The effect of mobile learning on students’ attitudes using mobile devices

Abstract

Mobile learning (m-learning) has the potential to vastly change and improve education as we know it. Its main advantage is in extending the educational contexts to any place and any time. This leads to possibilities of more active and experiential learning. Furthermore, it greatly improves the potential for communication and access to information. All of these improvements, if utilized properly, can lead to more meaningful learning and more internal motivation for learning. However, these changes are not easy to implement and require the overcoming of several obstacles. This study aimed to investigate the attitudes towards m-learning and its relationships with ubiquitous learning, experiential and active learning, meaningful learning, cooperative learning, internal motivation for learning, and demographic variables. In order to measure these constructs, questionnaires were completed by 200 participants. The results suggest that the youngest generations (15-17 years old) and those who used their mobile phones the most have the highest attitudes towards m-learning. There were no differences amongst genders or people with various levels of education. Furthermore, the effects of mobile and ubiquitous learning on meaningful learning were mediated by collaborative and experiential and active learning. Lastly, the effects of mobile and ubiquitous learning on internal motivation for learning were direct. The findings indicate the importance of utilization of mobile learning and its positive consequences on both academic and personal aspects of the students’ lives.