A Comprehensive Analysis of Mobile Learning - Case Study Example

Number Subject Name Lecturer’s Name Mobile Learning Due date Date Submitted Mobile Learning Mobile learning, also referred to as the m-learning refers to the interaction of education and learning activities, which are delivered through mobile technology. Rao, Sasidhar and Kumar (2012) indicated that it is the learning across many contexts, through content and social interactions by the use of personal electronic devices. It is a form of e-learning distance education, where the learners, who are generally referred to as the m-learners uses the mobile devices education technology, at their convenient locations. In relation to this, the present paper presents a comprehensive analysis of mobile learning. The analysis will start by a brief description of mobile learning. The paper then presents a comprehensive case study of mobile learning and later, an analysis of mobile learning will be demonstrated, through its application in the learning environment. Mobile Learning There are various software devices, which can be applied to advance mobile learning. The software includes the mobile applications, which are specifically designed and applied for learning purposes. There is also other device, which are not specifically designed for that purpose, but can also be adopted to extend the program. Wong (2012) indicated that mobile learning applies various hardware. These include handheld personal computers, mobile phones, notebooks, iPads, and tablets. It also involves the application devices such as iPod touch, which helps in running the mobile applications. The use of mobile learning is convenient and natural fit for field activities and distributing learning, since the learners almost everywhere can use the handheld tools. Some of the advantages associated with mobile learning are that the learner can access the learning materials at his or her own convenience. In addition, there is instantaneous sharing of information and contents among everyone. As a result, there is a reception of instant learning feedbacks and tips. According to Cheon, Lee, Crooks and Song (2012), mobile learning has indicated the capacity to increase examination scores, with between fifteen and seventeen percentile to students who apply the program. In addition, statistics have indicated that mobile learning reduces the dropouts of student taking technical fields, by approximately twenty two percent. .Mobile Learning Case Study: Mobile Learning platform in Warsash Superyacht Academy Warsash Superyacht Academy is an initiative started by the Warsash Maritime Academy and the University of Southampton. The academy is led by the vision of offering high quality academic training geared towards meeting the expanding international demands for the captains, crews, and officers. As part of their learning program, the students spend most of their time aboard all over the world. Previously, the student used to take their learning materials with themselves, as they travelled worldwide. Provision of up to date printed learning materials to their students before they aboard the yachts was quite time consuming. Further, it was an expensive activity for the academy. In addition, organizing for learning materials so that the students can collect them when they arrive at a particular port proved a problem. As a way of providing their students with the up to date and high quality learning materials, whenever needed and whenever they are, Warsash decided to introduction and adoption of the mobile learning solution. A reported by its director, the program has proved successful and helpful to the company since its inception. The program was started by market evaluation, where a CM Group was selected to develop and deploy the corporate and learning communication application, to enable the student to access the learning materials through via an iPad. Because of the learning environment of the students, who were on board yachts in more of their time, and probably stopping at different ports for a short period, the use of iPad application provided the student with an opportunity to access the learning materials whenever they are, at their own convenience. The instructors were able to update the students with up to date learning and referencing materials, regardless of the time zone and location. The students were requested to be downloading their learning materials, one they connect their iPad to the internet, and then read the materials when they are offline. Further, the application facilitated sending of update notifications, latest news and learning materials to the student. The CM Group, which was contracted by the academy, provided a complete end-to-end mobile learning solution for the Warsash Academy. The m-learning solution included installation of a custom application known as luminosity mentor, which could be downloaded by students on their iPads. The application provided an interactive and intuitive learning interface, accompanied with a smooth and comfortable learning environment. In the implementation of the program, the application was aimed to a full integration of the academy corporates branding. The application was efficient for the communication and learning, since it could be applied for other learning devices, windows 8tablets, iPhones, phones, Android tablets and phones. The CM Group also offered its luminosity motion application mobile learning platform, for centrally managing the targeting and delivery of communication and learning materials to the chosen group of students. According to the Lars Lippuners’s comments, a business development manager at Warsash, he indicated that the luminous mentor application was perfectly fit for them, due to its modern look and feel. Considering the organization perspective, the manager said that the application would help the academy to reduce the cost and time consumed in production, updating