Mobile Learning Environment Research Articles

An empirical analysis of the determinants of mobile instant messaging appropriation in university learning

Research on technology adoption often profiles device usability (such as perceived usefulness) and user dispositions (such as perceived ease of use) as the prime determinants of effective technology adoption. Since any process of technology adoption cannot be conceived out of its situated contexts, this paper argues that any pre-occupation with technology acceptance from the perspective of device usability and user dispositions potentially negates enabling contexts that make successful adoption a reality. Contributing to contemporary debates on technology adoption, this study presents flexible mobile learning contexts comprising cost (device cost and communication cost), device capabilities (portability, collaborative capabilities), and learner traits (learner control) as antecedents that enable the sustainable uptake of emerging technologies. To explore the acceptance and capacity of mobile instant messaging systems to improve student performance, the study draws on these antecedents, develops a factor model and empirically tests it on tertiary students at a South African University of Technology. The study involved 223 national diploma and bachelor’s degree students and employed partial least squares for statistical analysis. Overall, the proposed model displayed a good fit with the data and rendered satisfactory explanatory power for students’ acceptance of mobile learning. Findings suggest that device portability, communication cost, collaborative capabilities of device and learner control are the main drivers of flexible learning in mobile environments. Flexible learning context facilitated by learner control was found to have a positive influence on attitude towards mobile learning and exhibited the highest path coefficient of the overall model. The study implication is that educators need to create varied learning opportunities that leverage learner control of learning in mobile learning systems to enhance flexible mobile learning. The study also confirmed the statistical significance of the original Technology Acceptance Model constructs.

МЕТОДИКА ВИКОРИСТАННЯ МОБІЛЬНОГО НАВЧАЛЬНОГО СЕРЕДОВИЩА У НАВЧАННІ ВИЩОЇ МАТЕМАТИКИ МАЙБУТНІХ ІНЖЕНЕРІВ-ЕЛЕКТРОМЕХАНІКІВ

Relevance of the material presented in the article is determined by the need to find ways for improving the educational process of higher mathematics in future engineers and electrical engineers training. The paper highlights the process of organizing work in mobile learning environment in higher mathematics formed based on Google Apps Education Edition and the technique for use in the training of future engineers and electrical engineers. There are highlighted the main uses of mobile learning environment in higher mathematics (presentation of educational information, calculations and visualization of mathematical relationships, formation and skills training mathematical research, automation control and evaluation of academic achievements of students in higher mathematics, support for learning activities of students, organization of independent work students) and the means of their implementation.

Differences between mobile learning environmental preferences of high school teachers and students in Taiwan: a structural equation model analysis

Mobile technology has been increasingly applied to educational settings in the past decade. Although researchers have attempted to investigate both students’ and teachers’ preferences regarding mobile learning, few studies have investigated the differences between the two, an understanding of which is important for developing effective mobile learning environments. To address this issue, a mobile learning environmental preference survey (MLEPS) consisting of eight factors, “ease of use,” “continuity,” “relevance,” “adaptive content,” “multiple sources,” “timely guidance,” “student negotiation” and “inquiry learning,” was developed in this study. A total of 1239 students (609 males and 630 females) and 429 teachers (208 males and 221 females) who employed mobile technology to learn and teach in schools completed the questionnaire. From the structural equation models, it was found that the major difference between the preferences of teachers and students in learning with mobile technologies was that the teachers tended to focus more on the technical issues, while the students cared more about the richness and usefulness of the learning content. In addition, both the students and teachers considered that the “anytime” and “anywhere” support provided via the mobile technology played an important role during the learning activities, engaging them in searching for information, collecting data, interpreting data and summarizing findings. It is therefore suggested that learning environments which conform to both students’ and teachers’ preferences be developed in the future.

Using Mobile Technologies for Enhancing Student Academic Experience: University of Jordan Case Study

This paper presents an approach to enhance students’ engagement with their university, as well as assisting them in understanding their current academic state by using mobile technologies. This approach simplifies the presentation, awareness of university rules and regulation in regards to graduation requirements, in credit hour system, through the development of a friendly mobile environment called UniApp. A test case is presented of an interactive mobile learning (m-learning) environment in higher education institutions that adhere to university rules and regulations. Normally, students login frequently to their university account in order to use some of the provided facilities, such as marks and registered modules. However, students need to be aware of what they are studying and what learning outcome they need to achieve. They also need to be aware of how this can benefit them in completing their major, as well as having an enjoyable learning experience

