A Framework for Evaluating Tablet-based Educational Applications for Primary School Levels in Thailand

Abstract

When it comes to the use of mobile technology in the classroom, one of the major challenges for the teacher is finding suitable applications that appropriately match the topic of study. In most areas of education there are tools for evaluating teaching materials, but there are few tools for evaluating mobile technology in the classroom. The lack of evaluation methods means that for teachers, who are increasingly using tablets in the primary level classrooms, the results can be “hit or miss”. The aim of the study is to propose and describe a new framework that enables primary school teachers to evaluate tablet-based games effectively. The proposed framework is adapted from the four-dimensional framework (FDF). Thereby, supporting teachers in the choice of suitable tablet-based games to use in their classrooms that balance the essential aspects of student engagement (or playability) and learning achievement. A small case study is carried out based on the evaluation of 30 iPads STEM applications. The proposed framework can predict the initial pitfalls of technical and design issues in applications before class use. The successfully evaluated applications are used for the experiment at primary school in Thailand. The improvement of students’ learning skill, behavioral outcomes, and teachers’ perspectives are not considered in this study.

The Factors Influencing the Usage of Mobile Commerce among Rural Entrepreneurs in Peninsular Malaysia

“…Recently, the function of mobile devices is no longer just for communication purposes, but it is useful for information gathering, various commercial activities, business and financial transaction, as well as entertainment [3]. Nowadays, both teenagers and adults are using the mobile device internet facility, contributing to the possibility of the mobile commerce utilization which grows progressively [4] due to the free access and familiar with them [5]. In addition, [6] believed that the current digital revolution has led the people to engaged with mobile device in their daily lives.…”

A Proposed User Requirements Document for Children’s Learning Application

“…Children also feel fun and joy when conveying their desires by using a mobile-based app [38]. Applications were also made to facilitate the elicitation team in documenting requirements.…”

Employing Mobile Technologies to Investigate the Association Between Abstraction Skills and Performance in Environmental Studies in Early Primary School

“…Over the last decades, the growing development of mobile telecommunication technologies reshaped the daily life of the members of contemporary societies, structuring it around mobile gadgets and applications. Indeed, mobile devices and services are inextricably linked with modern public goods and contexts, such as mobile banking [1], mobile health care [2] and mobile learning (m-learning) [3], [4], [5]. As far as m-learning is concerned, it has become the object of interest of educators, researchers and policy-makers, opening up new venues for learning and educational assessment [5].…”