Mobile Devices In Higher Education Research Articles

Mobile application for sending and receiving academic messages

We live in a competitive and globalized world in which innovation is essential for the development of new services and products that favor the generation of value in society. This is the case of education where the integration of information and communications technologies has made possible the innovation of teaching-learning processes, as is the case of the use of mobile devices inside and outside the classroom. However, inevitably, there are still barriers to being able to provide real-time interconnectivity in the educational context. Hence arises the importance of the implementation of mobile devices to revolutionize educational practices that provide optimal education of excellence. This project aims to develop a new modality through the application of mobile devices for smartphones, which allows receiving relevant messages of academic interest for students from teachers and coordinators of a higher education institution, at the same time, allowing that academic coordinators and students have excellent communication in real time in locations far from metropolitan areas. It was developed with a qualitative, transversal methodology and as a research technique, software development using the agile scrum methodology. The evidence found proposes a broad field for research on the use of applications in the educational context and the pedagogical potential of mobile devices in higher education and allows us to propose a broad field for future studies.

Mobile technology to promote education 4.0 in Vietnam

Currently, with development of technology, the use of gadgets like smart devices (smartphones, tablets) is becoming more common. In recent years, mobile technologies play an increasingly important role in students’ lives, study and scientific research. In addition, currently most students in higher education institutions use smartphones. Many universities use electronic devices such as smart phones, laptops, computers, and tablets as teaching devices and building websites that run on mobile platforms or developing applications that can be easily downloaded from google play or Apple store. Therefore, this article focuses on analyzing the perspectives as well as the application of learning on mobile devices in higher education 4.0. Surveys of students owning a mobile device and doing their learning on a mobile phone show that the currently students owning mobile devices is high and will continue to increase. The data was analyzed through the calculation of the proportion of responses in the questionnaires. The article also summarizes the results of short discussions about the results of the research, finding that mobile technologies play an important role in teaching and learning in the current context of higher education in Vietnam. Based on the results, the authors recommend that more studies should be done to provide knowledge regarding the application and development of mobile technologies in learning and research of students towards the era of industrial revolution 4.0 (IR4).

A Phenomenographic Research Study of Students’ Conceptions of Mobile Learning: An Example From Higher Education

This article aims to identify different ways of using mobile devices in students’ learning in higher education. This qualitative research presents the findings from a phenomenographic research of students’ conceptions of mobile learning (m-learning) in higher education. A cohort of 16 students from four universities of Bangladesh took part in semi-structured interviews to explore their in-depth understandings and experiences of m-learning. The findings indicate that university students perceived five qualitatively different ways of using mobile devices in their learning: a medium for communication; a medium for management of learning materials; a tool for effective learning; a means for collaborative learning; and a means for development of new ideas. The findings of this research demonstrate students’ pedagogical understanding of using mobile devices in higher education. The outcomes of this research could play a crucial role in informing students on how they can use their mobile devices for learning purposes and providing educators with empirical evidence on students’ pedagogical practices of using mobile devices in other developing and more developed countries in the world.

A socially just pedagogy in the use of mobile devices in higher education? The case of Humanities first-year students at a South African university

In a highly unequal society such as South Africa, higher education is seen as having a social justice mandate to widen participation, and using technology is one way to achieve this. One university in South Africa made mobile devices compulsory for all first-year students since 2014. This article, drawing on data collected from first-year Humanities students at this university, attempts to understand whether the use of mobile devices for learning met requirements for a socially just pedagogy. We used a sequential mixed methods research design, first surveying the first-year Humanities students in late 2015, and then followed up with focus group discussions in 2016 and early 2017. We utilise Nancy Fraser’s idea of ‘participatory parity’ to unpack a socially just pedagogy, and specifically focus on the component of access to resources. We found that most students had functional access to devices and on-campus data. The manner in which these were accessed was affirmative, rather than transformative. By extending the notion of access beyond just opportunity (functional access as owning or having access to a device and data), to also knowing how to use the opportunity (digital access through digital literacies and fluencies), we found that our case study fell short of being socially just pedagogy. We urge that lecturers take up a central role in enabling students to use their devices for transformative learning.
 