Prospects and Challenges of Mobile Learning Implementation: A Case Study

Mobile learning is a new learning landscape that offers opportunity for collaborative, personal, informal, and students’ centered learning environment. In implementing any learning system such as mobile learning environment, it is important to understand challenges that affect its implementations in a particular culture. Additionally, learners’ and instructors’ expectations are deemed necessary for consideration. However, there is a lack of studies on this aspect, particularly in the context of Kuwait HE institutions. This research presents opportunities and prospects of m-learning, and discusses challenges and implications facing its implementation. The authors of this paper conducted a study in Kuwait HE to examine both students’ and instructors’ perceptions and attitudes toward this trend of learning, to evaluate its effectiveness, and to investigate cultural and social challenges that affect the implementation of m-learning in Kuwait HE. A questionnaire was administered to 499 students and 110 Instructors from different higher educational institutions in Kuwait. The results reveal that students and instructors have positive perceptions of m-learning, and believe that m-learning enhances the teaching and the learning process. The study reports some social and cultural issues that may act as barriers to m-learning implementation.

Two-way text messaging: an interactive mobile learning environment in higher education

Short messaging service (SMS) is perhaps the most popular mobile technology prevalent among students in higher education due to its ubiquitous nature and the capability of two-way communication. However, a major limitation in two-way text messaging is sending back a part of received data with the reply message. This limitation results in users of a mobile learning environment being unable to reply back to the correct destination. This article presents a two-way text messaging system that can be integrated into a learning management system (LMS) to provide an interactive learning experience to the user community. Initially, a database is integrated into the LMS that holds message information such as recipient’s phone number, message body and user data header. A specific port associated with the SMS is used to conceal and exchange data of a particular course unit. Subsequently, software in the student’s mobile device captures this message and sends back the reply message to the appropriate course unit allowing both teachers and students to view messages sent and replies received pertaining to a particular course. Results indicate the educational impact of the proposed system in improving the learning environment and benefits it offers to the community in a campus-wide implementation. Keywords: SMS; UDH; PDU; LMS; concealed data (Published: 10 November 2016) Citation: Research in Learning Technology 2016, 24 : 31818 - http://dx.doi.org/10.3402/rlt.v24.31818

Preservice teachers' uses of SMILE to enact student-generated questioning practices

Stanford mobile inquiry-based learning environment (SMILE) is a technology developed to support student learning through student-generated questioning. Literature has shown that student-generated questions can positively affect students' learning motivations and reading comprehension depending on teachers' designs of learning activities. In order to explore ways that teachers may use SMILE to support student-generated questioning practices, we piloted the technology with 26 preservice teachers. They used SMILE to enact student-generated questioning practices that elicit and use higher-order thinking in the learning process. We evaluated questions generated by teachers and reported their implementation experience with K-12 students. Our paper discusses the sense of achievement felt by both teachers and students regarding the student-generated questioning practices. It also addresses perceived satisfaction and the challenges of using SMILE to enhance student-generated questioning practices in the classroom.

Preservice teachers' uses of SMILE to enact student-generated questioning practices

Stanford mobile inquiry-based learning environment (SMILE) is a technology developed to support student learning through student-generated questioning. Literature has shown that student-generated questions can positively affect students' learning motivations and reading comprehension depending on teachers' designs of learning activities. In order to explore ways that teachers may use SMILE to support student-generated questioning practices, we piloted the technology with 26 preservice teachers. They used SMILE to enact student-generated questioning practices that elicit and use higher-order thinking in the learning process. We evaluated questions generated by teachers and reported their implementation experience with K-12 students. Our paper discusses the sense of achievement felt by both teachers and students regarding the student-generated questioning practices. It also addresses perceived satisfaction and the challenges of using SMILE to enhance student-generated questioning practices in the classroom.

Building a Mobile Learning Environment for Engineering Graphics

Building a Mobile Learning Environment for Engineering Graphics

Design of Smart Learning in Mobile Environment

This paper describes the design of smart learning in collaborative environment based on mobile device. The components of the smart learning environment are mobile microprocessors, platform module, wireless network infra, sensors. The devices used include smartphone, and tablet PCs. In our research, we have designed possibilities to collaborative learning in smart learning with wireless networks and mobile devices. Smart learning is not only addresses the flexibility of mobile technologies, but also achieves collaborative learning in real time. This paper is to become a more capable student learning environment so that student can get student’s mobile learning done more efficiently. A study of a smart learning combines the advantages of a collaborative learning environment with the benefits of intelligent feedback and the flexibility of mobile devices. We focus on three aspects, mobile environment, collaborative learning in virtual environment, and smart learning.

