ERIC Number: EJ892387
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2010
Pages: 24
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0830-0445
EISSN: N/A
Mobile Learning in Distance Education: Utility or Futility?
Koole, Marguerite; McQuilkin, Janice Letkeman; Ally, Mohamed
Journal of Distance Education, v24 n2 p59-82 2010
Can mobile technology improve flexibility and quality of interaction for graduate students in distance programs? This paper reports the results of an innovative study exploring the usability, learning, and social interaction of mobile access to online course materials at a Canadian distance education university. Through a system called MobiGlam, students accessed Moodle course materials on a variety of mobile devices. The Framework for the Rational Analysis of Mobile Education (FRAME) model (Koole, 2006) was used to examine the complexities of this mobile system, its perceived usefulness, and potential impact on distance students. The researchers recommend further study of the balance between the controls and constraints of social technologies and the needs of distance students. Is there a way to achieve a balance so as to encourage adaptation to new technologies and a greater sense of "connectedness" among learners? As a result of the study, the researchers remain supportive of "device-agnostic" mobile tools that permit the greatest freedom of choice to distance learners. (Contains 4 figures and 14 tables.)
Descriptors: Electronic Learning, Distance Education, Online Courses, Technology Uses in Education, Information Technology, Handheld Devices, Social Networks, Network Analysis, Likert Scales, Questionnaires, Instructional Effectiveness, Courseware, Foreign Countries, Computer Mediated Communication
Canadian Network for Innovation in Education. 260 Dalhousie Street Suite 204, Ottawa, ON K1N 7E4, Canada. Tel: 613-241-0018; Fax: 613-241-0019; e-mail: journalofde@gmail.com; Web site: http://www.jofde.ca
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Canada
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A