background and literature relevant to the study is reviewed. This is articulated in two lines, the first oneabout the current tendencies of educational technologies; and the second one based on the work about the creation of communicative written tasks using technological devices in the field of second and third language acquisition in CL contexts. In the third place, we describe the objectives and the research methodology; and finally, data and findings are analysed and discussed. Examples of experiences using mobile technologies which study the processes of learning generated by them in school contexts are still scarce. For this reason, it is important to explore and analyse didactic proposals which incorporate formative tasks in the classroom using the iPad, such as this case.