Mature Students Using Mobile Devices in Life and Learning

Abstract

The paper reports on research concerned with learners’ uses of mobile technologies based on an international survey that targeted students registered in selected master’s and doctoral programmes in Australia, Hong Kong, Portugal, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. The survey findings were enriched by local knowledge, as the authors administered questionnaires in their own countries. The research gives an account of uses of handheld devices by students from departments of education, educational technology, engineering, and information technology in the domains of learning, work, social interaction and entertainment. The paper illuminates learners’ choices in the midst of evolving social practices, and challenges the common preconception that mobile devices are not suitable for academic study. In today’s global education marketplace, educators must know the technology habits and expectations of their students, including those from other countries. Knowing about students’ previous practices and the techno-cultural setting they come from can help institutions determine what mobile applications are most appropriate to support learning.

Mobile Learning: A Systematic Review

“…Mobile technologies are now a days capable of supporting learning practices in both blended and standalone contexts. Thus as a new model for learning, it has become an emerging field of research and development activities [2]. The field is now getting to be more prepared for supporting excellent learning practices and learners are progressively requesting more incredible portability and adaptability.…”

An App to Teach With: A Case of Mobile Learning Non-adoption in Higher Ed

“…Developing mobile technologies to support learning will only become more attractive to educators as this and other trends continue: more students are adopting smartphones and tablets; connectivity is becoming ubiquitous; and data is becoming increasingly portable (Biggs, 2011;Engel, 2011;Kukulska-Hulme et al, 2011;Kukulska-Hulme, 2012;Wong, 2012). As Murphy and Farley observe, however, "there are still a number of barriers that influence the adoption of m-learning initiatives in education, both at an institutional and at a user level" (2012, p. 1).…”

Learning with smartphones: a Hong Kong experience

“…Students use smartphones to search the Internet, check dictionary, view documents, translate texts, e-mail and text to classmates and teachers, take notes, manage schedules, access media and social networking websites. A few studies on smartphone use for academic purposes involve higher education students from Hong Kong (Kukulska-Hulme, Pettit, Bradley, Herrington, Kennedy and Walker, 2011;Cheung, 2014;Dukic, Chiu and Lo, 2015). Kukulska-Hulme et al (2011) explored the use of mobile devices for learning purposes from the learners' perspective on students in master and doctoral programs from Australia, Hong Kong, Portugal, Sweden and UK.…”

“…A few studies on smartphone use for academic purposes involve higher education students from Hong Kong (Kukulska-Hulme, Pettit, Bradley, Herrington, Kennedy and Walker, 2011;Cheung, 2014;Dukic, Chiu and Lo, 2015). Kukulska-Hulme et al (2011) explored the use of mobile devices for learning purposes from the learners' perspective on students in master and doctoral programs from Australia, Hong Kong, Portugal, Sweden and UK. The study shows that students in all five countries use mobile phones for learning-related activities like searching for information, reading e-books, listening to education materials, communicating with classmates, group work and collaboration, note taking and scheduling.…”