Free Essay

Smartphone Learner: an Investigation Into Student Interest in the Use of Personal Technology to Enhance Their Learning

In:

Submitted By alyaahmad
Words 5769
Pages 24
Student Engagement and Experience Journal Volume 1, Issue 1 ISSN (online) 2047-9476 DOI 10.7190/seej.v1i1.38

Case Study

Considering the Smartphone Learner: an investigation into student interest in the use of personal technology to enhance their learning
Ben Woodcock1, Andrew Middleton2 and Anne Nortcliffe1
1

Department of Engineering and Maths, Sheffield Hallam University, Howard Street, Sheffield, S1 1WB
2

Quality Enhancement and Student Success, Sheffield Hallam University, Howard Street, Sheffield, S11WB Correspondence should be addressed to Andrew Middleton, A.J.Middleton@shu.ac.uk Copyright © 2012 Ben Woodock, Andrew Middleton and Anne Nortcliffe. This is an open access journal article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits the unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Abstract Ownership of mobile smartphones amongst the general consumer, professionals and students is growing exponentially. The potential for smartphones in education builds upon experience described in the extensive literature on mobile learning from the previous decade which suggests that the ubiquity, multi-functionality and connectivity of mobile devices offers a new and potentially powerful networked learning environment. This paper reports on a collaborative study conducted by an undergraduate student with the support of two members of academic staff. The research sought to establish the extent to which students are autonomously harnessing smartphone technology to support their learning and the nature of this use. Initial findings were explored through student interviews. The study found that students who own smartphones are largely unaware of their potential to support learning and, in general, do not install smartphone applications for that purpose. They are, however, interested in and open to the potential as they become familiar with the possibilities for a range of purposes. The paper proposes that more consideration needs to be given to smartphones as platforms to support formal, informal and autonomous learner engagement. The study also reflects on its collaborative methodology and the challenges associated with academic innovation.

Woodcock, B., Middleton, A. and Nortcliffe, A. (2012) Considering the Smartphone Learner: an investigation into student interest in the use of personal technology to enhance their learning. Student Engagement and Experience Journal, 1(1). Available at: http://research.shu.ac.uk/SEEJ/index.php/seej/article/view/38/Woodcock

Student Engagement and Experience Journal

Considering the Smartphone Learner

2

Introduction
Smartphones put powerful, user-owned computing devices into the pockets of students and academic staff. The student ownership of these multifunctional mobile devices is growing exponentially (Dixit et al., 2011); whilst ways of making use of smartphones in higher education have been explored since they first became available in 2007, building upon interest and innovation in the use of mobile technologies for learning (Kukulska-Hulme and Traxler, 2005). It is important, therefore, for educators to understand the potential of these devices to teaching and learning, especially if their use by students is likely to erode constraints that currently deter effective learner engagement with the curriculum and academic innovation. This paper begins by introducing smartphones and what distinguishes them from other Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs). It presents a rationale for and background to the study presented here which was designed to discover the extent of autonomous student interest in their use of smartphones to support learning. It discusses findings from the student-led study, reflects on the student-staff collaborative model that underpins it, and discusses the implications of smartphones as a potentially useful, albeit disruptive, learning technology.

Background
Distinguishing smartphones from other ICTs Smartphones, such as the iPhone, emerged as hybrids of PDAs (Personal Digital Assistants) and mobile phones in the 1990s, bringing together connectivity and a diverse collection of hardware and software-based functionality. Smartphones have developed considerably since then, becoming increasingly commonplace following the release of Apple‟s iPhone in 2007. The mobile operating systems found on smartphones allow users to run software, commonly known as „apps‟, that deliver highly usable and tightly focused functionality enabling myriad applications. In some cases apps come pre-installed on smartphones, though many others are freely and cheaply available: over 425,000 different apps are available for the iPhone alone (Apple, 2011). This means devices become highly customised personalised platforms for communication, organisation, information production and content management. Whilst smartphones are only pocket size, they incorporate computing power and memory capable of running complex software and storing huge amounts of data. Functionality including full „qwerty‟ keyboards, cameras, audio recorders, gesture-based input, and high resolution displays, is complemented by a wide range of apps which include support for office productivity, location-based interactivity, media production, web browsing, social media, communication and entertainment. Smartphones can conveniently and directly connect to the Internet through protocols including wifi and 3G and indirectly through Bluetooth. This connectivity allows data to be accessed from anywhere in a timely way, whilst it also allows the user to distribute content in

Student Engagement and Experience Journal

Considering the Smartphone Learner

3 various media to others. A smartphone, therefore, offers a rich set of mobile computing functions with connectivity; this combination frees the user from desk-based ICT associated with traditional computing in education. Smartphones are ubiquitous and accessible devices that travel with the user, so empowering them to respond to situations, ideas and needs as they emerge. The capacity of a smartphone to access, manipulate, produce, store or share content almost as soon as it is created, wherever it is created, provides the rationale for why education needs to explore the technology. This versatility promises to change the nature of educational content and communication and therefore the nature of learning itself.

Mobile learning
Smartphones used to support learning need to be considered in the context of the literature on mobile learning. Mobile learning research has considered a broad range of technologies, especially those that have emerged for the general consumer: mobile phones, PDAs, and cameras, for example. However, it has been difficult to define mobile learning. Early definitions concentrated on the mobility of the technology (Sharples et al., 2009) and generally overlooked the significance of the personal, portable and ubiquitous nature of the devices, the new locations and communities that became available to the learner due to connectivity, the impact technology can have on engagement in environments as diverse as labs, the work place and lecture theatres, and how this can affect approaches to teaching and learning, learner engagement and control, formality and situatedness. For some, therefore, the term mobile learning emphasises learning on the move; for others it is the personal, ever-present, and immediate nature of the devices (Kukulska-Hulme and Traxler, 2005). Both views emphasise mobile learning as a process characterised by the gaining of knowledge through exploration and conversation across a variety of environments. El-Hussein and Cronje (2010) offer a taxonomy to comprehensively understand mobile learning: mobility of technology, mobility of learners and mobility of learning. Others have described mobile learning as learning that happens anywhere, with anyone, and anyhow (JISC, 2005; Stoyanov et al., 2010). All of these views, and others, point to the changing possibilities for learner engagement. Vavoula (2004) proposed that mobile learning has the potential to transform learning from being highly intentional, structured, and directed, to an experience that is able to value informal and open learner-centred activity more. The prevalence of smartphone devices, and latterly tablets like the iPad, because of their widespread consumer acceptance demonstrated in their exponential growth in sales (Gartner, 2010), demand that higher education explores the potential for enhancing learner engagement and prepares itself to address student expectations for a more mobile learning experience. Smartphones in higher education There is evidence of growing interest in the use of smartphones in higher education leading to new pedagogical practices. Cochrane and Bateman (2010a), reflecting on three years of

