Factors affecting ubiquitous learning from the viewpoint of language teachers: a case study from Vietnam

Vietnam is promoting the use of information and communications technology (ICT) in education with a view to improving the quality of teaching and moving towards ubiquitous learning. Many ICT tools and applications have been deployed at universities in Vietnam. However, availability of technology is not synonymous with the use of technology. In the area of foreign language teaching and learning, little is known about what could possibly enable or hinder teachers’ use of ICT. The aim of this paper is to present the results of an exploratory and empirical study regarding the use of ICT in modern language teaching at tertiary level in Vietnam. Our case is Hanoi University (HANU), one of the leading universities in the North of Vietnam. A mixed methods approach was applied with 222 survey participants and 43 interviewees including senior management, classroom teachers and ICT experts at HANU. Their responses have shed light on teachers’ perceived enabling and inhibiting factors in relation to ICT use in ubiquitous teaching and learning. It is hoped that teachers and university leaders from other countries may find the case study useful for their better integration of ICT in their classrooms and institutions for ubiquitous learning in the future.