scholarly journals Supporting Student-Initiated Mobile Device Use in Online Learning

2021 ◽  
Vol 25 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Karen Milheim ◽  
Christy Fraenza ◽  
Kim Palermo-Kielb

Understanding the experiences of students who self-initiate mobile device use for online courses or course-related activities provides institutions with valuable insights. In this study, we report how students enrolled in online courses in higher education voluntarily used mobile devices for their coursework and course-related activities, the challenges in using these devices, and how they managed those challenges. We surveyed 103 college students enrolled in one or more fully online courses regarding their habits in using mobile devices for online learning. Findings reveal most participants use mobile devices for convenience, portability, and overall ease of use. The way the devices are used for course-related activities varies, however, with reasons ranging from taking notes and reading course materials, to downloading those materials, communicating, socializing, and other purposes. Challenges when using these devices often relate to access issues and overall limitations of the technology. Yet, despite these limitations, some reported that, depending on the task, even though using a mobile device often took longer compared to a laptop or PC, the convenience of using it was a greater benefit. Participants were surveyed about their experiences prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, providing additional perspectives for possible future research focused on emergency circumstances to remote teaching or alternative forms of instruction. Additionally, this study provides a foundation of how and why students choose to use mobile devices for coursework and in what ways they may need support from their institutions related to their use.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tarja Heponiemi ◽  
Anu Kaihlanen ◽  
Kia Gluschkoff ◽  
Kaija Saranto ◽  
Sari Nissinen ◽  
...  

BACKGROUND Mobile devices such as tablets and smartphones are increasingly used in health care in many developed countries. Nurses form the largest group in health care that uses electronic health records (EHRs) and their mobile versions. Mobile devices are suggested to promote nurses’ workflow, constant updating of patient information and improve the communication within the health care team. However, little is known about their effect on nurses’ wellbeing. OBJECTIVE The present study aimed to examine the association of mobile device use of the EHR with nurses’ perceived time pressure, stress related to information systems (SRIS) and self-rated stress. Moreover, we examined whether mobile device use modifies the associations of EHR usability (ease of use and technical quality), experience in using EHRs and number of systems in daily use with these wellbeing indicators. METHODS The present study was a cross-sectional population-based survey study among 3,610 Finnish registered nurses gathered in 2020. The associations were examined using analyses of covariance and logistic regression adjusted for age, gender and employment sector (hospital, primary care, social service and other). RESULTS Those who used mobile version of their EHR had higher levels of time pressure ( F(1)= 14.96, p < .001) and SRIS ( F(1)= 6.11, p = .01) compared to those who did not use mobile versions. Moreover, the interactions of mobile device use with experience in using EHRs (F(1) = 14.93, p < .001), ease of use (F(1) = 10.16, p = .001) and technical quality (F(1) = 6.45, p = .01) were significant for SRIS. Inexperience in using EHRs, low levels of ease of use and technical quality were associated with higher SRIS and this association was more pronounced among those who used mobile devices. That is, the highest levels of SRIS were perceived among those who used mobile devices and were inexperienced EHR users, perceived low levels of ease of use or low levels of technical quality of their EHR. CONCLUSIONS According to our results it seems that at the moment mobile device use is not beneficial for the nurses’ wellbeing. In addition, mobile device use seems to intensify the negative effects of usability problems of the EHRs. Especially inexperienced users of EHRs seem be at disadvantage when using mobile devices. Thus, we suggest that EHRs and their mobile versions should be improved in a manner that they would be easier to use and would better support the nurses’ workflow. For example, improvements to problems related to small display, user interface and difficult data entry of mobile versions might be useful. Moreover, more training related to EHRs, their mobile versions and workflow related to these should be provided to nurses.


Author(s):  
Maria Northcote

The field of online learning, like many other technological innovations, has not burgeoned without controversy. Despite the debates about the role and value of online learning, it has continued to grow in many sectors, especially in higher education. Alongside the growth of online learning, discussions about its benefits and limitations have also flourished, and many studies have investigated the quality and integrity of online courses. This chapter offers an investigation of some of the history of online learning, concluding with a collection of practical recommendations and suggestions for future research directions to guide institutions embarking on online learning programs.