Student Engagement and Experience Journal

Considering the Smartphone Learner

4 action research into the pedagogical affordances of smartphones, correlate the user-centred and social value of Web 2.0 technologies to education with the smartphone‟s capacity to facilitate student-centred social constructivist pedagogies, which McLoughlin and Lee (2008) refer to as “Pedagogy 2.0”. Herrington (2009) discusses how smartphones were used to collect video, image and audio data for creating digital narratives or stories for use as curriculum resources. Nortcliffe et al. (2011) discuss the tutor use of smartphone audio apps for giving intrinsic and extrinsic feedback and found that students appreciated feedback given this way. For the tutor, the connectivity in her smartphone audio app was liberating at times of high pressure associated with marking and feeding back on assignments; it reduced her dependence on her PC‟s tethered Internet connection. Walsh (2010) and Ramsden and Jordan (2009) have both reported on the use of smartphones in supporting innovation with QR Codes: two dimensional coded patterns that, when scanned by a camera application, are capable of conveying and connecting to situated information. Ramsden and Jordan found that in 2009 the majority of students were able to access information on their personal devices, but were largely unaware of the technology and how it could be used, with only one in 50 ever having used a QR Code.

Student interest in autonomous ICT innovation
When students were presented with an MP3 recorder as part of an educational research project funded by Sheffield Hallam University‟s Centre for Promoting Learner Autonomy, they creatively established a variety of practical uses for their device to enhance their learning. The range of innovation discovered through this project highlighted student ingenuity in formal and informal situations, though students needed to be encouraged to think beyond their expectations of a traditional learning environment (Middleton and Nortcliffe, 2009a). The National Student Forum Annual Report 2009 challenged “universities and lecturers to review their teaching methods… to assess whether they are sufficiently taking advantage of new technologies” (HEFCE 2010). This literature review, conducted for the HEFCE, reports on the way students think about technology. It presented a diversity of opinions in relation to e-learning, though it was clear about the need for the selective and appropriate use of technology and that the predominant challenge facing education is how to harness that potential. The online survey of 213 Further Education students underpinning the report suggests that opinion is evenly divided over whether mobile phones or PDAs (the precursors of smartphones) should be used to assist learning. However, research into stakeholder perceptions of the innovative use of technologies to support learning is problematic and unreliable: typically it must presuppose that respondents are conversant with emerging and complex ideas and practice relating to effective pedagogy and the application of technology.

Student Engagement and Experience Journal

Considering the Smartphone Learner

5 The Committee of Inquiry into the Changing Learner Experience (2009) reported that whilst ICT is an important development for teaching and learning in higher education, for example in supporting the development of digital literacy and employability, many students still believe that conventional methods of teaching are better and that there is a deficit in the skills of staff to consistently and fluently adopt ICTs. At the same time HEFCE (2010, p.4) notes dissatisfaction and alienation amongst students “with older teachers continuing to favour old or outdated methods” including the use of established technologies such as PowerPoint.

Methodology
This paper explores the students‟ interest in using their own smartphones to support their learning. The study informing this paper was conducted as an undergraduate student project with the sponsorship of Middleton (an educational developer) and the support of Nortcliffe (the student‟s tutor). The research aimed to find out the extent to which students are harnessing smartphone technology autonomously to support their learning and how this manifests itself. It was conducted in three stages, involving two online surveys followed by interviews with four students. Initial online survey An initial questionnaire was created and distributed to Sheffield Hallam University students using the Facebook social media networking site to establish the validity of the study: were students using smartphone applications? Approximately 100 students received the questionnaire and 54 responses were received.

In depth online survey
Having established the validity of the study, an in depth questionnaire was designed and delivered targeted at undergraduate and postgraduate students from the faculty of Arts, Computing, Engineering and Sciences (ACES) at the university. The survey was created and presented in Google Forms. This method was identified by the student researcher as being the most effective mechanism for engaging a wide range of students representing diverse courses. The questionnaire was distributed using an embedded link through email in Autumn 2010. Respondents followed the link to the questionnaire which was then displayed in their preferred web browser. The questionnaire was designed to be dynamic so that questions were selectively presented dependent upon how earlier questions had been answered. This type of dynamic questionnaire was felt to be more precise and likely to improve the respondent‟s experience of completing the questionnaire. It also helped to avoid collecting erroneous data which can be difficult to achieve when designing paper-based questionnaires. Students submitted their completed questionnaires electronically, with results being conveyed to a

Student Engagement and Experience Journal

Considering the Smartphone Learner

6 Google Doc spreadsheet which was later exported to Microsoft Excel 2007 for further analysis. The first part of the questionnaire gathered demographic data on the respondent‟s gender, age, current level of study, course of study and smartphone ownership. Depending on their response to the latter, the questionnaire continued by investigating information about the respondent‟s smartphone and their use of it, including their use of apps. Based upon similar questions used by Park and Chen (2007), this section of the questionnaire asks about apps currently being used by the respondent, the technical challenges and constraints faced by respondents, the usability of the apps, and how app usage has affected their learning. Five point Likert scales were used to investigate the perceived usefulness of smartphones and smartphone apps in supporting their studies. Finally, respondents were asked to identify features and tools they would like to see in a smartphone learning application.

Student interviews
Interviews were conducted with four students to validate the findings of the quantitative surveys and to develop those findings using a more qualitative, open-ended approach in order to provide insight through accounts of their experiences. The use of interviews made it possible to explore perceptions about benefits and to learn how users addressed the technical challenges and constraints they encountered.

