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How students in Higher Education use their mobile phones for learning Claire Bradley Research Fellow Learning Technology Research Institute [email protected] Dr Debbie Holley Principal Lecturer Learning and Teaching London Metropolitan University Business School [email protected] www.londonmet.ac.uk/learningonthemove/index.html

How students in Higher Education use their mobile phones for learning

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How students in Higher Education use their mobile phones for learning. Claire Bradley Research Fellow Learning Technology Research Institute [email protected] Dr Debbie Holley Principal Lecturer Learning and Teaching London Metropolitan University Business School - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

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Page 1: How students in Higher Education use their mobile phones for learning

How students in Higher Education use their mobile phones for learning

Claire BradleyResearch Fellow Learning Technology Research [email protected]

Dr Debbie HolleyPrincipal Lecturer Learning and TeachingLondon Metropolitan University Business [email protected]

www.londonmet.ac.uk/learningonthemove/index.html

Page 2: How students in Higher Education use their mobile phones for learning

Background to research

Ongoing research into mobile learning with year one ‘new entry’ students

We have supported student groups using mediaBoard

Texted students ‘Learning tips’ Carried out a pilot for CONTSENS, an EU context

specific project where students went out ‘on site’ Integrated ‘Textools’ a system where student text

answers to questions in large lecture halls

And this project ‘learning on the move’

Page 3: How students in Higher Education use their mobile phones for learning

The study

Survey with students Loaned flip video camcorders to 3

students to record their daily mobile learning use 2 of these students also filmed video

interviews with other students about their use The 3 students were interviewed to

explore their mobile learning practise in more depth

Interviews have resulted in 3 in-depth case studies or stories about their mobile learning practise and attitudes towards using their phones for learning

Page 4: How students in Higher Education use their mobile phones for learning

Survey results: The students

74 1st year undergraduates taking a core business module ‘Studying Marketing and Operations’ completed a questionnaire

Gender: 73% female, 27% male

Age:

Age range 18-20 21-25 25-30 30-35

% respondents 61% 33% 5% 1%

Page 5: How students in Higher Education use their mobile phones for learning

Survey results: Students’ phones

Contract v ‘pay as you go’ (PAYG) 63% on contract 37% ‘pay as you go’

Make Range of handsets

owned is diverse – 72 students cited 37 phone models from 9 manufac-turers

80% of phones can be classified as being Smart Phones (i.e. Internet and email enabled)

Page 6: How students in Higher Education use their mobile phones for learning

Survey results: Mobile features

Page 7: How students in Higher Education use their mobile phones for learning

Do you currently use your mobile phone for learning?

22 students - 29% - said they used their mobiles for learning

34 uses given (some students use their mobile for more than one task)

Uses reported have been grouped into 7 categories

Page 8: How students in Higher Education use their mobile phones for learning

Uses for learning

Category Mobile phone use Total usesper category

Conducting research/ Internet (4 students) 12getting information Google (3 students)

Research / search info. (5 students)Communicating Email (4 students) 6

Contacting group assignment membersFashion Facebook group

Generating content/ Take pictures/photos (3 students) 4artefacts Voice recordingUsing tools/ Calculator (3 students) 4 applications Microsoft OfficeOrganising Putting reminder alarms for meetings 3

Check my examsOrganiser

Note-taking Write notes 1Other Accessing learning materials 4

Presentations / record presentations (2 students)Transport files (PDF, Word, PowerPoint …)

Page 9: How students in Higher Education use their mobile phones for learning

Case study: Sam

Foundation year Art, Media and Design Blackberry Curve, 18 mth contract Uses his phone for these learning activities:

Setting reminders in the calender, using the clock and alarm to organise his studying and schedule

Photos of images and things to remember Records lectures for later replay Communicates with other students – phone, Blackberry

Messenger (free between Blackberry users) Uses the Internet and Google to look up information Says his most common use is “probably the calendar,

because that is really useful, because my organisational skills aren’t very good, so it does help to have a little buzz when you need to do something”

