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INTRODUCTION
Defined as the use of mobile or wireless devices for the purpose of learning (Park, 2011), mobile learning is a highly researched area when looking to incorporate technology into the education system. Research has observed the way in which devices such as phones and iPads can be used to enhance academic engagement and achievement through applications relevant to topics being studied (Demir & Akpinar, 2018).
MOBILE LEARNING AND MATHEMATICS - PEDAGOGICAL APPROACH
More specifically, mathematics has been an area where mobile learning has been incorporated to boost achievement and motivation of learners (Hernawati & Jailani, 2019), where technologies including iPads and phones are being invested in to reshape the learning experience (Larkin & Calder, 2016). The aim of using mobile learning in mathematics is to build on a social constructivist pedagogy, where students are encouraged to collaborate with one another and through interpersonal interaction and a more personalized approach to learning, can develop stronger mathematical thinking skills (Calder & Murphy, 2018).
AFFORDANCES AND LEARNING EFFECTS
In particular, primary school students using iPads were found to have more positive feelings and attitudes towards mathematical tasks in comparison to those receiving traditional instruction (Singer, 2015). This was due to the temporal affordances in the accessibility of applications on the iPad, as well as access-control affordances that empowered students to create their own learning. The use of iPads also afforded students an element of novelty and challenge (Hilton, 2018). It provided teachers with the ability to synthesis and cater their teaching to a diverse group of learners who were at different levels of ability or were special needs, and provided media affordances, particularly to students who were more visual learners (Hilton, 2018).
Source: images taken by author.
FUTURE TEACHING...
Although the affordances and effects are positive in nature, some teachers have reported that although the innovation of mobile learning pedagogy provide greater connectivity and flexibility in teaching, it causes a disruption in traditional teaching approaches (Zhang & Yu, 2022). Furthermore, teachers have also reported needing further training on the features of iPads and mobile technologies to effectively use them in their lessons (Walsh & Farren, 2018). Addressing these issues with greater knowledge and support for teachers was believed to be critical in building a stronger foundation and understanding for the use of mobile technologies in the education system (Walsh & Farren, 2018). Through the potential for diverse teaching methods (Taleb et al., 2015), students gain more knowledge through the multimedia effect of learning through both traditional instruction and visual cues, in addition to the personalization effect as they can engage with content more independently to suit their capabilities and their needs.
Source: image taken from Google Sites.
References
Calder, N., & Murphy, C. (2018). How might apps reshape the mathematical learning experience? Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-90179-4_3
Demir, K., & Akpinar, E. (2018). The effect of mobile learning applications on students’ academic achievement and attitudes toward mobile learning. Malaysian Online Journal of Educational Technology 6(2). https://doi.org/10.17220/mojet.2018.04.004
Hernawati, K., & Jailani. (2019). Mathematics mobile learning with TPACK framework. Journal of Physics: Conference Series 1321. https://doi.org/10.1088/1742-6596/1321/2/022126
Hilton, A. (2018). Engaging primary school students in mathematics: can iPads make a difference? International Journal of Science and Mathematics Education 16, 145-165. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10763-016-9771-5
Larkin, K., & Calder, N. (2016). Mathematics education and mobile technologies. Mathematics Education Research Journal 28, 1-7. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13394-015-0167-6
Park, Y. (2011). A pedagogical framework for mobile learning: Categorizing educational applications of mobile technologies into four types. The International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning, 12(2), 78-102
Singer, J. (2015). The effects of iPad devices on elementary school students’ mathematics achievement and attitudes. College of Professional Studies – Northeastern University. https://repository.library.northeastern.edu/files/neu:rx917z558/fulltext.pdf
Taleb, Z., Ahmadi, A., & Musavi, M. (2015). The effect of m-learning on mathematics learning. Procedia: Social and Behavioral Sciences 171, 83-89. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2015.01.092
Walsh, V., & Farren, M. (2018). Teacher attitudes regarding barriers to meaningfully implementing iPads in a primary school setting. Computers in the Schools 1-19. https://doi.org/10.1080/07380569.2018.1462674
Zhang, J., & Yu, S. (2022). Assessing the innovation of mobile pedagogy from the teacher’s perspective. Sustainability 14. https://doi.org/10.3390/sui142315676
Background and header photos were obtained from Google Sites.
Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YzCXJWqVynU
Source: image taken by author.
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