How m-learning supports flexible and reflective

learning in Higher Education

Created by Leonor Silva de Mattos and Herminia Alonso

• Leonor Silva de Mattos – BA Administration, BABA SDL Programme Coordinator

• Herminia Alonso – Module Leader, Issues in the Global Economy

The researchers

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• Flexible and mobile learning: vehicles for reflective learningand critical thinking?

• Our project, including:

• Preliminary research and analysis• Pinterest: what is it?• Using Pinterest in academia• Next steps for this research

Today we will briefly introduce…

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Literature Review

‘Flexible Learning is about providing learners with choices regarding when, where and how learning occurs (the pace, place, and mode of delivery).’

HEA (2013)

‘It aims to attract and meet the needs of a wider range of students and stakeholders –including employers – and make full use of the opportunities to enhance learning and

teaching offered by learning technology’HEFCE (2010)

‘ (...) flexible-learning tends to be student-centred, rather than teacher centred (...) [and can] include: students’ collaboration with peers and/or practitioners in the field, provision

of ample resources, (...) and greater emphasis on generic skills (e.g. thinking meta-cognitive, problem solving.’

Chen (2003:25)

Flexible Learning

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According to the HEA, there are 4 flexible learning strands:

• Employer Engagement (work-based learning)• Online Learning (technology-enhanced learning)• Transfer of Credit• Part-time learning and learners

(HEA, 2013)

Flexible Learning

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M- Learning

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There is no exact definition for mobile learning (M-learning). Concepts generally used to the define this termare focused on:

- devices and technologies;

- mobility of learners and the mobility of learning, and

- learners’ experience of learning with mobile devices.

(Mobl21.com, n.d.)

Reflective Learning and Critical Thinking

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Learning ‘involves detection and correction of error (Argyris andSchön, 1978:2; Smith, 2001).

Single-loop learning vs. Double-loop learning

Source: http://www.afs.org/blog/icl/?p=2653

• Reflective Learning develops ‘critical thinking, self-awareness, and analytical skills’ (HEA, 2009)

• Web-based tools expose students to valid and relevantelements of reflection throughout the course of their learning(Silva de Mattos, 2014)

Web-based tools are well known to enhance student reflection, critical thinking, and even help with group

work!

Reflective Learning and Critical Thinking

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About this Project

• To identify the main channels used by student to accesscourse materials and conduct their independentresearch;

• To investigate pedagogic approaches linked to flexiblelearning, and assess how Pinterest can enhance thelearning experience of distance learning students;

• To assess Pinterest as an enabler for m-learning andflexible learning, particularly in the contexts ofassessment and reflective learning.

Objectives

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• Step 1: Understanding students’ current access and use of technologyQuestionnaire’s objectives: understand the technologies that students registered for this module have access to and what technologies students use most for their learning

• Step 2: Student reflectionInformation from the students’ individual reflection will be used and compared to the students’ Pinterest board (quality of pins, relevance to the topic, and overall learning).

• Step 3: Understand students’ overall experience on flexible mobile learningStudents will be asked to complete a questionnaire at the end of the module about positive and negative aspects of the task set

About this Study – Key Steps

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Understanding students’ current access and use of

technology

Step 1: Analysis

• Level 6 Issues in the Global Economy, BABA SDL programme was selected for the study. Semester B 2013/14• Countries taking this module and involved in the

research: UK, Trinidad, Mauritius, Singapore and Ireland

• Total number of students: 163• Total number of groups: 37

• Students were asked to use the group discussion section on Studynet and Pinterest as part of their assessment

• We are still in the process of collecting all the data

Variables of this Research

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Registered Students andCompleted Questionnaires

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Age Group

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Place of Study

Internet Access..

..Internet Access

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..Internet Access

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About Students’ Computer Equipment

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About Students’ Computer Equipment

About Social Networking Sites

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Your Overall Access to Technology

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• Step 1: Understanding students’ current access and use of technologyQuestionnaire’s objectives: understand the technologies that students registered for this module have access to and what technologies students use most for their learning

• Step 2: Student reflection – Submission deadline: 6th MayInformation from the students’ individual reflection will be used and compared to the students’ Pinterest board (quality of pins, relevance to the topic, and overall learning).

