Searching for new meanings for mobile communication tools in an educational context

Abstract

Mobile devices and applications for communication, such as WhatsApp, Facebook and Twitter, are already present in educational contexts. However, their use is generally restricted to the original purpose of informal communication without taking advantage of their potential to promote interaction in formal settings. In this paper, we investigate the design and use of mobile applications in formal communication processes, exploring meaning evolution of WhatsApp use in a real context. We propose a system to enable students to conduct preparatory pre-class activities using WhatsApp with text commands and multimedia messages. Our analysis of the system use suggests that it is feasible to appropriate mobile communication applications with which students are already familiar for the use in formal contexts.