Mobile learning has been a research topic for some 20 years. Over that time it has encompassed a wide range of concepts, theories, designs, experiments and evaluations. With increasing interest in... Show More

Mobile learning has been a research topic for some 20 years. Over that time it has encompassed a wide range of concepts, theories, designs, experiments and evaluations. With increasing interest in mobile learning from researchers and practitioners, an accessible overview of this area of research that encapsulates its many facets and features can provide a useful snapshot of the field to interested parties. This article provides a summary of the field of mobile learning, applying the main analysis categories of research, technology, content, learning and learner. The author presents these categories and subcategories in the form of a mind map, which outlines the details of the major themes in mobile learning. In addition, the author contextualises the key developments in mobile learning in a timeline. The intent of this article is that it may serve as an introduction to the research field of mobile learning, enabling researchers to quickly familiarise themselves with the type of work that has been done in the past, and the potential areas of investigation that might prove fruitful in the future.

This paper describes the design and initial testing of AnswerPro, a mobile academic peer support system for school pupils aged 11-16 years. AnswerPro is a mobile optimised web application that... Show More

This paper describes the design and initial testing of AnswerPro, a mobile academic peer support system for school pupils aged 11-16 years. AnswerPro is a mobile optimised web application that enables pupils to seek support with school work from knowledgeable peers on various subjects. This paper presents research findings from the project, and in particular, details the design elements embedded within AnswerPro that are based upon teacher and pupil interviews examining motivation, and also from research into academic motivation. A pilot study was conducted with 7 school pupils over 3 weeks. Participants then engaged in a focus group, which discussed their experience using AnswerPro and the motivational elements embedded within it. The authors' findings highlighted some problems with the embedded motivational features. These findings have resulted in potential solutions for the next version of AnswerPro and design implications for practitioners intending to embed motivational elements in their own mobile learning tools.

This paper outlines an m-learning solution, ‘Global MedAid', which aims to provide learning resources and tools for personnel in various roles in disaster or emergency situations. It outlines the... Show More

This paper outlines an m-learning solution, ‘Global MedAid', which aims to provide learning resources and tools for personnel in various roles in disaster or emergency situations. It outlines the development process and presents the design considerations and solutions for developing a cross-platform application combining a wide range of media types for on-line and off-line use, depending on whether or not there is access to a data signal. The design process took into account current mobile health and related applications, addressing the ways in which both educational resources and performance support tools could be combined and accessed in the field. The paper also shows how partners and users have been involved in the design process and in the evolution of the app. The resulting Proof of Concept has been evaluated with over a hundred users across 21 countries, and initial findings show that users thought it was both useful and effective.

The use of mobile technology in language learning has increased considerably, with an unprecedented adoption of mobile tablets in K-12 and higher education settings. Despite the number of recent... Show More

The use of mobile technology in language learning has increased considerably, with an unprecedented adoption of mobile tablets in K-12 and higher education settings. Despite the number of recent small-scale studies that have found increased student motivation and engagement in learning as a result of using mobile tablets, there is a need to further examine the impact of these devices on student learning. This paper describes a study of 370 high-school graduate students learning English as a second language using the iPad in an intensive academic preparation program. The study utilised an online survey and student exam scores at the end of the 16-week treatment. Results of the self-reported data showed increased student motivation and engagement in English learning activities. Results were correlated with self-reported data and regression analysis models demonstrated that use of the iPad for specific English learning tasks correlated with better exam performance.

Although the motivating role of feedback and progress indicators is understood in formal learning, their role in supporting incidental mobile learning is less well understood. In this paper we argue... Show More

Although the motivating role of feedback and progress indicators is understood in formal learning, their role in supporting incidental mobile learning is less well understood. In this paper we argue that well-designed feedback and progress indicators (FPIs) offer guidance and structure that may encourage mobile app users to move from fragmented learning episodes towards a longer term, reflective learning journey. Drawing from relevant literature we consider how FPIs can be used in the EU-funded MASELTOV project which explores how a suite of smartphone apps can support recent immigrants to Europe to become integrated in their new cities. These apps allow learning episodes to be part of daily activities and interactions. The authors discuss what kinds of FPIs should be provided and introduce the SCAMP model which emphasises five types of FPIs- Social, Cognitive, Affective, Motivational and Progress. Finally, the authors provide examples of FPIs that will be used in the MASELTOV project.