Results
Initial online survey It was evident from this small questionnaire that many students are using smartphones and apps autonomously for learning. The survey provided some initial insight into the nature of student interest in the technology. Fig. 1 shows responses to the question “What services or apps do you use for learning purposes?” At this stage of the research the findings suggested that the types of application were relatively commonplace and unspecialised. The phone‟s calculator, for example, is used by 33 (69%). The use of the phone‟s camera (20, 42%) and video capacity (13, 27%) indicate how personally owned technology may be starting to develop student‟s ICT usage in ways that institutional technology would not be able to support at scale.

Student Engagement and Experience Journal

Considering the Smartphone Learner

7

Figure 1: Smartphone Services and Applications used by Student for Learning

A further question sought to ascertain the degree of interest students might have in using their personal smartphones by asking them how much they would be prepared to pay for apps to support their learning. Twenty-nine (60%) indicated they would pay up to £5, whilst four said they would pay more than that.

In depth online survey
Of approximately 5,300 students invited to take part in the detailed survey, 272 students from the faculty of Arts, Computing, Engineering and Science (ACES) at Sheffield Hallam University responded to the online questionnaire. 91% of the returned surveys were submitted in the first three days. The general demographic picture shows:     Smartphone ownership: 188 (69%); Gender: 227 (83%) were male and 45 (17%) were female; Age: 231 (85%) were aged 18-25; 20 were aged 26-30; 12 were aged 31-40; 7 were outside these age ranges; Study level: 217 undergraduate; 22 Master; 3 described themselves as graduates.

Smartphones are not functionally equivalent and apps are often platform specific. Cochrane and Bateman (2010b) found that the choice of smartphone is critical to students in the acceptance of its use as a function of both the social acceptance and the smartphone‟s ability to address the user‟s specific requirements. Participants in this study were asked therefore to state which smartphone they owned by completing an open text field (Table 1).

Student Engagement and Experience Journal

Considering the Smartphone Learner

8
Table 1: Student smartphone ownership by brand

Smartphone Type Android Blackberry iPhone Pirate iPhone (k0i2) Ord Phone Smartphone with bespoke applications Windows Mobile Total

Popularity (%) 34.22% 20.86% 33.16% 0.53% 1.07% 9.63% 0.53% 100%

Phones using the Android operating system, iPhones and Blackberry account for over 88% of the devices owned.

Smartphones for learning
Of the 188 owning a smartphone, 88 declared using applications for learning purposes, and 76% of the remaining 100 responded positively to the question “Would you consider using an application if it benefitted your studies?” However, 4% disagreed, whilst the remaining 20% were neutral. Apps being used by students tudent respondents listed their preferred app functionality for learning. Fig. 2 presents the data as a tag cloud in which the largest text represents the most popular applications.

Figure 2: Wordle tag cloud showing preference of apps for learning by size

Further analysis of the apps and their purpose resulted in the identification of 10 categories. Table 2 presents the categories and indicates the frequency of references by respondents to their use of related application.

Student Engagement and Experience Journal

Considering the Smartphone Learner

9
Table 2: Taxonomy of apps for learning showing frequency in the study with example general applications

Category 1. Office productivity and assignment preparation 2. Reading information 3. Searching for, browsing information and reference 4. Audio, image and video media capture 5. Managing learning 6. Social media connectivity 7. Communications 8. Data manipulation 9. Subject specific tools 10. Other

Freq. 56 22 56 9 59 7 22 32 37 9

Examples Word processing, spreadsheets, presentations, notes PDF readers, newspapers Web browser, dictionary, thesaurus Camera, sketching, graphing, voice recorders, video camera Blackboard, library, group work, timetabling, personal organisation facebook, twitter, students union app Email, txt Calculators, convertors, formulas Periodic tables, languages, databases, programming tools, stock market Job sites, memory training, puzzles, backup and data storage

Technical challenges, constraints and the usability of the apps Respondents highlighted the need for hardware and software that is highly usable. They noted screen sizes can be too small especially for reading pages of text. The size of the phone‟s memory determines how many applications can be stored and this affects the decisions of some students when considering the purchase of phones, phone contracts and apps. Battery life is another factor that some students pay attention to, remarking how some apps drain the phone‟s power quickly. Other factors noted as being challenging were the time it takes to load applications and internet connection speeds. The cost of running smartphones and buying apps is of course an important factor. Students in this study were not prepared or able to or pay more than £5 for an app and were likely to make do with factory installed apps and free apps even when the standard app is less than adequate for their requirements. However, nearly all students valued the way in which they could use their phones to support learning and signalled their readiness to pay out if they deemed an app to be particularly useful. The effect of apps on learning and the perceived usefulness of smartphones for supporting learning

Student Engagement and Experience Journal

Considering the Smartphone Learner

10 Students noted the main benefits from using their smartphones were ease and speed of access to the Internet and ready access to their own information e.g. emails, course material, personal organisation and time management. The perceived usefulness statements suggest that the respondents believe their smartphones allow them to improve their productivity and this brings benefits to their learning performance. This has resulted in overall positive attitudes amongst the students surveyed. Desired features and tools When asked what features or tools they would like to have, the responses were varied and mostly specific to a student‟s personal needs. However, it was also evident that the majority of respondents wanted to able to access university related data, in particular their timetables, module content, email, library resources, lecture material and other learning materials.

Interviews
The interview data revealed that, even though useful applications for smartphones have been identified, students do not generally think of their smartphones as being core learning devices. They do not tend to systematically evaluate their phones or the app market from a student learner‟s perspective; rather they come across ways of using their phones to address particular needs as they emerge. It became clear that students associated their phones much more with playing games and other leisure activities than with learning. For interviewees A and B, cost was an important factor in determining which phone to buy. Both stated that they would like to have chosen an iPhone 3GS if it had been cheaper, in preference to the phones they had purchased. The range of apps for the phones they owned was not comparable to what was available for the iPhone and they felt this disadvantaged them. As noted by Ramsden and Jordan (2009) there is therefore some concern about inclusivity. The interviews supported the findings from the questionnaires about the perceived usefulness of smartphones. Whilst valuing access to Blackboard, several students indicated that they would find a Blackboard app more useful if it had been better designed. One of the main features they wanted from the Blackboard app was access to their timetable: Student D: "If I wanted a Blackboard app, the main thing I would want is access to my timetable and my email." Student C: "The only thing that would benefit me would being able to check my timetable on the move." Neither interviewee C or D had used smartphone apps before and neither owned an iPhone 3GS. Both were demonstrated to them. Their responses to this substantiated the finding of the questionnaires about ease of use:

Student Engagement and Experience Journal

Considering the Smartphone Learner

11 Student C: "I understood what it did fairly quickly. It seemed to give me more than what I thought it would do." All of the interviewees were positive about the potential of using smartphones for learning and said they would use them with a little guidance.

