Abstract
During the 15 years of this current century, mobile technology has become a leading technology in the support of educational outcomes. This study investigated the mobile learning practices among undergraduates in higher education in the semi-urban and rural areas of the Gorkha district of Nepal. The objectives were to explore the availability of mobile technology for learning; its costs; learning trends, institutional policies, and attitudes towards mobile learning. These factors were explored to identify implications for pedagogical practice. The study adopted a mixed methods design, in which the quantitative data were collected by using a questionnaire with a sample of 161 undergraduates from six campuses. The qualitative data were collected from 19 purposively selected respondents by the way of semi-structured interviews. The result indicated that virtually all undergraduates possessed their mobile phones and used them informally for learning both inside and outside of their classes. The majority of the students had positive attitudes towards mobile learning. However, many were not satisfied with the effectiveness of their practices or with the level of institutional support for using mobile devices to support their learning. Although comprehensive mobile learning is not widespread in Nepal, enriching conventional learning by the incremental use of mobile devices is possible in Nepalese institutes of higher education. I conclude that teachers and institutions should provide guidance to students about the effective uses of mobile technology because successful use of technology in learning largely depends on appropriate pedagogy and teacher support.
Highlights
Mobile learning has become a distinctive area of modern digital learning
Kukulska-Hulme (2009, cited in Shrestha, 2011, p. 108) argued that “mobile learning is a tricky term as mobility refers to mobility of technology, content and learners in the context of learning”
Traxler (2007) claims that the distinction between e learning and mobile learning is blurred because mobile technology has largely overcome previous barriers of effective mobile learning
Summary
Mobile learning has become a distinctive area of modern digital learning. Mobile learning is an emerging phenomenon and its effective use is presently unclear (Traxler, 2007; Mehdipour & Zerahkafi, 2013). Mehdipour & Zerehkafi (2013) claim that there is a whole part relationship between e-learning and mobile learning in the wider context of digital learning. This view considers mobile learning as a part of e learning. Consideration of the definitions of mobile learning is necessary for enabling a detail discussion on it
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