Exploring the Challenges of Supporting Collaborative Mobile Learning

Abstract

Mobile technology opens up opportunities for collaborative learning in otherwise remote contexts outside the classroom. A successful realization of these opportunities relies, however, on mobile learning activities providing adequate collaboration structures. This article presents an empirical study aimed at examining the role played by mobile devices, teachers and task structures as a means for collaborative learning in geometry. The study focused on the analysis of the nature of collaboration that unfolded when students measured areas outdoors in the field. The analysis of the mobile learning activity was conducted from an Activity theory perspective. The findings obtained indicate that the collaboration observed may be impaired if: 1) the functionalities needed for collaborative problem-solving are asymmetrically distributed on a number of mobile devices; 2) task-related information is not accessible to all learners; 3) the task structure is not sufficiently complex; 4) teacher scaffolding is too readily available; and 5) necessary collaborative skills are not developed.

A Qualitative Analysis of Participant Learning and Growth Using a New Outward Bound Outcomes Instrument

“…Part-time instructors who had limited access to mobile devices were less experienced and less comfortable with them than those who either were assigned or owned a mobile device. This finding is important in light of research by Eliasson et al (2011) and Nouri et al (2011), who found that mobile technologies get in the way of outdoor education if insufficient time is spent considering the role of the devices and desired communication and collaboration with them. To effectively integrate mobile technologies, instructors must have sustained access and training.…”

“…Additionally, mobile devices may serve as distractions to learning if the environment is not adequately designed (Eliasson, Cerratto-Pargman, Nouri, Spikol, & Ramberg, 2011;. These authors found that mobile devices can interfere with student interactions in the physical environment because of the many apps, tools, and features on the device Nouri et al, 2011). Additionally, they found that interpersonal communication and collaboration can be compromised by mobile devices if the learning tasks are not planned effectively Nouri et al, 2011).…”

MADE-mlearn: marco para el análisis, diseño y evaluación de experiencias de m-learning

“…El aprendizaje colaborativo puede ser considerado como una estrategia efectiva para promover los logros de los alumnos, el pensamiento de orden superior, habilidades de argumentación y explicación, autonomía, interdependencia, retención, resolución de problemas, auto-regulación y uso de estrategias metacognitivas (Roseth, Johnson y Johnson, 2008;Nouri, Cerratto-Pargman, Eliasson y Ramberg, 2011).…”

“…Colaborative Learning) introduce tecnología digital en las tareas de aprendizaje colaborativo. Esto trae aparejado los beneficios enunciados en el párrafo anterior sumados a: aumento de la motivación y mejoras de los procesos de elaboración, diálogo, debate, pensamiento divergente (Dillenbourg, Järvelä y Fischer, 2009;Nouri et al, 2011).…”

“…Como se mencionó en el Capítulo 2, el CSCL es una estrategia efectiva para promover en los estudiantes el pensamiento de orden superior, habilidades de argumentación y explicación, autonomía, retención, resolución de problemas, entre otras competencias (Nouri et al, 2011;Roseth et al, 2008). Además, al basarse en el uso de TIC, tiene beneficios en el aprendizaje como: motivación, habilidades de diálogo y debate, auto-regulación, procesos metacognitivos y pensamiento divergente (Nouri et al, 2011;Dillenbourg et al, 2009). Si la tecnología que se escoge como elemento de mediación de este tipo de aprendizaje son los dispositivos móviles, entonces el CSCL es móvil.…”