Discussion
On the methodologies The methods used in this study resulted in the self-selection of respondents and the demographic profile, including gender balance, is not representative of students in general. The results, therefore, usefully indicate diverse behaviour and interest. Whilst this is appropriate for a qualitative study seeking to indicate interest, potential and innovation of a phenomena, it is not proposed that the quantitative data would be replicated in a similar study. The methodologies used to inform the study need to be considered within the context of pedagogy and innovation in teaching and learning. The study is based upon an undergraduate research assignment in which there are three distinct, yet collaborative, roles: the student researcher designing and undertaking the study; the tutor establishing the framework for the study in terms of a formal assignment; the educational developer with responsibility for promoting innovation in teaching and learning acting as the project sponsor. This maps to a model proposed by Diamond et al. (2011) in which the student assumes the role of Developer, the educational developer assumes the role of Client, whilst the tutor‟s role is to establish and assess the assignment and to facilitate the Client-Developer relationship. The rationale for this model is to enhance authenticity, giving the student real world responsibility for designing and delivering a piece of work. Rule (2006) suggests that authentic learning actively engages the learner in the real world problems of professionals, open-ended inquiry, metacognition, and discourse amongst a community of learners, whilst empowering the learner to direct their own learning. Herrington and Oliver (2000) propose nine critical characteristics for authentic learning that include active learner engagement in a real life context, the modelling of processes and access to roles, collaboration, reflection, learner articulation, scaffolding and meaningful assessment. The model, and this assignment, demonstrate all of the features of an immersive authentic assignment with clear benefits for student employability. Furthermore, beyond the specific focus of smartphones for learning, research collaboration involving students has the potential to engage the student in a metacognitive exercise as an equal partner alongside the facilitator and sponsor who, as practised academics, become mentors to the student. Research into academic innovation, whether it involves technology or not, is problematic. If ideas and techniques are only emerging, knowledge informing the innovation will inevitably be in a formative and fuzzy state. The subject of the research, in this case the

Student Engagement and Experience Journal

Considering the Smartphone Learner

12 potential of smartphones to enhance learning, is amorphous and dynamic. The research, therefore, can only expect to provide insight; the certainty required to instil confidence and impact on general practice at scale are likely to be far off. Nevertheless inquiry into innovative practice creates a valuable context for learning, advancing knowledge and professional development. Further discussion of collaboration and internship is beyond the scope of this paper, however the value of collaboration was noted by all research partners. Smartphones for learning The primary research approaches strongly indicate that most students have not made strong connections for themselves between their personal smartphone technology, their needs as learners and the way they learn. However, the study also demonstrates great interest and openness to the potential: the students quickly began to understand and consider the opportunity once the suggestion had been made. Disruption Evidence in the literature and from the primary data strongly suggests that the exponential growth in personal computing power in the pocket of each learner will lead to the extension of the learning environments utilised in higher education beyond the physical and online spaces that are already familiar. This extension will not only change the ways students engage in terms of time, place, and pace, but change the nature of the traditional teaching and learning relationships. Because formal pedagogy is defined to some extent by its constraints (e.g. access to teachers and peers, the need for co-location in time and place, etc), it is important to consider technologies that disrupt these constraints. Research into innovation Whilst it is important to be clear that academic innovation is important and that it requires patience, this study highlights the difficulty of running and evaluating curriculum innovation projects, even where a potential may be clear to developers and some stakeholder groups. Mixed messages from the literature and the lack of awareness evident in the respondents to this study suggest that students are often not equipped to provide an informed and meaningful response to research about innovative pedagogy, especially when it involves emerging technology. Research into stakeholder perceptions about the innovative use of technologies to support learning is problematic and unreliable: typically it must presuppose that respondents are conversant with emerging, complex ideas and practice relating to effective pedagogy and the application of technology. Quantitative methodologies are unlikely to be helpful, whilst findings produced using quantitative methods need to be validated with qualitative techniques. Claims to knowledge can only ever be tentative. This study also highlights the ethical dilemma facing innovators with regard to the reliability of emerging learning environments and their associated exclusivity. However, the risk in this case is ameliorated by the emphasis on participant autonomy in using self-selected learning technologies. Academics interested in the potential of smartphones must, however, consider learner exclusion.

Student Engagement and Experience Journal

Considering the Smartphone Learner

13 There is a need amongst those with responsibility for developing learning infrastructure and pedagogy to raise awareness, encourage interest and explore both general and specific opportunities further; for the moment, however, the autonomous use of smartphones by students for learning is only beginning to emerge and it is suggested that institutions are supportive of student interest in this area and continue to learn with them through small scale innovation studies. For academics, Vavoula‟s (2004) proposition that mobile learning has the potential to transform learning from being highly intentional, structured, and directed, to an experience that is able to value informal and open learner-centred activity more continues to warrant consideration, for example in the design of tasks and learner engagement with the curriculum in general.

Conclusion
Increasingly students own smartphones and, as with other aspects of their lives, they will turn to them as a matter of course to enhance their experience of learning. This study has shown that once students begin using their smartphones for learning they begin to appreciate the benefits and the further possibilities that exist within their current frame of reference. Amongst smartphone users, this is already evident in the ways they seek to manage their lives as learners using apps to check Blackboard and timetables. However, it is not clear how smartphone learning can transition from the existing pedagogic paradigm to a Pedagogy 2.0 paradigm; how it can help to disrupt existing expectations to transform pedagogy in the way Vavoula (2004) suggests. It is suggested that academics and educational developers continue to develop their understanding of personal technologies like smartphones and tablet PCs and, with that understanding, reflect on the differences between these emerging technologies and established learning environments and technologies. In doing so, educators need to also reflect on their assumptions about the design and delivery of the curriculum and the formal and informal engagement students can have with it. This study has demonstrated how talking about the potential of personal technologies with students is likely to be insightful for both academics and their students.