Mobile apps for science learning: Review of research

This review examined articles on mobile apps for science learning published from 2007 to 2014. A qualitative content analysis was used to investigate the science mobile app research for its mobile app design, underlying theoretical foundations, and students' measured outcomes. This review found that mobile apps for science learning offered a number of similar design features, including technology-based scaffolding, location-aware functionality, visual/audio representations, digital knowledge-construction tools, digital knowledge-sharing mechanisms, and differentiated roles. Many of the studies cited a specific theoretical foundation, predominantly situated learning theory, and applied this to the design of the mobile learning environment. The most common measured outcome was students' basic scientific knowledge or conceptual understanding. A number of recommendations came out of this review. Future studies need to make use of newer, available technologies; isolate the testing of specific app features; and develop additional strategies around using mobile apps for collaboration. Researchers need to make more explicit connections between the instructional principles and the design features of their mobile learning environment in order to better integrate theory with practice. In addition, this review noted that stronger alignment is needed between the underlying theories and measured outcomes, and more studies are needed to assess students' higher-level cognitive outcomes, cognitive load, and skill-based outcomes such as problem solving. Finally, more research is needed on how science mobile apps can be used with more varied science topics and diverse audiences.

A Contribution to the Establishment of Reference Architectures for Mobile Learning Environments

The development and the use of learning environments, coupled with the evolution of mobile computing, have contributed significantly to the establishment of a new learning modality known as mobile learning (m-learning). In this new scenario, the educational environments, despite having many benefits and facilities with regard to teaching and learning, have problems and challenges that need to be addressed. One of the important aspects to be investigated concerns the establishment and adoption of architectural patterns. In fact, most of these environments are built in an isolated form, having their own architectures and structures, which may negatively impact the ability of standardization and support of architectural definition. The main goal of this paper is to investigate and define a service-oriented reference architecture for m-learning environments. The proposed architecture, named Ref-mLearning, aims to contribute to the evolution, reuse, and interoperability of such environments, enabling an increase in quality and cost reduction during their development, due to the use of features provided by service-oriented architecture. Ref-mLearning was also evaluated through qualitative and quantitative aspects: 1) in comparison with a reference architecture model and 2) with the support of specialists. The results showed that the proposed architecture comprises relevant elements with respect to a service-oriented reference architecture.

МОБІЛЬНІСТЬ: СИСТЕМНИЙ ПІДХІД

A comprehensive study on the problem of mobility in the socio-educational and technical systems was carried out: the evolution of the concept of mobility in scientific sources of XIX–XXI centuries was analyzed and the new sources on the issue of mobility introduced into scientific circulation, the interrelation of the types of mobility in the socio-pedagogical and technical systems are theoretically grounded, an integrative model of mobility in the information society is proposed. The major trends in academic mobility are identified (the transition from student mobility to mobility programs and educational services providers), the new mobility programs (franchising, double/joint degrees, combinations, nostrification etc.) are characterized. The new types of mobility providers are reviewed and attention is focused on virtual universities that are now the basis of virtual mobility of students and activities which are based on the use of new ICT in higher education, especially – the Internet and mobile learning environments.

A review of models and frameworks for designing mobile learning experiences and environments

Mobile learning has become increasingly popular in the past decade due to the unprecedented technological affordances achieved through the advancement of mobile computing, making ubiquitous and situated learning possible. At the same time, there have been research and implementation projects whose efforts centered on developing mobile learning experiences for various learners’ profiles, accompanied by the development of models and frameworks for designing mobile learning experiences. This paper focuses on categorizing and synthesizing models and frameworks targeted specifically on mobile learning. A total of 17 papers were reviewed, and the models or frameworks were divided into five categories and discussed: 1) pedagogies and learning environment design; 2) platform/system design; 3) technology acceptance; (4) evaluation; and 5) psychological construct. This paper provides a review and synthesis of the models/frameworks. The categorization and analysis can also help inform evaluation, design, and development of curriculum and environments for meaningful mobile learning experiences for learners of various demographics.

