THEORIES OF MOBILE LEARNING

1. THEORIES OF MOBILE LEARNING Nadiah Khalid Tan Shir Ley

2. Behaviourism • Learning- best facilitated through the reinforcement of an association (stimulus –response) • Learning context- stimulus- response is always known as drill- feedback. • Mobile devices can enhance the behaviourist learning process (Taylor and Sharples, 2006)

3. Behaviourism • Teaching materials/ content specific questions : stimulus; • Responses from the learners: feedback • Fulfils the ‘drill and feedback’ requirement of a behaviourist learning paradigm. • Ketkin and Metcalf (2011)- information and content delivery takes place in various forms- (test, practices, quiz, listening-practice speaking) • Done through text messages (SMS), multimedia messages (MMS) and even voice recorder software.

4. Constructivism • Vygotsky • Child development- social negotiation and appropriation process • Criticised the dominant learning practices of schools (irrelevant, memorisation) (Pachler, B Bachmair, Cook and Kress, 2010)

5. Constructivism • Essential features of learning a) creates the zone of proximal development b)learning awakens a variety of internal developmental processes (interaction, cooperation) • After internalisation, they form part of the child’s independent developmental achievement • Implication- phases within a student’s development are important to a child’s learning Cook (2011)

6. Constructivism • Knowledge construction -learners act within an environment and reflect • Learn skills and theories in the context which they are used • Mobile technologies can support social constructivist approaches to learning • Able to expand discussion and provide new ways for students to collaborate and communicate (Cobcroft, Towers, Smith & Bruns, 2006)

7. Constructivism ii. Bruner • Learning- association of current and past knowledge. • Encourages self-discovery of principles • Instructors/ teachers- provide a conducive environment and effective tools • Mobile devices- provide opportunities for learners to embed in a realistic context and to access supporting tools. (Taylor and Sharples, 2006; Ketkin and Metcalf, 2011)

8. Situated Learning • Learning is not merely the acquisition of knowledge by individuals, but instead a process of social participation • cognitive apprenticeship- teacher (expert) vs students( apprentices) • Knowledge- authentic contexts; learners- participate within a community of practice. • E.g: PDA -observational note-taking, photo-taking and networked database inquiry. (Taylor and Sharples, 2006; Ketkin and Metcalf, 2011)

9. Situated Learning • Problem-based learning • develop students’ critical thinking skills • ill-defined problem that is reflective of what they would encounter as a practicing professional. • identify the areas of knowledge that they need to understand the problem

10. Situated Learning • Context awareness learning • gathering information from the environment to provide a measure of what is currently going on around the user and the device. • mobile devices- easily available in different contexts, able to facilitate the learning activity • E.g: multimedia museum and gallery, additional information about exhibits and displays can be provided based on the visitor’s location within them.

11. Socio-cultural theory • learning takes place in a social context (Rogers, 2002) • usually occurs first through interpersonal (interaction with social environment) • content and communication (teachers, experts, experienced colleagues, workmates, friends and family) are perceived to be equally important • mobile devices- facilitate the rapid access to other users anytime and anywhere. (Taylor and Sharples, 2006; Ketkin and Metcalf, 2011)

12. Socio-cultural theory • Collaborative learning • promote, facilitate and enhance interactions and collaborations between students • keep in touch with other students, share data, files and messages, connect to a shared data network

13. Socio-cultural theory • Conversational learning • learning is in terms of conversations between different systems of knowledge • mobile technology- provide a shared conversation space for students to interrogate and share their descriptions of the world • E.g: electronic measuring instruments, maps, and reference guides.

14. Informal and Life-long Learning • Informal- acquiring information through conversations, TV and newspapers, observing the world etc. • technology - support learning; seamlessly and unobtrusively blended into everyday life. • Mobile technology- reduced size, ease of use, personal, portable

15. Informal and Life-long Learning • lifelong learning- a means of providing people with crucial knowledge and skills • based on the belief that it is not practical to learn all the knowledge and skills they need solely from school, college or university. • need to enhance their knowledge and skills continually • E.g: students record their own reflections on activities or events, and share with other students via podcasting

16. Connectivism • Learning has moved in to an informal, networked, technology-enabled arena. • Appropriate learning theory for the digital age • Integration of principles explored by chaos, network, and complexity and self-organization theories

17. Connectivism • Learning- process of connecting specialised nodes or information sources • Learners improve their own learning by plugging into an existing network. • Learn through communities of practice, personal networks and through completion of work-related tasks. • Effective learning environment: the “know-how and know-what is supplemented with know-where (Ozam &Kesim, 2011;Ketkin & Metcalf ,2011).