References
Cochrane, T. and Bateman, R. (2010a) Smartphones give you wings: pedagogical affordances of mobile Web 2.0". Australasian Journal of Educational Technology, 26 (1), 1-14. Cochrane, T. and Bateman, R. (2010b) Reflections on 3 years of m-learning implementation (2007-2009). IADIS 2010 Mobile Learning Conference, Porto, Portugal. Committee of Inquiry into the Changing Learner Experience (2009) JISC Report: Higher Education in a Web 2.0 world. May 16, 2009. [Online]. Last accessed 28 September 2011.

Student Engagement and Experience Journal

Considering the Smartphone Learner

14 Online at: http://www.jisc.ac.uk/media/documents/publications/ heweb20rptv1.pdf Diamond, S., Middleton, A., and Mather, R. (2011) An Inter-disciplinary simulation model for authentic learning. Innovations in Education and Teaching International. 48(1), 25-35. CrossRef Dixit, S., Ojampera, T., Nee, R. and Prasad, R. (2011) Introduction to globalization of mobile and wireless communications: today and in 2020". In: Prasa, R. Dixit, S.van Nee, R. and Ojanpera, T. (eds) Globalization of Mobile and Wireless Communications Signals and Communication Technology, Springer Science and Business Media, 2011, 1-8. El-Hussein, M. O. M. and Cronje, J. C. (2010) Defining Mobile Learning in the Higher Education Landscape. Educational Technology & Society, 13 (3), 12–21. Fishbein, M. and Ajzen, I. (1975) Belief, attitude, intention, and behavior: an introduction to theory and research. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley. Gartner (2010) Gartner says worldwide mobile phone sales grew 35 percent in third quarter 2010; Smartphone Sales Increased 96 Percent. [Online] Last accessed 20 September 2011. Online at: http://www.gartner.com/it/page.jsp?id=1466313 HEFCE (2010) Student perspectives on technology – demand, perceptions and training needs: Report to HEFCE by NUS. Last accessed 20 September 2011. Online at: http://www.hefce.ac.uk/pubs/rdreports/2010/rd18_10/ Herrington, J. and Oliver, R. (2000) An instructional design framework for authentic learning environments. Educational Technology Research and Development. 48, 23-48. CrossRef Herrington, A. (2009) Using a smartphone to create digital teaching episodes as resources in adult education. In: Herrington, J., Herrington, A., Mantei, J., Olney, I. and Ferry, B. (eds.) New technologies, new pedagogies: Mobile learning in higher education. Wollongong: Faculty of Education, University of Wollongong. [Online] Last accessed 28 September 2011. Online at: http://ro.uow.edu.au/newtech/ JISC (2005) Multimedia learning with mobile phones. Innovative Practices with Elearning. Case Studies: Anytime, Any Place Learning. [Online] Last accessed 27th August 2009. Online at: http://www.jisc.ac.uk/uploaded_documents/southampton.pdf Kukulska-Hulme, A. and Traxler, J. (2005) Mobile learning: a handbook for educators and trainers. New York, Taylor & Francis. McLoughlin, C. and Lee, M. J. W. (2008) Future learning landscapes: Transforming pedagogy through social software. Innovate: Journal of Online Education, 4(5). Last accessed 27 September 2011. Online at: http://innovateonline.info/pdf/vol4_issue5/ Future_Learning_Landscapes__Transforming_Pedagogy_through_Social_Software.pdf

Student Engagement and Experience Journal

Considering the Smartphone Learner

15 Middleton, A. and Nortcliffe, A. (2009a) Audio, autonomy and authenticity: constructive comments and conversations captured by the learner. ALT-C 2009 "In dreams begins responsibility" - choice, evidence, and change, Manchester, UK, 8-10 September 2009. Nortcliffe, A., Middleton, A. and Woodcock, B. (2011) Evaluating the use of audio smartphone apps for higher education learning. Audio Engineering Society 130th Conference, May 2011, London, UK. Park, Y. and Chen, J.V. (2007) Acceptance and adoption of the innovative use of smartphone. Industrial Management & Data Systems, 107(9), 1349-1365. CrossRef Ramsden, A. and Jordan, L . (2009) Are students ready for QR codes? Findings from a student survey at the University of Bath. Working Paper. University of Bath. Online at: http://opus.bath.ac.uk/12782/1/ Sharples, M., Arnedillo-Sánchez, I., Milrad, M. and Vavoula, G. (2009) Mobile learning: small devices, big issues. In: Balacheff, N., Ludvigsen, S., Jong, T., Lazonder, A. and Barnes, S. (eds) Technology-Enhanced Learning, Part IV, Springer Netherlands, pp. 233-249. CrossRef Stoyanov, S., Ganchev, I., Valkanova1, V. and O‟Droma, M. (2010) Scenario-oriented and context-aware m-learning system architecture. IADIS 2010 Mobile Learning Conference, Porto, Portugal. Vavoula, G. (2004) KLeOS: a knowledge and learning organisation system in support of lifelong learning. Doctoral Dissertation, University of Birmingham, UK. Last accessed 27 May 2010. Online at: http://www.eee.bham.ac.uk/vavoula/publications/Thesis_GVavoula.zip. Walsh, A. (2010) QR Codes – using mobile phones to deliver library instruction and help at the point of need. Journal of Information Literacy, 3(1), 55-65. [Online] Last accessed 25 September 2011. Online at: http://eprints.hud.ac.uk/7759/

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

Project Management

...1 CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION 1.1 Introduction Smartphone have a number of important characteristics which make them attractive from an educational perspective. These include increasing portability, functionality, multimedia convergence, ubiquity, personal ownership, social interactivity, context sensitivity, location awareness, connectivity and personalisation (Pachler et al., 2010). Smartphones has gained attractiveness among generation Y. They use Smartphone anytime, at anyplace to keep in touch for social relationships as well as to have fun. Owing to the availability of telecommunication technology, Smartphone becomes more and more important in our daily life. Smartphone is not only used as tools for communication, it is as also as tool by working, emotional interactions, further communication and entertainment. More are relying on Smartphones than ever before. The used it in their daily life, the average timing within a day of "must" use mobile phones, today is absolutely far beyond other consumer products (Digital Audience Research Group, 2010). This highly dependency of use has resulted as a mandatory item for modern people 2 while out of home or office, and the young generation are more relaying on Smartphone. 1.2 Research Background Smartphone is an important tool which allows the user to use for communication and entertainment purposes. It has become an essential part of the Malaysians especially for the...