English

Information and communication Technology is a gateway through which large population of students has been addressed. Mobile learning technology the latest arrival highly changing the way the students learn, interact, access up to data information. It mainly satisfies the current and future generation which needs information at the earliest rather than later few touches. The World Wide Web acts as an interface in E-learning as well as in mobile learning (M-learning) environments. It supports and facilitates the delivery of teaching and learning materials. M-learning provides quality educational content with the help of semantic web technologies like Ontology. This study presents Mobile Learning framework for making efficient learning with a case study on cyber security.

Factors Affecting Nursing Students' Readiness and Perceptions Toward the Use of Mobile Technologies for Learning.

The purpose of this study was to determine the current usage of mobile devices, preferences of mobile learning environments and examine the readiness of nursing students in a public university. In order to investigate preferences and attitudes with respect to mobile technology use in nursing education, 387 students at a state university have been surveyed. It has been observed that while students preferred their current portable laptops, those in higher classes were more inclined to favor mobile phones. The common problems of battery life and high cost of communication, both in smartphones and tablet systems, suggest that hardware quality and financial constraints seem to be two main factors in determining these technologies. While more than half of students expressed readiness for mobile learning, one quarter indicated indecision. Through multivariate regression analysis, readiness to use mobile learning can be described in terms of perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, personal innovativeness, self-management of learning, perceived device limitation, and availability. Class level, perceived ease of use, personal innovativeness, and self-management of learning explain intention to use mobile learning. Findings obtained from these results can provide guidance in the development and application of mobile learning systems.

Investigating learner attitudes toward mobile learning environments: Based on gender perspectives

Mobile technology, accessing Internet resources anytime and anywhere, empowers the shift from traditionally pure instructor-centered classroom teaching to fully learner-centered educational settings. On the other hand, the issue of the relationship between gender perspectives and mobile learning environments has been a controversial topic in educational technology. Therefore, the main research objective of this study is to explore gender perspectives of attitudes toward mobile learning environments. Subjects of the study were selected university students who had already used an APP-based m-learning system for a month. A total of two hundred thirty-three valid questionnaires were collected, spilt evenly between female and male students. Based on gender perspectives, our statistical analyses lead to various significant conclusions.

Smart Concept Map Generation for Learning Using Class of Hash Functions

Concept Maps have recently been used by several researchers to construct web-based learning systems. This is due to their flexibility in organizing knowledge. However, for an effective use of Concept Maps in web-based learning, automated construction is necessary. This study first gives brief details about the use of Concept Maps in electronic and mobile learning environments. Direct Hashing and Pruning algorithm is then used for automated generation of Concept Maps. The generated Concept Maps, however, depend on the nature of the hash function. The uses of three different types of hash functions are investigated and results compared. A prototype of the learning system is developed using an Android emulator. Finally, the proposed methodology is compared with other pioneering learning systems developed by the researchers using Concept Maps.

The Readiness of Applying m-learning among Saudi Arabian Students at Higher Education

This paper presents study investigating the extent to which Saudi students understand and are familiar with mobile learning. It investigates students’ use of handheld devices and considers the daily activities for which they could be used while also evaluating m-learning in Saudi Arabia - a topic that has not yet received adequate attention from researchers. Initial data was acquired through a questionnaire carried out among 131 Saudi students at UK universities in July 2013. The study confirmed that students’ are confident using mobile devices in their daily lives and that they would welcome more opportunities of mobile learning. The findings reinforce the fact that higher education policy makers in Saudi Arabia need to consider the possibility of creating mobile learning environments at academic institutions.

Effects of reflection type in the here and now mobile learning environment

AbstractHere and now mobile learning has the capability to engage learners anytime and anywhere and situate them in their learning context. Mobile devices provide opportunity for learners to participate in reflective activities with experts, peers or self while being situated in the learning context such as being in a museum or gallery and using mobile content to learn about exhibits. This study examined the effects of here and now mobile learning on student achievement and attitude based on different types of reflection (no reflection, self‐guided reflection and reflection with virtual expert). Students (n = 103) who were enrolled in teacher preparation courses at a public regional university in the United States participated in the here and now mobile learning intervention on art content in one of three reflection groups. The participants completed a posttest and attitude survey. One‐way ANOVAs were conducted on data obtained from the achievement pretest and posttest and on the attitude survey results for the Likert‐type items. Analysis of achievement data revealed positive significant differences on the reflection type whereas attitude data did not reveal any significant differences. The implications of the findings are discussed for those designing and implementing mobile‐based learning.