 How to cite this article:VAN ROOYEN, Carina; MARAIS, Ingrid Estha. A socially just pedagogy in the use of mobile devices in higher education? The case of Humanities first-year students at a South African university. Scholarship of Teaching and Learning in the South v. 2, n. 2, p. 53-70, Sept. 2018. Available at: http://sotl-south-journal.net/?journal=sotls&page=article&op=view&path%5B%5D=66
 
 This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Research Trends in Mobile Learning in Higher Education: A Systematic Review of Articles (2011 – 2015)

The potential and use of mobile devices in higher education has been a key issue for educational research and practice since the widespread adoption of these devices. Due to the evolving nature and affordances of mobile technologies, it is an area that requires ongoing investigation. This study aims to identify emerging trends in mobile learning research in higher education in order to provide insights for researchers and educators around research topics and issues for further exploration. This study analysed the research themes, methods, settings, and technologies in mobile learning research in higher education from 2011 to 2015. A total of 233 refereed articles were selected and analysed from peer reviewed journals. The results were compared to three previous literature review-based research studies focused between 2001 and 2010 to identify similarities and differences. Key findings indicated that: (a) mobile learning in higher education is a growing field as evidenced by the increasing variety of research topics, methods, and researchers; (b) the most common research topic continues to be about enabling m-learning applications and systems; and (c) mobile phones continue to be the most widely used devices in mobile learning studies, however, more and more studies work across different devices, rather than focusing on specific devices.

Mobile devices in higher education: A pending issue in multidimensional media literacy

Abstract Prensky’s concept of the ‘digital native’ received many criticisms, fundamentally as it was considered too optimistic, but also determinist and reductionist: knowing the age of a person does not determine the digital practices they may perform, nor their behaviour. In our previous research young people obtained very low scores in all media literacy dimensions except technology, demonstrating the need for comprehensive media literacy and contradicting the myth of digital native. It was shown that they had technical and production skills but were lacking in others of equal importance such as aesthetics. Young people do not conceive their lives on and offline separately; for them everything is a continuation of personal, social or academic life. Therefore, why not introduce into higher education the technologies with which they spend most time, that is, mobile devices? Tablets and mobile devices are their personal interaction and social connection spaces. Including them in classrooms may therefore be useful in removing the barriers that separate the personal from the collective, the rational and the emotional, learning and entertainment, the classroom and everyday life outside it. As mobile devices are considered cultural tools that are transforming sociocultural practices and structures in all spheres of life university must naturally form part of this consideration. Including mobile devices in higher education could be innovative and efficient if full advantage is taken of the optimum features of new technologies and new communication practices: creativity and participation, teamwork, continuous learning and open and online collaboration, multimedia and multimodal communication, interaction and the search for implication and motivation. The aim of our R&D&I project ‘media competences of citizens in emerging digital media in university environments’ (2016−18), is to compare how mobile devices (tablets, smartphones, etc.) are used by young people outside the academic arena as opposed to how they are used inside university, with a view to detecting innovative teaching/learning practices that may then be advocated and disseminated within higher education.

Revisión de la literatura sobre dispositivos móviles en la universidad española

This article presents a systematized review of scientific production between the years 2012 and 2016 of the use and application of mobile devices in Spanish universities. The objective is to interpret academic interest in Mobile Learning and the attributes of this production. In order to do this, 50 articles from journals and minutes from international congresses indexed in the databases of Web of Science, Scopus and Google Scholar were selected and subsequently analyzed within four categories: information about the authors, the publications’ bibliographic information, information about the populations studied and scientific-methodological information. The results indicate that this is an emerging topic of development, given the limited number of articles and communications found, yet this output demonstrates the importance of the research groups and projects funded, which have defined a research trajectory in several authors. Likewise, some Spanish autonomous regions and certain disciplines addressed in the studies are underrepresented. The predominant methodology is quantitative and the most frequent research technique is the questionnaire, although there is also a growing number of experimental designs. The evidence found suggests a broad field for research into the pedagogical potential of mobile devices in higher education and puts forward an agenda for future studies.

