learning with mobile devices - perceptions of students and teachers in lower secondary schools in...

Learning with Mobile Devices , Austria M. Grimus & M. Ebner

LEARNING WITH MOBILE DEVICES Perceptions of Students and Teachers in Lower Secondary Schools in Austria Margarete Grimus & Martin Ebner Graz University of Technology, Austria

Research in Austria

Mobile Devices

School Learning

Teachers

Prospec6ve Teachers

Pupils

Participants in 2013 157 teacher candidates 22 teachers 84 pupils, 10 – 14 y

Participants in 2009 20 teachers 1075 pupils


Research Questions

Pupils age 10 – 14 years

Prospective Teachers

ED-Media Tampere June 2014

•  Ownership of device •  Perceptions •  General Use

•  Attitudes and perceptions of learning •  with mobile phones

Learning with Mobile Devices , Austria M. Grimus & M. Ebner ED-Media Tampere June 2014

Pupils Ownership of Mobile Phones

2013 with •  Camera •  Bluetooth •  Memory……

52 % Internet access

Learning with Mobile Devices , Austria M. Grimus & M. Ebner ED-Media Tampere June 2014

Usage - Pupils

Increase of Internet Browsing E-Mails


Usage Pupils

Survey year 2009 2013 2009 2013 2009 2013 2009 2013 Purpose never rarely often regularly

SMS 4% 20% 25% 47% Photo/Video 6% 24% 40% 25% Internet Surfing 71% 15% 5% 4% E-Mails 81% 9% 2% 2%



Usage of mobile phones for learning (2013)


2013 total never rarely often frequently

At school 64% 25% 6% 6%

At home, on transfer 32% 39% 23% 6%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

frequently sometimes rarely never

Learning with mobile phones Girls at home, on transfer

at school

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

frequently sometimes rarely never

Learning with mobile phones Boys at home, on transfer

at school


Learning with mobile phones (2013)

Girls Boys


0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

at school at home, on transfer

never

rarely

sometimes

frequently

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

at school at home, on transfer

never

rarely

sometimes

frequently


Pupils‘ Comments in regard of learning in class teachi´ng

Benefits •  Using the calculator •  Find more relevant information

( „in addition to what is offered in lessons‘“)

•  Less handwriting •  Less books to carry •  Apps and tools to support

learning

•  Learn more about proper use of mobile phones

Challenges •  Distraction •  Cheating •  No clear guidelines


25% of the pupils expect improvements in learning

achievements by use of mobile phones in class teaching


Teachers Teacher Candidates (n=157)


All mobile digital immigrants (def. by Prensky )

Ownership 100 % mobile phone 86 % computer 73% laptop or netbook 55 % tablet computer 81% can access Internet with

Mobile Phone +9 % with WiFi

81 % Digital natives (younger than 30 years)

Ownership 100 % mobile phone 54 % computer 91 % laptop or netbook 17 % tablet computer 81% can access Internet with Mobile

Phone +8% with WiFi

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Teacher

> 50 y

41 - 50 y

31 - 40 y

Survey 2013


Comments 2013 Teacher

Only about a third expect that mobile learning will play an important role in the future

Challenge Lack of technical

support Nearly no appreciation of offering

material for learning material for mobile phones

Teacher Candidates 57 % have no experience with mobile

learning 34 % already used a mobile phone for

some kind of learning 66 % perception of mobile learning in

the future. Benefit:

flexibility, less paper, lighter schoolbags.

Challenge: control, costs (Internet, apps). Time to prepare useful learning material, management and service



B.Y.O.D. (Bring Your Own Device)


BYOD can be used for free in schools and at the same time save the education system a vast amount of funds.

Preferable to showing them how to use them properly as a life skill (Life skills = responsibility of educators)

•  online safety •  instruction on the amount of technological power and applications, •  figuring out ways to deal with potential students’ abuse.

Low income groups have less chance to use own computers or laptops for learning,

•  Due to the fact that mobile phones are owned by the students there is no need for financing more computer-labs or laptops.

1:1 means portability and always-available


Discussion Youth and Mobiles •  Ownership of device

(smartphones) •  Costs decreasing (flatrate) •  Mobile online (73 %) •  Internet (179 min. / day, JIM 2013)

•  Fast connections, anytime

Used for social networking, gaming, interactive entertainment

Lack of knowledge for use for learning

School Benefits: •  Situated learning (here

and now) •  Authetic contexts •  21st century demands

Challenges •  Distraction, disruptive •  Lack of didadical support •  Lack of material for K12

education (subjects)



Discussion cont.

Guidelines Besides the media-enactment of

the ministry of education there is a need of guidelines for

•  best practice of mobile device in schools

•  risks of mobile communication and social networks

•  New educational policies

Teacher Education Rethink curriculum •  Advanced training •  didactical aspects •  online safety and proper use •  Cooperative learning models

•  continuing training (professional development)



Conclusions

Hands-on use of technology is the easiest thing for students to learn on their own

Children must be trained to take advantage of the opportunities presented by modern technologies


Use the 21st century technology to enable 21st century knowledge

More Resarch!

Learning with Mobile Devices , Austria M. Grimus & M. Ebner EdMedia Helsinki June 2014

Graz University of Technology

SOCIAL LEARNINGComputer and Information Services

Graz University of Technology

Martin Ebner

http://[email protected]

Slides available at: http://elearningblog.tugraz.at

mebner