Parsons and his contributors address the types of mobile and blended learning innovations that might lead to improved learning outcomes. They explore the key characteristics of both blended and mobile learning and find through their analyses that both types of learning encompass complex interactions between technologies, pedagogies, contexts and individuals, providing an almost limitless set of opportunities for innovative work that explores new ways to teach and learn.
– ProtoView Reviews
This is a formidable look at evolving trends in contemporary education. Available in print and as an e-book, the 366-page volume is part of the Advances in Mobile and Distance Learning (AMDL) Book Series. Editor David Parson of “The Mind Lab by Unitec” of New Zealand has ample background in academia and the IT industry. Parsons was aided in selection of content by reviewers and studies were chosen based on timeliness and authority in learning and innovation.
The front matter includes a “Detailed Table of Contents” which gives effective narrative for each of the 15 chapters. The chapters are organized into the following sections; Blended Learning, Mobile Learning, Mobile and Blended Learning, and Literature Reviews. Chapters are written by researchers and include useful headings such as Hypothesis Testing, Implications, and Conclusion and Further Testing as well as more common subtopics. Black-and-white photos, figures, and tables further data significance for research.
Pedagogies today are continually in a state of evolution and Mobile and Blended Learning Innovations for Improved Learning Outcomes compiles the latest technologies and pedagogies with analysis and suggested further study for use in blended and mobile learning models. With many junctures to blending and mobile references in the solid index, researchers will also discover other learning styles such as scaffold learning and active learning. Learning studies and pedagogical frameworks, with many experiential opportunities, will give readers significant fodder for innovation in learning. Electronic learning, mobile technologies, case studies, learning styles, and specific programs all contribute to this comprehensive and much needed collection.
Learning is no longer a traditional brick and mortar process. Classrooms are now blended with mediated instruction and technology, and oftentimes education is completely portable using digital devices and online resources. Education today incorporates all of this as well as the added importance of interaction between parents, cultures, peers, and caregivers for a strong foundation of higher order thinking. In a global society with complex learning options and needs for the job force, the compilation of many innovations and the springboard for further investigation makes this a compelling resource.
Recommended for higher education institutions,
is very useful to professors, researches, and students. This is also a valuable tool for those seeking authoritative studies on the intertwining of education and technology in school administration, global studies, and other applications.
– Janis Minshull, ARBA Reviews