The impact of digital mobile devices on educational improvement. A study-case in Spanish Universities

Author(s):

Esteban Vázquez-Cano(presenting / submitting)Maria Luisa Sevillano

Conference:

ECER 2014

Network:

11. Educational Improvement and Quality Assurance

Format:

Paper

Session Information

11 SES 03 B, Innovative Approaches to Improve Quality of Education

Paper Session

Time:

2014-09-02

17:15-18:45

Room:

B232A/B Sala de Aulas

Chair:

José Cajide

Contribution

This research examines the educational impact of digital mobile devices (tablets and smartphones) on the educational improvement of university students in the European Higher Education Area (EHEA). The research was contextualized in a sample of 419 students from three Spanish public universities. Through a quantitative methodology, we identified the factors and variables that condition and favor the educational use of digital mobile devices in university studies. The factor-based structure enabled a holistic view of ICT innovation in universities across three key areas: teaching model (face-to-face/distance), area of study, and generic competencies. The outcomes could be used as means to forecast, explain, and improve the integration of these digital devices in the Higher Education context. Researchers analyze internal and external variables that condition the use, functionality, and acceptance of digital mobile devices (DMD: tablets and smartphones) as tools and resources potentially beneficial in the development of university studies within the European Higher Education Area (EHEA). For this purpose, we have used a modification of the "Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology" (UTAUT) model to analyze the incidence and factors that condition the use of DMD in three Spanish universities: University Complutense of Madrid, University of Oviedo, and Spanish National University of Distance Education (UNED). Digital mobile devices have burst in Spain, a country in Europe, with the highest penetration of tablets and smartphones (66%), 9 points higher than the European average (57%) (Mobile Life Report, 2013). The use of DMD applied to the development of personal, academic, and professional competencies is part of EHEA's philosophy, which should promote in students the acquisition of a series of transversal or generic skills that secure an appropriate level of performance in terms of academic and professional competencies according to current societal demands. The key concept adopted in this framework is the use of university methodologies, tools, and resources that encourage the transferability of skills to personal, social, academic, and professional contexts and, thus, being able to create an effective foundation for life-long learning (Bennett, & Maton, 2010; Cedefop, 2010, Allen, & van der Velden, 2012). All experts suggest that the right way to overcome this economic crisis is to intelligently adopt digital technologies to develop productive and efficient economic models where technological innovation serves to promote growth and productivity (ONTSI, 2013). Digital mobile devices have been evolving at a swift pace, and educational society needs time to assimilate and evaluate DMD possibilities in education (Weider, 2011; Gawelek, Komarny, & Spataro, 2011; Vázquez-Cano, 2012; Vázquez-Cano, & Sevillano, 2013). Currently, DMD applications are multiplying, and their continual development opens up many possibilities in the field of education, encouraging socialization and inclusive actions for a great variety of groups. Nowadays, citizens' training requires specific attention to foster the knowledge necessary to make decisions on the use of objects and technological processes, solve problems, and use them to increase the capacity of knowing how to act and use them to achieve a better learning (Bertchy, Cattaneo, & Wolter, 2009; Murphy, 2011; Rasmus, 2013). Therefore, our objective in this research is to determine variables and factors that affect students’ educational improvement with the use of digital mobile devices (Tablets and Smartphones) in EHEA.

Method

The objective of this study was to measure factors that condition the use of DMD by university students in EHEA. Research on the "Technology Acceptance Models" led to a modification that incorporates both human and social variables and is now called the "Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology" (UTAUT) model (Venkatesh, Morris, Davis, & Davis, 2003). The UTAUT model has been demonstrated to be up to 70% accurate at predicting user acceptance of information technology innovations. We developed and implemented a version of this model called Scale of Factors that Foster Innovation with DMD (SFFIDMD) among university students. Thus, apart from a series of descriptive general and academic data, such as age and sex, area of study, and type of university (face-to-face or distance), the questionnaire comprised 29 items, to which participants responded using a five-point Likert-type assessment scale. The students completing the questionnaire were asked to indicate the extent to which they agreed or disagreed with the different statements. The data provided in questionnaire were analyzed using version 19 of the SPSS statistical software package. The questionnaire’s statistical guarantees were studied. The item-total correlation of the dimension was analyzed to eliminate those items with a correlation coefficient of below 0.2. In addition, the reliability of the scale was analyzed using the Cronbach’s Alpha Test (.843). Next, a factor analysis of principal components was conducted to determine the internal structure of the questionnaire. However, before carrying out the analysis, and as a prior statistical requisite that guarantees correct application, a series of other tests were performed: First, Bartlett’s test of sphericity, was used to test the hypothesis that the correlation matrix obtained is not an identity matrix; in other words, that significant interrelations exist between items that justify the factor analysis. Secondly, the KMO (Kaiser-Mayer-Olkin) index obtained was (.81), which measures sampling adequacy (data suitability) to carry out the factor analysis. Finally, the reliability of the factors extracted from the questionnaire was analyzed, both individually and together. In addition, an inferential analysis was conducted by comparing the means of the questionnaire factors in relation to sex, age, area of study (Science, Social Sciences), and main teaching model (face-to-face or distance). To this end, the Student’s T-test was used in all the variables for independent samples, with the exception of area of study in which a single-factor analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used.