Words: 5206 - Pages: 21

Premium Essay

Literature Review

...A Review On The Use of Mobile Devices In Teaching and Learning of English Abstract The purpose of this study is to present a review of modern mobile phone as an educational environment. The modern world has opened a new era with its opportunities. Modern mobile phone has become one of these opportunities in terms of its being a basic element in daily life. After enormous advances in mobile phone technology, the field of education has considered it necessary to bring modern mobiles into the teaching and learning environment. With the advent of smartphones, students and educators have both overcome the hardships in the education system and these devices make learning possible to occur outside the traditional classroom environment at anytime and in anyplace. Keywords: mobile phones, learning and teaching English, technology Introduction Within educational research, smartphones, a popular inevitable device for almost everyone, are gradually emerging as a new educational environment. This paper aims to review various studies on mobiles in terms of education. Learning based on date back a long time. From the seventies on, technological advances have stimulated and promoted many modern progressive learning means. The advances in technology have been put into use to prevent classroom barriers in the process of learning and to keep learning materials in pace with the knowledge level of the students. Especially, portable devices that include smart teaching applications...

Words: 3522 - Pages: 15

Premium Essay

Invest on It

...INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SCIENTIFIC & TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH VOLUME 4, ISSUE 07, JULY 2015 ISSN 2277-8616 Investment On IT: Students Perspective Samsul Alam Abstract: The focus of this study is to seek the relevance for implementing in Information Technology by students in Dhaka University. The research takes into account 50 students studying at different disciplines. The respondents were visited randomly to get the relevant data. The paper applies statistical tools e.g. SPSS on the information received and analyzes the results towards the solution. The result of the study suggests that students‘ academic quality and knowledge enhancement have significantly strong relationship with investment in IT. However, the findings of this exploratory study offer insights that the money invested in IT for academic purpose is more advantageous than otherwise be invested especially for those whose academic curriculum mainly decorated in accordance with the modern up-to-date era of Information Technology. On the basis of intellectual interaction between premises and experiences gathered during study, investment on IT will help concerned students understanding how important IT is for their study. Index Terms: Intellectual interaction, Investment insights, IT importance, IT Payoff, Relationship of IT investment, Relevance of IT usage, Statistical tools, Up-to-date era of information technology. ———————————————————— 1. INTRODUCTION The overriding message that can be gleaned...

Words: 8234 - Pages: 33

Free Essay

Effect of Using Ipad for Students

...Effect using iPad for the students Contents Abstract 3 Introduction 4 Statement of the Problem 6 Definitions of Terms 6 Limitations of the Study 7 Literature Review 8 Methodology 10 Participants 11 Procedures 12 Results 14 Discussion 17 References 18 Abstract The study prolifically investigated the effect of using iPad for the students in Saudi Arabia and other countries around the world. The entire study was outlined randomly to test the reliability as well as the credibility of the student group and analyze the significance and effect of using iPad. The entire study provided a statistical overview of the attributes of the iPad teaching methods and the interaction in between the teaching method variable. Introduction Over the rapid growth in technology, information technology has become quite significant and has affected our lives in a wide manner, and the inclusion of iPads has created a significant impact in teaching. iPads have been incorporated into teaching methodologies, and the new research strategically outlines that iPads can relatively enhance the student learning, and it aims at raising awareness among the students of providing learners of various learning strategies with reinforcement, systematic practice and self-monitoring via learning activities. iPads permit students to collaborate intelligently with the substance of the course books, which may not exist in whatever other educational devices. iPads have been acquainted with the...

Words: 3832 - Pages: 16

Premium Essay

Whatsapp Social Media

...2222-288X (Online) Vol.5, No.6, 2014 www.iiste.org The Impact of Whatsapp Messenger Usage on Students Performance in Tertiary Institutions in Ghana Johnson Yeboah (Lecturer)*,George Dominic Ewur (Lecturer) School of Business, Marketing Department, Takoradi Polytechnic, P.O box 256, Takoradi, Ghana Email:gastybg@yahoo.com Abstract The perceived high level of usage of social networking applications amongst students of tertiary institutions in Ghana is inevitable. However, little is understood from empirical viewpoint about the intensity, of usage of whatsapp messenger and its impact on the academic performance of students in tertiary institutions. This study seeks to empirically identify the impact of social network (whatsapp messenger) on the performance of tertiary students in Ghana from the perspective of the students. To achieve this, 50 students from five tertiary institutions were interviewed and 500 questionnaires were administered to students from same institutions. The study revealed that, whatsapp instead of making communication easier and faster thereby enhancing effective flow of information and idea sharing among students, rather has impacted negatively on the performance of tertiary students in Ghana .The study among other things unveiled the following: whatsapp takes much of students study time , results in procrastination related problems, destroys students’ spellings and grammatical construction of sentences, leads to lack of concentration during lectures...

Words: 5997 - Pages: 24

Free Essay

Analyse and Apply Adult Numeracy Teaching Practices

...1 Do the learning theories that underpin literacy teaching have any relevance to the teaching of numeracy? Discuss this question by identifying the similarities and the differences involved 4 1.2 In the realm of numeracy there are a number of frameworks that pertain to the teaching of numeracy to adults. Select two and discuss their relevance to numeracy teaching 7 1.3 It is clear that several adult learning principles apply equally to the teaching of numeracy and to the teaching of literacy. Review the adult learning principles and identify any that apply specifically to the teaching of numeracy. Select a skill from each of levels 1-3 of numeracy in the ACSF and explain how you would apply a relevant adult learning principle to the teaching of each numeracy skill. 7 1.4 Learning numeracy can occur in a number of contexts. Identify three or more contexts or types of provision in which numeracy learning for vocational education and training contexts, can take place and identify which levels of numeracy from the ACSF would be applicable. 10 2 Research literacy requirements of those participating in numeracy provision 12 2.1 Adult learners have a diversity of skills and backgrounds. From your experience identify examples of learner diversity and how it impacted on their ability to learn 12 2.2 A further element that can influence what numeracy skills participants will seek to achieve is the participants’ learning goals. Identify 4 possible learning goals and...

