Challenges in Mobile Teaching

Author(s):

Birgy Lorenz(presenting / submitting)

Conference:

ECER 2012

Network:

16. ICT in Education and Training

Format:

Paper

Session Information

16 SES 06 A, Mobile Teaching and Learning

Parallel Paper Session

Time:

2012-09-19

15:30-17:00

Room:

FCT - Aula 12

Chair:

Contribution

This paper reports results from study (in 2009 and in 2012) about mobile learning in one secondary school in Estonia. The aim of this research was to find answers, how schools should tackle the issue of increasing usage of mobile phones at home, in a way that it is also virtue for the schools? How teachers can give students’ knowledge on how to use smartphones in an educational way? How those impacts and best practices should be measured?

ITU Statistics in 2009 shows that 8% of the global population connected to fixed-line broadband, but it also estimates mobile broadband connections to be 14%. Pisa 2009 results reports higher usage of ICT tools at home compare to the school. Students who use ICT, mobile phones for leisure, tend to get lower results in print reading, mathematics, science than those who use ICT for home- or classwork.

Despite of increasing usage of mobile phones, availability to exploit these technologies and opportunities in real classrooms usually remains low. There is ongoing debate – should schools allow cellular phones to the classroom or not. Teachers say they need new methods and didactics before opening learning to mobile technologies, what students already are experiencing every day. There are several studies about edutainment, using ICT and portable solutions in education; however usage of mobile phones is still emerging in education. Main challenges in mobile learning will be found, in the area of impact, planning, current implementations of ICT in education, costs and even safety. The problems and expectations are similar in some countries, but there are some differences regarding policies using cellphones in schools.

Our study gives an overview of a case-study in 2009 and follow up 2012, where one Estonian school implements mobile learning in ICT classes combined with out-door, inter-disciplinary learning thru 7 tasks: making pictures and videos, tracking, QR coding and different educational apps. We carried out an investigation about teachers(12) and students(145) attitudes and readiness to use mobile technologies before and after the tasks. Results have contributed ideas to didactic recommendations to implement mobile learning in integrated innovation between ICT and other subjects.

Method

Our study focused on a 5.-9. grade students(145) and their teachers (bias to female) (12). We used survey, interview and observation methods. Most of the quantitative data was collected by means of Likert scale. The questionnaire and interview included also some open questions that concerned mainly about specific addressed questions. The study was carried out 2009 and 2012 in same school. In year 2009 we tested 3 mobile lesson plans, and questioned teachers and students’ mobile usage and attitudes toward mobile learning in a period of 2 months. To get comparable results we are using same questions now 2012 in 2 months’ time and include same 3 tasks as well new 4 exercises. We now also test impact of the tasks. I stage - survey for the teachers and students. Survey measured their attitudes and knowledge’s of using mobile phones, their recommendations on how to plan those lessons and thoughts about safety. II stage - observation of 7 tasks by using mobile phones in ICT classes. Observation included notes from the tasks and guidance. III stage – interview with students and teachers (only in 2012). IV stage – follow up survey from the teachers and students (only in 2012).

Expected Outcomes

Preliminary findings of the study confirmed that there is interest in using mobile learning in math, science and art classes (when integrated ICT classes). Teachers and students have offered ideas, what kind of exercises should be executed in these areas and how usage of these tools should be regulated. Student’s positive confidence using mobile phones has raised results and interest in participating at math and science classes and also doing their mobile project related homework (in the middle of testing). These findings lead to the conclusion that implementing mobile learning into school life, gives better results instead of restricting it; teachers and students discussions about exercises have lead into a better understanding of the national curricula goals and 21th century skills and how it can be executed in using ICT and mobile tools; measuring the tasks carried out by mobile phones, we noticed that, participants still feel somewhat uneasy, because of need to succeed in a first time. So recommendation in that area is to give lots of feedback to students and teachers, discuss what went wrong and how we can eliminate problems in the future. This is needed to keep up the motivation in both sides.

References

Attwell, G. (2010). Work based mobile learning environments: contributing to a socio-cultural ecology of mobile learning, in Pachler, N. (ed) Mobile learning in the context of transformation. Special Issue of International Journal of Mobile and Blended Learning Diaz, V. (2010). Mobile Teaching and Learning: Engaging Students and Measuring Impact. Presentation at the 2010 EDUCAUSE Center for Applied Research Symposium, Carlsbad, CA, December 7, 2010, available from http://www.educause.edu/ecar. ITU Statistics (2009) ICT Data and Statistics (IDS) www.itu.int/ict/statistics Kolb, L. (2010). From Toy to Tool: Cell Phones in Learning. http://www.cellphonesinlearning.com/. Laurillard, D. (2007). Pedagogical forms for mobile learning, in: Pachler, N. (ed) Mobile learning: towards a research agenda. London: WLE Centre, IoE Pachler N. (2007) Mobile learning towards a research agenda. WLE Centre, IoE ISSN 1753-3385 Parsons, D. and Hokyoung, R. (2006) A Framework for Assessing the Quality of Mobile Learning Int Conf. For process improvement, research and education Prensky, M. (2001) Digital Game-Based Learning. New York: McGraw-Hill. Singh, D. and Zaitun, A.B. (2006) Mobile Learning In Wireless Classrooms. Malaysian Online Journal of Instructional Technology (MOJIT) Vol. 3, No.2, pp 26-42 ISSN 1823:1144 Stockwell, G. (2008). Investigating learner preparedness for and usage patterns for mobile learning. ReCALL 20/3, 253-270. Stone, A., J. Briggs, and C. Smith (2002) SMS and Interactivity - Some Results from the Field, and its Implications on Effective Uses of Mobile Technologies in Education. in IEEE International Workshop on Wireless and Mobile Technologies in Education (WMTE'02). Växjö, Sweden: IEEE. p.147 Williams, W. (2009) Assessing Mobile Learning Effectiveness and Acceptance (PhD Thesis) The School of Business George Washington University Quinn, C. (2006) mLearning: Mobile Wireless, In-Your-Pocket Learning, LiNE ZINE, 2000, http://www.linezine.com/2.1/features/cqmmwiyp.htm, last accessed January 24th, 2006

Author Information

Birgy Lorenz (presenting / submitting)

Tallinn University

Informatics

Tallinn

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