Abstract
With an awareness of the unique characteristics of an increasingly mobile world and referencing socio-material mobile learning frameworks, this chapter will provide an overview of the initial stages and growth of mobile learning. The authors also discuss university initiatives to support mobile learning, and examine the implications of mobile technologies for teaching and learning. Additionally, the chapter will introduce a case study detailing the Mobile Learning Innovation at Anderson University (SC) and highlight its impact on the teaching and learning culture on its campus.
TopMobile Learning Frameworks
The field of educational studies increasingly includes research on the integration of technology, developing into areas of study such as learning sciences or digital media and learning. This shift in educational studies that many are terming a socio-material framework has included an equal focus on the individual student and the technology, not prioritizing one over the other (Fenwick, Edwards, & Sawchuk, 2012). Mobile devices, in particular, play a role in this type of research and on educational practices as they either spur a change in mobile-friendly practices or traditional practices are impacted negatively by the use of devices.
Much of the early research on mobile learning stemmed from the field of computer science. Thus, much of it focused on hardware and software, competing with the educational studies frameworks of focusing on the individual student. From these competing techno-centric and student-centric frameworks, new theoretical and pedagogical frameworks are emerging that take into account the unique implications of mobile technology based on a socio-material framework that recognizes the symmetry between the student and the device.
Key Terms in this Chapter
Flipped Classroom: An instructional method that involves moving lecture content outside of the classroom and using active learning techniques during class time.
Instructional Design: The design of learning experiences guided by educational theories and best practices.
Mobile Learning: The purposeful application of mobile devices in teaching and learning, also called mLearning.
Ubiquitous Learning: The concept of anytime, anywhere learning that transcends formal and informal environments.
Socio-Materiality: An awareness of the equal impact of social (human) and material (non-human) effects.
Transactional Distance: The cognitive space between instructor and learner as opposed to just the geographic space.
Situated Learning: The use of authentic environments and activities during the learning process.