Words: 9346 - Pages: 38

Premium Essay

Business Management

...2015 MARTIN CONFERENCE CENTER HARVARD UNIVERSITY BOSTON, MA USA Teaching, Learning, and Research in the “Just Google It” Age CONFERENCE PROCEEDING VOL. 5, NO.1 ISSN: 2330-1236 Table of Contents Authors Paper Title Page Maryam Abdu Investigating Capital Structure Decisions and Its Effect on the Nigerian Capital Market 1 Norsuhaily Abu Bakar Rahimah Embong Ibrahim Mamat Ruzilawati Abu Bakar Idris Abd. Hamid Holistically Integraded Curriculum: Implications for Personality Development 16 Sandra Ajaps Geography Education in the Google age: A Case Study of Nsukka Local Government Area of Nigeria 30 Helen Afang Andow Impact of Banking Reforms on Service Delivery in the Nigerian Banking Sector 45 Billy Batlegang Green IT Curriculum: A Mechanism For Sustainable Development 59 Rozeta Biçaku-Çekrezi Student Perception of Classroom Management and Productive Techniques in Teaching 74 Thomas J.P.Brady Developing Digital Literacy in Teachers and Students 91 Lorenzo Cherubini Ontario (Canada) Education Provincial Policy: Aboriginal Student Learning 101 Jennifer Dahmen Natascha Compes Just Google It?! But at What Price? Teaching Pro-Environmental Behaviour for Smart and Energy-Efficient Use of Information and Communication Technologies 119 Marion Engin Senem Donanci Using iPads in a dialogic classroom: Mutually exclusive or naturally compatible? 132 Nahed Ghazzoul Teaching and Learning in the Age of 'Just Google it' 149 Saba A. Gheni Falah H. Hussein Teaching...

Words: 236613 - Pages: 947

Free Essay

Phsychology

...Educational Psychology: Developing Learners This is a protected document. Please enter your ANGEL username and password. Username: Password: Login Need assistance logging in? Click here! If you experience any technical difficulty or have any technical questions, please contact technical support during the following hours: M-F, 6am-12am MST or Sat-Sun, 7am-12am MST by phone at (800) 800-9776 ext. 7200 or submit a ticket online by visiting http://help.gcu.edu. Doc ID: 1009-0001-191D-0000191E DEVELOPING LEARNERS JEANNE ELLIS ORMROD Professor Emerita, University of Northern Colorado EIGHTH EDITION ISBN 1-256-96292-9 Boston Columbus Indianapolis New York San Francisco Upper Saddle River Amsterdam Cape Town Dubai London Madrid Milan Munich Paris Montreal Toronto Delhi Mexico City São Paulo Sydney Hong Kong Seoul Singapore Taipei Tokyo Educational Psychology: Developing Learners, Eighth Edition, by Jeanne Ellis Ormrod. Published by Pearson. Copyright © 2014 by Pearson Education, Inc. Vice President and Editorial Director: Jeffery W.  Johnston Vice President and Publisher: Kevin Davis Editorial Assistant: Lauren Carlson Development Editor: Christina Robb Vice President, Director of Marketing: Margaret Waples Marketing Manager: Joanna Sabella Senior Managing Editor: Pamela D. Bennett Project Manager: Kerry Rubadue Senior Operations Supervisor: Matthew Ottenweller Senior Art Director: Diane Lorenzo Text Designer: Candace Rowley Cover Designer:...

Words: 244561 - Pages: 979

Premium Essay

Infosec Career

...blog about starting an InfoSec career. This is a very lengthy blog broken into sections that may help people as parts or as a whole. We want you to succeed in our field. As always, please feel free to ask questions or leave comments / gripes / suggestions. Chapter 1: The Fundamentals  Unfortunately, for all the interminable hacking tool tutorials and security guides floating around the internet, many InfoSec job candidates haven’t grasped two fundamental concepts: * To hack something (or defend it from hacking), you must have a solid understanding of how that thing works. And, * InfoSec is not a career that can be put in a box once you go home from work or school. You must be passionate enough about the field to be continually learning and aware of quickly changing current events. If you want a career that you can forget about once you go home at 5:00 PM, InfoSec is probably not the right choice. The really intriguing thing about InfoSec and hacking in general is how they draw heavily from knowledge of all sorts of IT subjects. It’s difficult to understand attacks,...

Words: 11232 - Pages: 45

Free Essay

Hi There Great

...drives up telecommunications investment Broadband connections continue to grow Calling volumes converging Total revenue rise not sustained Fixed-line and mobile markets show similar levels of concentration Retail fixed-line market Market overview Fall in local calling accelerates Most fixed-line revenues continue to fall Telecom’s retail voice share continues to slip, including wholesale Consolidation in broadband market Lift in average broadband speed Retail mobile market Market overview Rising data revenues underpin modest growth Mobile voice minutes resume upward trend Off-net calling becomes more popular Texting appears to have peaked Competition progressing in prepay but not much in business The telecommunications consumer – from smartphone to smart living How much appetite do users have for data and speed? What drives consumption? What is the impact on citizens’ welfare and New Zealand’s economic growth? Challenges of digital life The 2013 year in review List of defined terms and abbreviations 3 5 5 5 6 6 6 8 10 11 12 14 14 15 17 18 19 21 23 23 24 25 26 28 30 33 34 38 44 50 52 57 3 Executive Summary This is the Commerce Commission’s seventh annual telecommunications market monitoring report. It is produced as part of the Commission’s on-going monitoring of the evolution of competition in the telecommunications sector in New Zealand. We have included two infographics showing how the telecommunications market is delivering more to consumers and helping to drive the...