Page 10: How students in Higher Education use their mobile phones for learning

Case study: Sam

Why he uses his phone for learning: Because it is “convenient” “I mean I’ve got it in my pocket 24 hours a day, it’s

always there, and now I can use the Internet” When:

“When necessary” Where:

At gallery visits and exhibitions During lectures – records them and enters information

such as dates and deadlines into the calendar At home – checks notifications of forthcoming deadlines,

tasks, etc. to see what he has to do How the university could promote mLearning:

Send reminder texts

Page 11: How students in Higher Education use their mobile phones for learning

Case study: Shriya

First-year Public Relations Blackberry Curve, PAYG + £5 per mth for Internet Bought Blackberry because it has Windows software Phone uses:

Access university systems – Webmail, Evision (student record system), WebLearn (downloads materials from VLE)

Email Communicates with classmates – Blackberry Messenger is

free Accesses Facebook for tutorial groups Makes notes using ‘Memopad’ (attach alarms to notes) and

‘Word to go’ to write notes in lectures and draft reports Her mobile use is overtaking use of her laptop!

Page 12: How students in Higher Education use their mobile phones for learning

Case study: Shriya

Why she uses her phone for learning: Because it is easier, it is accessible (always connected to

the Internet and other people), you can use it anywhere and everywhere, and you don’t have to carry a heavy laptop around with you

“It really helps you because it saves on time and money” Where:

In quiet places – her room, the local park, but not in the library because they are not allowed

Not in front of a computer: mobile = freedom

How the university could promote mLearning: Encourage students to use their mobiles, e.g. interactive

learning sessions on how they could use them She believes that using mobile phones can get students

interested in the subject more, they are fun and help to create enthusiasm for learning

Page 13: How students in Higher Education use their mobile phones for learning

Case study: Heidi

First-year Public Relations Sony Ericsson G502, PAYG, doesn’t use Internet

(too expensive) Phone uses:

Communicates with other students – primarily by TXT because it’s convenient and cheap, or calls which can be faster and more effective

Takes pictures – of things to remember, to use in her coursework or that give her ideas

Calculator (she’s studying statistics) Makes notes and takes down thoughts by saving them as

TXT messages She relies heavily on TXT messages for communication

and making notes

Page 14: How students in Higher Education use their mobile phones for learning

Case study: Heidi

Why she uses her phone for learning: “I know I have it on me always, and I can check it

always, it’s better than writing in a small calendar book for me”

She would use her mobile more if she had a more sophisticated phone and cheaper Internet

Where: “Everywhere actually”

When: When it is appropriate.

How the university could promote mLearning: Produce an App. that would make it easy to access

University systems because it is Internet-based, and it would save you time because you could access from anywhere

Page 15: How students in Higher Education use their mobile phones for learning

Other students’ mobile learning practise

3 Foundation Art, Media & Design students

Rion, Sony Ericsson CyberShotUses the camera on his phone to take photos to use in his work. See video: http://www.londonmet.ac.uk/learningonthemove/videos/RionVideo.mp4

Isaac, BlackberryUses his phone as an alarm clock, to communicate with others via email and phone calls and for setting reminders for deadlines. See video: http://www.londonmet.ac.uk/learningonthemove/videos/IsaacVideo.mp4

TomaszListens to music on his phone whilst he works to help him concentrate. See video: http://www.londonmet.ac.uk/learningonthemove/videos/TomaszVideo.mp4

Page 16: How students in Higher Education use their mobile phones for learning

Conclusions

Students are savvy and creative about using the phones that they have and finding cheap solutions

Many are already using their mobiles for a range of learning tasks, largely on their own initiative

One way forward is to encourage students (and tutors) to make more use of the powerful devices they have for learning activities

This work provides insights into students’ mobile phone ownership and their mobile learning practise, making it easier to design mobile learning initiatives around what they already do and could do

Page 17: How students in Higher Education use their mobile phones for learning

Contact details

Claire Bradley [email protected]

Debbie Holley [email protected]

The full survey data, case studies and video clips are all on the project website:

www.londonmet.ac.uk/learningonthemove/index.html