Expected Outcomes

Innovation with Digital Mobile Devices (DMD) should be considered a methodological activity with high impact on educational improvement at University. In this sense, innovation with DMD requires the establishment of communications channels and opportunities for thought, reflection, and collaboration, to foster the effective and efficient engagement of the teaching staff, management board, and students. To this end, it is vital that universities express and reflect this DMD innovation-oriented philosophy in syllabuses. However, an adequate university context alone is not enough to ensure ubiquitous and mobile innovation with ICT. From their hypothetical distance, education authorities also play a key role and have much to offer. This second key element interacts with the first one in a number of basic aspects, such as the provision of resources and infrastructures, teacher training, guidance, and counseling. The final key element is the teachers and professors themselves, who are the key figures and direct executers of any educational innovation in their subjects. It is vital to have a model that aims to guarantee the integration and use of and innovation with DMD by means of a new way of understanding teaching-learning and management processes that go beyond the mere provision of technological resources. The study suggests that 49.06% of the variance in the model is explained by students' perception of DMD as useful devices for promoting the acquisition of "competencies" and for developing "learning activities". Academic organizations adopting ICT innovations will have a much higher probability of success if they provide and require specific training for the proper use of DMD. We conclude that DMD with high penetration among the age group studied (18-26 years) enable college students to improve several indicators of generic competencies, especially those of "self-regulated learning," "higher cognitive," "communication," "instrumental in the knowledge society," and "interpersonal" (Dublin Descriptors, 2005).

References

Allen, J. & van der Velden R. (2012). Skills for the 21st Century: Implications for Education, ROA-RM-2012/11. European Union: Maastricht. Barbosa, J.L., Barbosa, D.N. & Wagner, A. (2012). Learning in Ubiquitous Computing Environments. International Journal of Information and Communication Technology Education (IJICTE), 8 (3), 64-77. Bennett, S. & Maton, K. (2010). Beyond the ‘Digital Natives’ Debate: Towards a More Nuanced Understanding of Students’ Technology Experiences. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 26 (5), 321-331. Bertchy, K., Cattaneo M. & Wolter, C. (2009). PISA and the Transition into the Labour Market. Labour: Review of Labour Economics and Industrial Relations, 23, 111-137. CEDEFOP (2010). The development of national qualifications frameworks in Europe. Working Paper, 8. Luxemburgo: Publications Office of the European Union. Dublin Descriptors (2005). Shared "Dublin" descriptors for the Bachelor´s, Master´s and Doctoral awards, Draft 1.31 working document on JQI meeting in Dublin. 2004PC. Gawelek, M.A., Spataro, M. & Komarny, P. (2011). Mobile perspectives: On iPads why mobile? Edu-Cause Review, 46 (2), 28-32. Johnson, L., Adams Becker, S., Cummins, M., Estrada, V., Freeman, A. & Ludgate, H. (2013). NMC Horizon Report: 2013 Higher Education Edition. Austin, Texas: The New Media Consortium. Murphy, G.D. (2011). Post-PC devices: A summary of early iPad technology adoption in tertiary environments. E-Journal of Business Education & Scholarship of Teaching, 5(1), 18-32. ONTSI-Networked Society Report (2013). Las TIC en los hogares españoles. Estudio de demanda y uso de Servicios de Telecomunicaciones y Sociedad de la Información. Retrieved from: http://www.ontsi.red.es/ontsi/es/estudios-informes/xl-oleada-del-panel-hogares-2t2013 Rasmus, R. (2013). Mobile communication and intermediality. Mobile Media & Communication, 1, 14-19. Sevillano, M.ªL. & Quicios, M.ªP. (2012). Indicadores del uso de competencias informáticas entre estudiantes universitarios. Implicaciones formativas y sociales”. Revista Teoría de la Educación, 24. UNESCO (2013). UNESCO Policy Guidelines for Mobile Learning. Paris: United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization Vázquez-Cano, E. (2012). Mobile Learning with Twitter to Improve Linguistic Competence at Secondary Schools. The New Educational Review, 29 (3), 134-147. Vázquez-Cano, E. & Sevillano, M.ª L. (2013). ICT strategies and tools for the improvement of instructional supervision. The Virtual Supervision. The Turkish Online Journal of Educational Technology, 12 (1), 77-87. Weider, B. (2011). iPads could hinder teaching, professors say. Chronicle of Higher Education, 57 (28), A22-A23. Venkatesh, V., Morris, M., Davis, G. & Davis, F. D. (2003). User acceptance of information technology: Toward a unified view. MIS Quarterly, 27 (3), 425-478.

Author Information

Esteban Vázquez-Cano (presenting / submitting)

Spanish national University of Distance Education (UNED)

Madrid

Maria Luisa Sevillano

UNED

Didactics, School Organization