Words: 15336 - Pages: 62

Premium Essay

Professional Project

...Polytechnic University STUDENT No: 11001223B0 Project submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the BA (HONS) BUSINESS MANAGEMENT of Northumbria University DECLARATIONS I declare the following: (1) that the material contained in this Project is the end result of my own work and that due acknowledgement has been given in the bibliography and references to ALL sources be they printed, electronic or personal. (2) the Word Count of this Project is: Section A: 3997 Section B: 4994 Reflective Statement: 525 Total Word Count: 9516 (3) that unless this Project has been confirmed as confidential, I agree to an entire electronic copy or sections of the Project to being placed on Blackboard, if deemed appropriate , to allow future students the opportunity to see examples of past Projects. I understand that if displayed on Blackboard it would be made available for no longer than five years and that student would be able to print off copies or download. The authorship would remain anonymous. (4) I agree to my Project being submitted to a plagiarism detection service, where it will be stored in a database and compared against work submitted from this or any other School or from other institutions using the service. In the event of the service detecting a high degree of similarity between content within the service this will be reported back to my supervisor an second marker, who may decide to undertake further investigation which may ultimately lead...

Words: 12418 - Pages: 50

Premium Essay

Bigdata

...verticals have amassed burgeoning amounts of digital data, capturing trillions of bytes of information about their customers, suppliers and operations. Data volume is also growing exponentially due to the explosion of machine-generated data (data records, web-log files, sensor data) and from growing human engagement within the social networks. The growth of data will never stop. According to the 2011 IDC Digital Universe Study, 130 exabytes of data were created and stored in 2005. The amount grew to 1,227 exabytes in 2010 and is projected to grow at 45.2% to 7,910 exabytes in 2015.3 The growth of data constitutes the “Big Data” phenomenon – a technological phenomenon brought about by the rapid rate of data growth and parallel advancements in technology that have given rise to an ecosystem of software and hardware products that are enabling users to analyse this data to produce new and more granular levels of insight. Figure 1: A decade of Digital Universe Growth: Storage in Exabytes Error! Reference source not found.3 1 2 3 Ovum. What is Big Data: The End Game. [Online] Available from: http://ovum.com/research/what-is-big-data-theend-game/ [Accessed 9th July 2012]. IBM. Data growth and standards. [Online] Available from: http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/xml/library/xdatagrowth/index.html?ca=drs- [Accessed 9th July 2012]. IDC. The 2011 Digital Universe Study: Extracting Value from Chaos. [Online]...

Words: 22222 - Pages: 89

Premium Essay

Innformation and Knowledge Management

...MANCOSA 2.2 PROGRAMME OFFERINGS 2.3 ACADEMIC MANAGEMENT 4 5 5 3. THE MANCOSA VISION 6 4. THE MANCOSA MISSION 6 5. POSTGRADUATE DIPLOMA IN BUSINESS MANAGEMENT PROGRAMME STRUCTURE 5.1 OVERALL PROGRAMME OBJECTIVES 5.2 PROGRAMME FOCUS 5.3 MODULE DESCRIPTIONS 2. 6. PROGRAMME ADMINISTRATION 6.1 PROGRAMME MANAGEMENT 6.2 FINANCE 6.2.1 FEE PAYMENT 6.2.2 PAYMENT OF FEES AND OTHER DUES 6.2.3 PAYMENT PLANS 6.2.4 ADDITIONAL FEES/CHARGES 6.2.5 REGISTRATION SPECIFIC/INCOMPLETE MODULES 6.2.6 CANCELLATION OF REGISTRATION/FEE LIABILITY 6.2.7 MISCELLANEOUS COSTS 6.2.8 PAYMENTS 6.2.9 ACCOUNT DETAILS 6.2.10 FOREIGN PAYMENTS 6.3 ASSESSMENTS 6.3.1 METHOD OF ASSESSMENT 6.3.2 MARKING CRITERIA 6.4 STUDENT SUPPORT 6.4.1 STUDENT SUPPORT DEPARTMENT 6.4.2 REGIONAL OFFICES/REPRESENTATIVES 6.5 ACADEMIC SUPPORT 6.5.1 REGIONAL TUTOR SUPPORT (ACADEMIC FACULTY MEMBERS) 6.5.2...

Words: 24199 - Pages: 97

Premium Essay

Annual Report

...Form 20-F 2011 Nokia Form 20-F 2011   As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 8, 2012. UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington, D.C. 20549 FORM 20-F ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2011 Commission file number 1-13202 (Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter) Republic of Finland (Jurisdiction of incorporation) Nokia Corporation Keilalahdentie 4, P.O. Box 226, FI-00045 NOKIA GROUP, Espoo, Finland (Address of principal executive offices) Riikka Tieaho, Director, Corporate Legal, Telephone: +358 (0)7 1800-8000, Facsimile: +358 (0) 7 1803-8503 Keilalahdentie 4, P.O. Box 226, FI-00045 NOKIA GROUP, Espoo, Finland (Name, Telephone, E-mail and/or Facsimile number and Address of Company Contact Person) Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”): Title of each class Name of each exchange on which registered American Depositary Shares Shares (1) New York Stock Exchange New York Stock Exchange(1) Not for trading, but only in connection with the registration of American Depositary Shares representing these shares, pursuant to the requirements of the Securities and Exchange Commission. Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Exchange Act: None Securities for which there is a reporting obligation pursuant to Section 15(d)...

Words: 149449 - Pages: 598

Premium Essay

Nokia Annaul Report

...Form 20-F 2011 Nokia Form 20-F 2011   As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 8, 2012. UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington, D.C. 20549 FORM 20-F ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2011 Commission file number 1-13202 (Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter) Republic of Finland (Jurisdiction of incorporation) Nokia Corporation Keilalahdentie 4, P.O. Box 226, FI-00045 NOKIA GROUP, Espoo, Finland (Address of principal executive offices) Riikka Tieaho, Director, Corporate Legal, Telephone: +358 (0)7 1800-8000, Facsimile: +358 (0) 7 1803-8503 Keilalahdentie 4, P.O. Box 226, FI-00045 NOKIA GROUP, Espoo, Finland (Name, Telephone, E-mail and/or Facsimile number and Address of Company Contact Person) Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”): Title of each class Name of each exchange on which registered American Depositary Shares Shares (1) New York Stock Exchange New York Stock Exchange(1) Not for trading, but only in connection with the registration of American Depositary Shares representing these shares, pursuant to the requirements of the Securities and Exchange Commission. Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Exchange Act: None Securities for which there is a reporting obligation pursuant to Section 15(d)...

Words: 149449 - Pages: 598