Implementing Mobile Learning Within Personal Learning Environments: A Study of Two Online Courses

José Bidarra,Nuno Sousa

doi:10.19173/irrodl.v21i4.4891

Abstract

This article presents a case-study of two distance learning courses, in order to address the question of universal adoption of mobile devices and applications by students, and the impact of these devices in personal learning environments (PLEs). First, a critical discussion of the value of these concepts in the current technological context was carried out, followed by an analysis of their impact on educational use, based on data collected in online courses on physics and statistics at Universidade Aberta, the Portuguese Open University. The results indicated that all students have adopted mobile learning, and the make-up of an individual’s PLE depends more on the learning resources available rather than on gender or age. These findings can help provide more efficient ways to implement learning by connecting current social needs to learners’ mobile PLEs, particularly when flexibility of time and space are of utmost importance. Further studies at the Portuguese Open University will address a larger and more balanced sample of students across more course units.

Highlights

The current context of open and distance learning is fertile ground for the re-conception of education as a mobile and flexible interaction with many stakeholders
This article started with a review of the principles underpinning mobile learning and new digital media in the current educational context
The study showed that the use of mobile learning and personal learning environments in the physics and statistics courses at Universidade Aberta is transversal to all students, regardless of demographic factors, in part vindicating industrialist approaches to distance learning

Summary

Introduction

The current context of open and distance learning is fertile ground for the re-conception of education as a mobile and flexible interaction with many stakeholders It has changed the traditional view of classroom instruction often replicated in online teaching, and that of education as the transmission of knowledge bound by the restrictions set by a fixed curriculum. Using social media to support distance education augments the power of learning communities with the benefits of using technology to support student engagement. This is a difficult process to scrutinize because it involves many variables; it is challenging to acquire an accurate sense of the different aspects of learning that are being evaluated (Lai & Bower, 2019). Concerns have been raised regarding academic distraction within personal learning environments (PLEs), the overuse of social media and the Internet for entertainment, with a negative effect on students’ academic success (Feng, Wong, Wong, & Hossain, 2019)

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Conclusion