The use of mobile phones for teaching and learning in schools has been a controversial matter. In this paper the debate in two Swedish newspapers on the use of mobile phones in schools is analysed... Show More

The use of mobile phones for teaching and learning in schools has been a controversial matter. In this paper the debate in two Swedish newspapers on the use of mobile phones in schools is analysed using a historical materialist framework. The results are discussed in relation to contemporary research on mobile learning. The analysis reveals that the debate has been a consequence of a conflict of control of the process of learning in schools. Statements from the stakeholders in the debate indicate that it primarily has been a conflict between those who rule school, the legislators, and those who are ruled, the school staff and the pupils. Knowledge of this could contribute to the understanding of difficulties occurring when implementing a mobile learning concept in the educational system.

Portable multimedia devices shape the intensity of intercultural contacts not only through content consumption but also through content creation. Enabling learners to participate in content exchange... Show More

Portable multimedia devices shape the intensity of intercultural contacts not only through content consumption but also through content creation. Enabling learners to participate in content exchange via the Web 2.0 paradigm (audiences as both media consumers and media creators) can be employed to create new forms of acquiring knowledge. This study demonstrates an application of m-learning in a situated in-the-field examination of cultural diversity with the Linguistic Landscape approach. The application is shown from the pedagogical perspective of authentic, informal learning activities conducted in the framework of connectivism. The examination of cultural diversity is conducted in the context of a local environment, i.e. a location familiar to learners. This paper presents a scenario of m-learning activities intended to demonstrate that cultural awareness is often biased by subjective perspectives and stereotypes. Autonomous discovery of this phenomenon results in elevation of learners' openness toward other cultures, which contributes to intercultural competence development.

This paper examines the school-wide introduction of the tablet computer as a mobile learning tool in a secondary school in Belgium. Drawing upon the Decomposed Theory of Planned Behavior, we... Show More

This paper examines the school-wide introduction of the tablet computer as a mobile learning tool in a secondary school in Belgium. Drawing upon the Decomposed Theory of Planned Behavior, we question during three waves of data collection which factors influence teachers' and students' acceptance and use of these devices for educational purposes. The first wave indicated that attitudes towards the rollout are generally positive. Teachers and students are intrinsically motivated, welcoming it as an instrumental, and for students enjoyable, learning tool. However students do report feelings of social pressure. While after three months, the prior expectations hold up for both stakeholders, results of the third wave show a different pattern. Teachers' acceptance seems to be related to attaining a positive attitude, social influence and the sense to master the new technology while regarding students' results; only behavioral control remains significant. These results challenge teaching practices and invite manifold areas for further research.

The study presented is part of a work-in-progress project of developing a mobile application for smartphones, Talking Tools (TT). The first context TT is developed for and tested in is sloyd... Show More

The study presented is part of a work-in-progress project of developing a mobile application for smartphones, Talking Tools (TT). The first context TT is developed for and tested in is sloyd education [Swedish: slöjd], a compulsory subject taught in Finnish schools. In sloyd learners design and manufacture unique artifacts in various materials (textiles, wood, metal, and electronics). The process-based work flow of sloyd lends itself well to this kind of educational tool, which aids multimodal documentation, communication, and instruction. The empirical study targets what student teachers (N=11) microblogged about and the character of the blog posts during a sloyd project. A sociocultural perspective of appropriating new tools for learning is used as a theoretical frame, as well as views on multimodality and transmedia. Their sloyd process is discussed in terms of transmedia storybuilding, as learners build their own story as a flow of content through their documentation and interactions.

This paper describes three case studies, where language learners were invited to use “LingoBee” as a means of supporting their language learning. LingoBee is a mobile app that provides... Show More

This paper describes three case studies, where language learners were invited to use “LingoBee” as a means of supporting their language learning. LingoBee is a mobile app that provides user-generated language content in a cloud-based shared repository. Assuming that today's students are mobile savvy and “Digital Natives” able to engage in language learning autonomously using technology, initial studies were conducted with little or no intervention by the language teachers. However, the support and guidance provided within a teacher-led context can impact positively on learner engagement and use of LingoBee. The authors discuss this hypothesis using three case studies conducted in three European countries, within the EU LLP project SIMOLA, Situated Mobile Language Learning. This paper answers the research question: Does the level of the support and guidance, pedagogical approach and prior learning impact on learners' engagement and use of LingoBee? An earlier version of this paper was presented at the IADIS Mobile Learning 2013 conference.