and distribution of paper based learning material. In addition, considering the students perspective, they indicated that the application reduced the need to carry heavy and large volume paper based learning materials while they are travelling globally. Warsash academy launched its corporate and learning communication applications at Monaco Yacht Show. After the launch of the new learning program, Warsash was considered the first superyacht academy to help its students to incorporate mobile learning in its program. The program enabled its students to access its Warsash news, learning materials and facilitated social media communication among themselves. As an organization, Warsash committed itself to provididing the learning solutions, and the student learning experience, which was beyond the experience of both the students and instructors in general. Further, the program enabled the academy to continue leading in the in innovation, as well as maintaining its competitive advantage in the market. The director of the academy indicated that Warsash has been top as a world class provider of the innovation, maritime education, as well as research and development. Further, the use of mobile learning application has increased the reputation of the company, improved the learning of the students as well as increasing the information sharing between the students and their instructors. Because of the success of luminosity mentor mobile learning application, the academy was now considering extending the application to a wider spectrum of the academy audience. Further, the academy was considering incorporating the program to the mobile devices. Application of Mobile Learning Technology to enhance Learning From the above analysis and the case study presented, mobile learning is more effective in advancing education in various learning fields. One of the most effective application of mobile learning is the distance leaning offered and conducted in many institutions of higher learning. Distance learning is my proposed are of teaching, where the students undertakes their studies without physically attending to school. It involves a situation where the instructors and students communicate through internet-enabled mechanism, such as email, skype ad social media means. In such learning programme, mobile learning could play a significant part, using mobile applications such luminous mentor, which was applied in the above case study. Under the approaches, the classroom application could involve the combined use of the handheld computers, smartphones and PDAs, which could be accompanied with traditional materials for clarifications where applicable. Under the class management, the mobile devices applied in mobile learning, the m-leaning applications can help to enhance group collaboration among the students, by the use of video features, interactive display and communication applications (Wu, Wu, Chen, Kao, Lin and Huang, 2012). Implementation of mobile learning in distance learning programs would help the students to replace the cumbersome resources, such as visual aids, textbooks as well as presentation technology. In addition, program has an interactive and multi-mode technology, which allows the student undertaking a distance-learning program to engage and manipulate information. According to Hwang and Chang, (2011), mobile learning is most suitable for distance education, or those students whose courses require ten to be travelling in most of their time. The technology would help to maintain a comprehensive information communication, regarding various issues such as examinations, venue changes, and assignments among others. Further, Park (2011) advocated that the use of mobile learning have a strong portability, facilitated by various small devices, which are filled with updated learning contents. Further, the program is advantageous as it can effectively be conducted by the use inexpensive opportunities. These opportunities include the mobile devices, which are significantly cheaper as compared to the laptops and personal computers. In addition to this, there is a decrease in training cost. However, Cheon, Lee, Crooks and Song (2012) advanced that there are technical, social and educational challenges associated with the mobile learning. These challenges include the presence of digital divide, which results to cost and accessibility barriers. Further, different distance learning students have varying conceptual capabilities, which may be advanced by the use of mobile learning. Tracking results and the proper and efficient use of these devices is a challenge under the current program. In addition, there is a significant disruption of the students’ academic and personal lives. For better understanding of mobile leaning, the following is a case study demonstrating its application in a learning context. Bibliography Cheon, J., Lee, S., Crooks, S. M., & Song, J. (2012). An investigation of mobile learning readiness in higher education based on the theory of planned behavior.Computers & Education, 59(3), 1054-1064. Hwang, G. J., & Chang, H. F. (2011). A formative assessment-based mobile learning approach to improving the learning attitudes and achievements of students. Computers & Education, 56(4), 1023-1031. Park, Y. (2011). A pedagogical framework for mobile learning: Categorizing educational applications of mobile technologies into four types. The International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning, 12(2), 78-102. Rao, N. M., Sasidhar, C., & Kumar, V. S. (2012). Cloud computing through mobile- learning. arXiv preprint arXiv:1204.1594. Wong, L. H. (2012). A learner‐centric view of mobile seamless learning. British Journal of Educational Technology, 43(1), E19-E23. Wu, W. H., Wu, Y. C. J., Chen, C. Y., Kao, H. Y., Lin, C. H., & Huang, S. H. (2012). Review of trends from mobile learning studies: A meta-analysis.Computers & Education, 59(2), 817-827. Read More