Whatsapp as a learning tool

Whatsapp is a free application for smartphones which uses the internet to send messages, images, audio or videos. It can also be used on various platforms such as iPhone and Windows smartphones, and Mac or Windows PCs.

Despite WhatsApp is an application which is for our everyday life, it can also be used in the Education field. If teachers take advantage of this application, it can perform an important role as a learning tool. According to this, teachers might use WhatsApp in their classes so as to improve students' speaking skills.

 An oral presentation can be asses through this application. In this way, students who do not like speaking in front of the class can overcome their anxiety by being able to prepare an audio file on their own and send it to the teacher when they feel comfortable about it. It can also be very useful for teachers because, in the case of large classrooms, they can offer opportunities for personal assessment through their audio files, being a good way of keeping track of students' progress.

In terms of limitations, Whatsapp as a speaking tool cannot measure all the areas of an oral presentation such as body language or visual contact. Another limitation is the establishment's policy regarding the use of cell phones during classes. 

At least in Chilean classrooms, it is common to see that the use of technological devices is not allowed. In addition, it can not be assumed that all the students possess a cellphone because although that is very common to have technological devices nowadays, there are still a number of people who do not possess smart devices, due to economic or personal reasons. Finally, the teachers' privacy and a bad connection to the internet could interfere in the correct implementation of this tool.

Video: "Whatsapp in Education"
Channel: Izyani Hj Mistar 

www.whatsapp.com