Assessment of academic achievements in m-learning

Abstract

The paper analyzes the teaching experiment regarding the use of mobile apps in the assessment of student learning. The study involved survey and self-description methods offered to students and instructors to assess the effectiveness of using mobile apps in learning. The study was conducted among 320 s-year students of the I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University and 8 instructors between September 1 and December 28, 2021, during the academic semester. Socrative and Plickers apps have been found to contribute to: better learning (φ* = 8.94, p ≤ 0.01); developing cognitive motivation among students resulting from diverse learning resources used with apps (φ* = 7.6, p ≤ 0.01); convenience of learning activities because students can work with the app both in the classroom and at home (φ* = 13.66, p ≤ 0.01); improved digital competence (φ* = 2.4, p ≤ 0.05). The research findings can be used by instructors in universities and secondary schools. Since didactic opportunities offered by mobile apps are quite significant, and considering other positive results of their use, this technology may be considered as an important tool for training young people and strengthening their cognitive motivation.Keywords Advantages and difficulties of using mobile apps for learning • Assessment of learning achievements • Didactic opportunities offered by mobile apps • Mobile app • Student-teacher interaction * Marina Lebedeva

Determinants of Economical High School Students’ Attitudes toward Mobile Devices Use

“…Some studies have analyzed the most relevant variables that influence the university students' attitude towards mobile technologies [56,57] or the determinants of the acceptance of mobile technologies among teachers [58]. On the technical side, other studies focus on tools and applications that can be used in mobile learning, as well as their benefits and limitations [4,24]. The use of mobile communication combined with internet tools create a stronger connection between instructor and student without increasing the pressure sometimes the student could feel from their instructors, a bond which might have the effect of increasing students' motivation [59].…”

“…There is a wide range of reasons why adopting m-learning techniques is important, which includes better access to resources and learning material and the possibility of flexible teaching and learning activities, mostly to be aligned with institutional and business aims [4,24,25]. Possible changes in teaching activities points to the ways in which teachers can use mobile devices as a support element in the teaching content [2,14], while flexible learning refers to the ways in which students have the opportunity to manage their learning activities, at times and places chosen by themselves [8,15,26].…”

“…For these technologies to align with educational institutions requires that they be economically efficient by reducing the costs of expensive hardware by adopting wireless technology and mobile learning, for example, and that they provide information to a large number of students regardless of their location [27]. In addition to these arguments that relate more to the practical and technical aspects of teaching-learning, it has been shown in various studies that m-learning has the potential, through different tools, to bring other benefits, such as strengthening cognitive motivation of students [24], of involvement and attention, etc. The benefits of m-learning were summarized in a systematic review by Saikat et al [3] as follows: the availability of resources, the improvement of communication, the development of the students' technical skills, a better operationalization of activities and, last but not least, financial benefits.…”