Empowered Learner Identity Through M-Learning

E-learning has been promoted as a key component of improving educational access and opportunity internationally, but for disenfranchised learners, many forms of e-learning are just as alien as the educational systems they have rejected. M-learning utilises technologies, activities and social systems that are integrated into many people’s lives, including those who have had limited access to, or rejected, formal education systems. This paper discusses projects conducted in Northern Australia that explored a range of e-tools to support indigenous students’ engagement and recognition of their knowledge and contexts. Mobile learning tools emerged as the preferred way to learn throughout the project. This approach challenges educational institutions to connect to students’ lives and contexts. This paper shows how participants utilised m-learning to demonstrate their diverse knowledge systems, the decisions they made about representing knowledge though m-learning, and the implications for trainers and assessors.

Empirical Research into Students’ Mobile Phones and Their Use for Learning

This paper reports on empirical research conducted to find out about higher education students’ mobile phone ownership, and the ways in which they are using their mobiles for learning. A survey with a group of first-year students has been followed up by an in-depth study, in which three students were lent Flip Video Camcorders to capture their mobile learning activities and were interviewed to discover more about their practice. The video footage and interview data have been compiled into three rich case studies which help us to better understand students’ practice and attitudes towards mobile learning. The paper focuses on the survey data and the three case studies, which were analysed using grounded theory. The outcomes of this research can inform the work of educators seeking to design effective mobile learning activities that build on existing student practice and extend mobile learning within the blend of learning activities that we offer students.

Exploring the Challenges of Supporting Collaborative Mobile Learning

Mobile technology opens up opportunities for collaborative learning in otherwise remote contexts outside the classroom. A successful realization of these opportunities relies, however, on mobile learning activities providing adequate collaboration structures. This article presents an empirical study aimed at examining the role played by mobile devices, teachers and task structures as a means for collaborative learning in geometry. The study focused on the analysis of the nature of collaboration that unfolded when students measured areas outdoors in the field. The analysis of the mobile learning activity was conducted from an Activity theory perspective. The findings obtained indicate that the collaboration observed may be impaired if: 1) the functionalities needed for collaborative problem-solving are asymmetrically distributed on a number of mobile devices; 2) task-related information is not accessible to all learners; 3) the task structure is not sufficiently complex; 4) teacher scaffolding is too readily available; and 5) necessary collaborative skills are not developed.

Involving the End-Users in the Development of Language Learning Material

Printed and digital learning materials are usually developed separately. Therefore, little notice has been given to the possibilities of combining the two. This study introduces a new concept that combines printed and digital materials. A user-centric approach was chosen to develop a “hybrid book”, a combination of a traditional schoolbook and a mobile phone. Learning materials were combined into one entity by enabling access to the digital material through images in the book. The user groups of interest were 11- and 12-year-old pupils, their teachers, and parents. The concept was tested with materials for English as a foreign language (EFL). After a human-centred design process, the final application was given to one class for actual use and evaluation for a period of three weeks. Many potential benefits of using mobile phones for learning purposes were recognized, as they facilitated utilization of the digital content both inside and outside the classroom.

Audio Active

This paper challenges the dominant perception evident in the literature that mobile podcasting is primarily a medium for knowledge transmission. It describes why and how mobile audio learning can be facilitative, active and integrated, and how it can involve diverse voices, including those of students, in ways that usefully disrupt didactic pedagogy. Audio is described as an active learning environment, capable of supporting connection to the real world around education in which students are able to act as autonomous learner-gatherers. The paper responds to concerns raised by Ciussi, Rosner, and Augier (2009) that some students are disinterested in podcasting and uses a scenario-based design methodology (Carroll, 2000) to describe and evaluate six innovative applications. It concludes that mobile audio can be understood as an active medium capable of richly and meaningfully engaging learners.

Unearthing Invisible Buildings

Recent research has identified excessive device focus as a serious problem in collaborative mobile learning as it undermines key ideas of learners engaging with their co-learners in context-rich authentic settings. Various recommendations have been formulated to address device focus in the design of mobile learning technology and pedagogy and foster students’ engagement with both their peers and their environment. This paper describes how some of these recommendations have been implemented and extended in the design of Invisible Buildings, a mobile collaborative game-based activity for schoolchildren. It reports the results of an empirical evaluation of the learning experience with primary school children, focusing on students’ engagement with their social and physical context during learning activities, and providing insights into their behaviour and strategies with respect to device sharing. Findings broadly confirm the effectiveness of the implemented measures and show good student acceptance of the tools employed and the overall learning experience.

Mobile Technology and Student Learning

As mobile devices become ubiquitous, it is necessary to analyze if and how these devices can be used for learning. This systematic review is part of a larger review that analyzed 21 mobile learning research studies published from 2005-present. Eleven studies that focused specifically on student learning outcomes and processes are summarized in this review in order to better understand the direction of mobile learning in mainstream education. Overall, studies were found to be positive and indicated several benefits of using mobile devices for learning including an increase in achievement, productivity, engagement, and motivation. This paper also highlights recommendations for future research and practice in the field of mobile learning, specifically focusing on the way personal mobile device ownership may influence learning both inside and outside the classroom.

A Survey of Research Methods and Purposes in Mobile Learning

In this paper, the authors present a survey of published research in mobile learning. The authors investigate 114 papers from mLearn 2005, 2007, and 2008, and classify them according to two dimensions: research method and research purpose. Research methods and purposes are important parts of how research is conducted. Opinions and approaches toward research differ greatly. The classified papers are evenly distributed among the research methods investigated, with one exception, there are few in basic research. In terms of research purpose, papers that describe research are well represented but there is a lack of papers targeting evaluation. Papers recounting both basic research and research evaluation are imperative, as they help a research field to mature and researchers to avoid repeating known pitfalls. This maturity, in turn, leads to better scalability and sustainability for future research efforts in the mobile learning community.

Guidelines for the Design of Location-Based Audio for Mobile Learning

A consistent finding of research into mobile learning guides and outdoor learning games has been the value of audio as a medium of communication. This paper discusses the value of location-based and movement-sensitive audio for learning. Three types of audio learning experience are distinguished, based primarily upon differing levels of narrative cohesion: audio vignettes, movement-based guides and mobile narratives. An analysis of projects in these three areas has resulted in the formulation of guidelines for the design of audio experiences. A case study of a novel audio experience, called ‘A Chaotic Encounter,’ delivers an adaptive story based on the pattern of movements of the user.

E-Learning and M-Learning

This research explores the relationship between e-learning and m-learning by investigating distance education students’ use of a learning management system, “Interact,” for virtual team work. The paper explores their experience of online collaborative group assignments in the subject “Information Management in Organisations.” International and local students were grouped. Each group undertook a case study project to propose solutions for identified problems in their chosen organisations. Students developed their assignment in wikis and used various tools for communication and document storage. An anonymous web-based survey was conducted after students completed the group assessment. The results reflected a wide range of factors including technology use, working with students from a different country, and challenges they faced completing group assessment online. Their feedback on their e-learning experience indicated the need for m-learning to address their concerns. The findings indicate a need for m-learning to support e-learning further, which could significantly improve the facilitation of online collaborative group assignments.