What’s Happening in ‘Their Space’? Exploring the Borders of Formal and Informal Learning with Undergraduate Students of Education in the Age of Mobile Technologies

Jane Andrews ,Mark Jones

doi:10.5334/jime.ax

Abstract

The changing nature of teaching and learning in an age of accessible technologies provides challenges and opportunities for the design of learning events. Working with a sample of undergraduate students of education in one UK higher education institution we use an exploratory, qualitative approach to investigate students’ spontaneous uses of their mobile devices in their learning. We argue that students’ preferences and practices need to be jointly considered in the design of learning if it is to be effective.

Highlights

Background to the studyUniversities as spaces for learning have experienced a technological transformation both in real and virtual terms and this has created a new digital landscape that students and university lecturers inhabit
Discussion of Theme 1: Learning Spaces We noted in our study that there was a certain amount of bemusement when we, as university tutors, asked students about how they used their mobile devices
The device each student had and which they regularly used for university work in an open manner seemed to belong, perhaps to the private or personal realm or space, and, as such, it struck an unusual note for us, as tutors, to take an interest in when and how students used their mobile devices

Summary

Introduction

Universities as spaces for learning have experienced a technological transformation both in real and virtual terms and this has created a new digital landscape that students and university lecturers inhabit The nature of this new landscape continues to be documented in specific disciplines such as engineering and social work The work of Green and Hannon (2007) in the UK explored children and young people’s (aged 4-16) engagement with new technologies and coined the term ‘their space’ This term was used an indicator that, at that time, young people’s uses of technologies were not well understood by the adults in their lives and the young people were making their own digital worlds.

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Conclusion