• Step 3: Understand students’ overall experience on flexible mobile learningStudents will be asked to complete a questionnaire at the end of the module about positive and negative aspects of the task set

About this Study – Key Steps

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About Pinterest

– Pin your Interests –

• It is an online tool used to collect and organise ideas,undertake research and create all sorts of projects.

• It is about ‘social bookmarking’ , but much more visual. Itoffers better ways to store your important links andreferences – everything can be categorised and stored inpublic or private folders to review and/or read later.

• Can be accessed from a laptop, a computer, asmartphone (via web browser or application)

What is Pinterest?

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• Group work (10% ) – Pinterest (5%) and Group discussion on Studynet (5%)Students were expected to weekly engage into collecting and organising research on Pinterest, and contribute to the group discussion on Studynet.

• Assignment One (20%) – Group Assignment2,000 word essay on a choice of two topics previously discussed in Pinterest and Studynet

• Assignment Two (70%) – Individual Assignment• Essay, 1,500 word (55%)• Reflection on SA1, 400 words (5%)• Reflection on how Pinterest and the group discussion section on

studynet have enabled the student to communicate and discuss the weekly topics with your group, 600 words (10%)

Assessment –Issues in the Global Economy

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As a group, you are going to be assessed on:

•Quality of the links created 1 Mark•Accuracy of the description of what the pins are about 2 Marks•Originality of the content 1 Mark•How current and relevant the pins are 1 Mark•TOTAL MARKS 5%

Links should come from reputable sources. This means genuine corporate or organisational websites, governmental websites,

academic publications and/or websites. Youtube links to relevant documentaries and infographics are also acceptable.

How students will be assessed

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Pinterest & Group Discussion on Studynet

STEP 2: Reflective Learning

• create a Pinterest account for their group• create a board• follow the Module Leader board • pin relevant articles, news, etc onto their own

board

LINK: Student’s Work, Pinterest

What students were expected to do on Pinterest

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• The majority of student enrolled in the BABA SDL (whichis a part-time programme) is mature and working, andthey have access to a wide variety of technology.

• The most popular mobile technologies amongst studentssurveyed are laptops and smart phones, spending anaverage 3-5 hours a day connected.

• They have accounts on Facebook and Pinterest, and theyare happy with the level and the quality of technologyavailable to them for the purpose of their studies.

Key findings so far...

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• Finish collecting the data

• Make further links with the literature review

• Share and discuss further with colleagues

• Consider if Pinterest usage can be considered as anelement of assessment, and if so, the weighing it shouldhave as part of the students’ learning process.

STEP 3 …and beyond

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Q&A

Thanks for listening

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• Smith, M. K. (2001, 2013). ‘Chris Argyris: theories of action, double-loop learning and organizational learning’, the encyclopedia of informal education. [http://infed.org/mobi/chris-argyris-theories-of-action-double-loop-learning-and-organizational-learning/. Retrieved: March, 2014]

• Argyris, M. and Schön, D. (1974) Theory in Practice. Increasing professional effectiveness, San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Landmark statement of ‘double-loop’ learning’ and distinction between espoused theory and theory-in-action.

• High Education Academy (HEA) (2009) ‘Reflective Learning’, Available from: http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/hlst/resources/a-zdirectory/reflectivelearning

• High Education Academy (HEA) (2013). ‘Group Work’, Available from http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/resources/detail/internationalisation/ISL_Group_Work

• Silva de Mattos, L (2014) ‘Blogs in Higher Education: encouraging self-reflective learning in group assessments for Business Students’. Blended Learning in Practice, available from researchprofiles.herts.ac.uk/portal/services/.../2945083/906791.pdf

• Mobl21.com (n.d.) ‘Mobile Learning Basics’, available from http://www.mobl21.com/Basics_Of_Mobile_Learning.pdf

References

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