Evolution and use of mobile devices in higher education: A case study in Portuguese Higher Education Institutions between 2009/2010 and 2014/2015

Mobile devices’ popularity, particularly tablets and smartphones, has increased over the last years as a result of their versatility and multifunctionality. That consequently led to a wide daily use by everyone and especially among young people. Since 2010 the sales market for mobile devices has not stopped growing. This is justified by the fact that these devices present many advantages, namely usability, portability, versatility, adaptability and an ability to customize individual experiences. In the context of the teaching-learning process, mobile devices allow overcoming the temporal and physical boundaries of the classroom, since information is omnipresent and no longer limited to a specific time and place for learning, thus promoting the mLearning. In this way it is important to analyze the use of mLearning, particularly the acceptance rate and uses of mobile technologies devices in higher education Portuguese institutions. In order to answering this issue, this paper analyzes the evolution and trends in the use of mobile technologies in higher education institutions in Portugal (North region) between 2009/2010 and 2014/2015.

The use of a mobile learning management system and academic achievement of online students

Mobile learning has become widespread, and higher education institutions have started adopting mobile technology to cope with the needs of students. Despite its adoption in higher education settings, little research has been done to examine factors influencing the adoption of mobile learning management systems (LMSs) and the learning effects on students' academic achievement. To explore the relationships among factors and the educational effectiveness of mobile LMSs, students' demographic backgrounds (age and employment status), self-reported psychological data (self-efficacy, innovativeness, perceived ease of use, and perceived usefulness of mobile LMSs), and external factors (subjective norms) were collected from 1604 students from 10 repetitions of the same course in an online university in Korea, in addition to their test scores. The logistic regression results showed that age and employment status were significant factors in predicting students' adoption of mobile LMSs and that there were potential connections between mobile LMS use and students' gender, age, and psychological characteristics. In addition, the study demonstrated that the use of a mobile LMS positively influenced online students' academic achievement. The findings from this empirical study present a better understanding of students' usage of mobile devices in higher education.

Quin és el futur de l’aprenentatge mòbil en l’educació?

The evolution of wireless technologies and the development of applications for mobile devices in higher education have been spectacular. For many educators, mobile technology in the field of teaching and learning has recently become one of the most important areas of research. Today, mobile learning is a strategic topic for many organizations concerned with education. In the future, more research should be conducted to transform education using mobile learning. The advent of new types of devices is disruptive to education, no matter what educators and education institutions do. Therefore, a thorough analysis, from a pedagogical and technological perspective, is key to ensuring appropriate usage and implementation of mobile learning. This Special Section of RUSC. Universities and Knowledge Society Journal presents a general overview of successful mobile learning experiences in higher education. Its aim is to share best practices and create new opportunities in universities. These mobile applications will add another layer to the learning and teaching processes.

모바일기기를 활용한 대학 수업 활동 분석

본 논문의 목적은 대학에서 모바일 기기를 활용한 수업에서 어떠한 형태의 교수 학습 활동이 이루어지고 있는지를 분석하고 유형화하는 것이다. 모바일 기기를 제공하였을 때 교수학습 활동이 기존의 방법과 어떻게 다른가 하는 점이 본 논문의 주요 논점이었으며, 수업에 주로 활용된 교수 방법, 교수 전략, 활용 기기, 평가 방법 등이 분석의 기준이 되었다. 또한 구체적인 교수 학습 활동에 대해 심층면담을 통해 분석 결과를 뒷받침하고자 하였다. 본 논문의 대상 교과목에서는 강의식보다 사례 분석식 교수방법, 교수 학습 전략 면에서는 구체적인 사례에 대한 설명과 질문에 대한 피드백을 제공하는 전략이 사용되었다. 학습자활동 면에서는 발표와 질문이 많이 활용되었고, 자료 면에서는 그래픽이나 인터넷 자료 등이 다수 활용되었으며, 평가 면에서는 과제 해결을 통한 평가 방법이 주로 활용되었다. 이러한 결과는 향후 대학에서 모바일 기기를 활용한 수업에서 교수 학습 모형을 개발하기 위한 기초자료가 될 것이다. The purpose of this paper was to examine the teaching and learning activities using mobiles devices in a university. We analyzed the instructional methods, instructional strategies, devices types, and evaluation activities. In addition, we conducted deep interviews with the students who used the mobile devices in terms of their understanding on the mobile learning, mobile learning methods, evaluation methods, difficulties and their expectations. These findings will be used to improve the quality of the teaching and learning methods using mobile devices in higher education.