Shaista Rashid


Shaista Rashid Shaista’s university profile page

 Shaista tells about her work in this short video (transcript beneath the video)

Hi. My name is Shaista and I am from Pakistan. I’m working in the field of mobile assisted language learning and I’m supervised by Assoc. Prof. Una Cunningham. The research context of my study is Pakistan where English is the second official language and a key to success as well.

However, the performance of the students in English language is always very poor. Outdated teaching techniques, crowded classrooms, poor language planning, and lack of motivation on the part of students as well as teachers are some of the factors behind the poor performance of the students.

In this situation, we may think that incorporation of technology can be a possible solution. However, the infrastructure and facilities relating to ICT in Pakistan are very poor.Pakistan places 142nd in the global ICT index and was ranked 166th economy in 2014.

On the other hand, Pakistan has progressed dramatically in the field of mobile technology in the last couple of decades. Telephone penetration rates for 100 individuals have increased from 4% to 73% in the last decade. However, the use of mobile technology in the education sector is very limited in Pakistan.

Consider this scenario, my study investigates the digital practice of students and the effects of training in MALL on the attitudes, perceptions and practices of undergraduate students.

My study will use mixed method approaches. The sample consisted of undergraduate students studying in three different universities in Bangia in Pakistan. Quantitative data will be collected through online surveys and qualitative data will be collected through online pre- and post-interview and peer feedback during online MALL training.

My study will contribute to filling the gap and more research where no or very little training wasprovided prior to connecting research. It will also help guide the teachers and policy makers in using more technologies in language learning at low expenses.

The result of my study will also benefit the MALL material developers designers and educational policy makers in how to train students in using their smartphones for language learning in the Asian context.

So, if you are a language learner and possess a smartphone, you may find my study very interesting.

Thank you.




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