8/11/2019 The Impact of Integrating Mobile Learning in Tertiary Education in Ghana.

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International Journal of Advance Foundation and Research in Computer (IJAFRC)

Volume 1, Issue 8, August!1"#

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1 * !1", IJAFRC All Rights Reserved +++#iafrc#org

-he Impact of Integrating .o/ile 0earning in -ertiar

2ducation in 3hana#

Dominic Damoah, Dickson Owusu-Ansah, Edward Ansong, James Usher, Charles Adjetey

Department of Computer cience

!alley !iew Uni"ersityOyi#i, $hana

kwddamoah%yahoo&com

A 4 $ - R A C -

-he usage of Computing -echnolog as a tool for learning is in man forms# In recent times there

have /een rapid advances in mo/ile technologies +hich have /rought a/out a ne+ term called

mo/ile learning .o/ile learning# .o/ile learning is the use of handheld devices as a means of

learning# -his paper snthesi5es and e6amines the impact of integrating mo/ile technolog in

tertiar education in 3hana for learning#

Inde6 -erms7 .o/ile 0earning -ertiar 2ducation#

I# I%-R9:;C-I9%

'o#ile learning (m-learning) is learning #y means of handheld porta#le and wireless technological

de"ices (personal digital assistants (*DAs), Cell phones, porta#le computers and ta#let *Cs) that can #e

pocketed and utili+ed where"er the learners de"ice is a#le to recei"e un#roken transmission signals&

'o#ile learning is a field which com#ines two "ery promising areas mo#ile computing and e-learning

./0 , and it 1has #een considered as the future of learning or as an integral part of any other form ofeducational process in the future2 ./0&

3he e"olution of handheld porta#le de"ices and wireless technology has resulted in radical changes in

the social and economic lifestyles of modern people& 3oday, many technological de"ices are produced in

porta#le form and people ha"e #ecome accustomed to them& 3hese de"ices are reshaping users daily

li"es in different ways& 4ut the de"elopment of digital technologies has so far #een limited to social

communication and few people ha"e regarded mo#ile learning as a core pedagogical acti"ity in higher

institutions of learning& Although this model has #een used as a minor adjunct to learning acti"ities such

as lectures and assignments, it is still not the primary mode of deli"ery in higher education& Currently, the

instructional technology transmitted #y means of mo#ile technology is mainly social and, to a lessere5tent, economic .60& Ad"anced mo#ile de"ices such as 1smart2 cellular telephones are "ery popular

among people primarily #ecause they are wireless and porta#le& 3hese functionalities ena#le users to

communicate while on the mo"e .60&

7f we are interested in enhancing student learning, a priority must #e to design m-learning and teaching

strategies that in"ol"e acti"e learning, for e5ample, in e5periential fieldwork, simulations, role-plays and

games .80& 3hus, this paper synthesi+es and e5amines the impact of integrating this m-learning in

tertiary education in $hana&

II#

94J2C-IV2$3he o#jecti"es of this paper were to determine9

8/11/2019 The Impact of Integrating Mobile Learning in Tertiary Education in Ghana.

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International Journal of Advance Foundation and Research in Computer (IJAFRC)

Volume 1, Issue 8, August!1"#

I$$% &"8 ' "8&

$

A# -he .'0earning ?roect

3he '-=earning project was funded #y the European Commissions 7nformation ociety Directorate

$eneral, and it was in partnership with the =earning and kills Council (=C), U>& 3he aim of the project

was 1to ascertain whether mo#ile learning could result in impro"ed literacy, numeracy or changed

attitudes or #eha"ior, including greater enthusiasm for learning and progression to further learning2 .:0&

3he project in"ol"ed three countries- U>, 7taly and weden& 3he research was conducted on young

people and their teachers and mentors from these three countries #y pro"iding learning materials and

systems that can #e accessed on, or "ia, handheld mo#ile de"ices& After the research it was reported in

#oth .:0 and .?0 that mo#ile learning:

/& 3ruly allows anywhere, anytime, personali+ed learning

6& Can #e used to enli"en, or add "ariety to, con"entional lessons or courses

8& Can #e used to remo"e some of the formalities which non-traditional learners may find

unattracti"e or frightening and can make learning fun

:& Can help deli"er and support literacy, numeracy and language learning

?& Can help learners and teachers to recogni+e and #uild on e5isting #asic literacy skills which allow

young people to communicate in notational form "ia te5t messages

@& acilitates #oth indi"idual and colla#orati"e learning e5periences

B& Ena#les discrete learning in the sensiti"e area of literacy

&

Can help to com#at resistance to the use of 7C3 #y pro"iding a #ridge #etween mo#ile phone

literacy and *C literacy

& ;as #een o#ser"ed to help young disconnected learners to remain more focused for longer

periods

/&Can help to raise self-confidence and self-esteem #y recogni+ing uncele#rated skills, ena#ling

non-threatening, personali+ed learning e5periences and ena#ling peer-to-peer learning and

support

;owe"er their study indicated that, though the project partners countries (U>, 7taly and weden) were

early adopters, the use of mo#ile phones was still new to high percentage of young people&

4# -he ;niversit of -e6as, 4ro+nsville $urve,!!