Author(s):  
Pamela A. Lemoine ◽  
P. Thomas Hackett ◽  
Michael D. Richardson

Intellectual Property (IP) has long been an issue of debate among higher education institutions in the United States and other countries. However, determining ownership and the income dispersion of creative works is still a relatively new phenomenon which compounds delivery of education in a virtual world that knows no boundaries. Intellectual Property (IP) issues are numerous and often complex in higher education because colleges and universities are major suppliers and consumers of online learning, particularly in a global context. Many higher education institutions claim ownership of the materials created by faculty for online courses, and often the courses themselves; many more are plagiarized or used without the author's permission as a result of teaching in an online environment. In addition, global copyright laws are very unclear regarding the ownership of works created in an electronic environment. In the past, instructors created materials have been considered the intellectual property of the creator. The potential economic value of multimedia and online course materials has raised the stakes for higher education institutions and prompted them to critically examine how online learning has opened old wounds regarding the ownership of intellectual property.


Author(s):  
Domingos Santos Martinho ◽  
Eulália Maria Santos ◽  
Maria Isabel Miguel ◽  
Dina Sousa Cordeiro

A research about factors that lead students to choose online courses, as well as the acceptance of these courses, can provide very relevant information for higher education institutions’ decision makers to amend these offers to students’ interests and needs. An investigation through questionnaire was developed involving students who attended online post-graduate courses. It was intended to know which factors affect students' decision to opt for postgraduate online courses. A model, based on the TAM (Technology Acceptance Model), was tested to find out what factors determine the intention to use online learning. The results shows that most respondents favour online courses and that their decision, when choosing this type of course, is mainly influenced by time management flexibility, avoiding going to school and the course curriculum interest. The test of the model, with structural equations, shows that attitude regarding online courses and perceived usefulness are factors that predict the intention to use. It was also concluded that the perceived ease of use induces a direct and indirect effect on the intention to use. The most significant results are consistent with published studies and can help the higher education institutions to define offer and communication strategies to reach a greater number of candidates for online learning.


2017 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Malia Hoffmann

This exploratory study surveyed how undergraduate students and higher education instructors at two small faith-based universities in Southern California used mobile devices in and outside of the class for academic purposes. The researcher cross-referenced the results from the two groups to make correlations. The results of this study showed that nearly all instructor participants had multiple devices and almost half of the student participants had two or more devices as well. Those devices are being used in and outside of formal class for academics in very basic and emerging way that are just touching the surface of their capabilities. This study found that students use their devices in class to read, reference, or search materials. Faculty reported using their devices as presentation devices most often.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cheuk Fan Ng

Online distance learning is offered not only in post-secondary distance education institutions but in traditional universities as well. With advances in mobile and wireless technologies, completing academic studies anywhere anytime should become feasible. Research in distance education and online learning has focused on computer-mediated communication, instructional design, learner characteristics, educational technology, and learning outcomes. However, little attention has been given to where exactly learners do their learning and studying and how the physical and social aspects of the physical environment within which the online learner is physically embedded (e.g., the home) supports and constrains learning activities. In this paper, the author proposes a conceptual model for understanding the role that the physical environment plays in online distance learning in higher education, drawing on theories and research in environmental psychology, online learning, telework and mobile work, and higher education. Several gaps in research are identified, and suggestions for future research are proposed.


Author(s):  
Reza Dashtestani

This study focused on the acceptance level of higher education stakeholders of teaching English as a foreign language (TEFL) of online courses in Iran and pre-service teachers’ learning achievement in online courses. Three cohorts of participants who were teaching or learning in online courses included pre-service teachers of TEFL (n=104), TEFL university instructors (n=23), and heads of TEFL departments (n=10). A questionnaire was designed. The Kruskal Wallis test was used to detect differences among the perspectives of the participants. Semi-structured interviews were also utilized. Results indicated that there were significant differences among the perspectives of the three groups of participants about online courses. The pre-service teachers appeared to be relatively positive about online learning, while the university instructors and heads of departments showed a lower level of satisfaction. The participants pointed out several challenges, including the lack of rigor of online courses, the incredibility of the certificates, the lack of technological infrastructures, technical problems, the impractical content of the lessons, the lack of human interaction, the low competence levels of online learning students, and employers’ lack of interest in employing graduates of online courses. The participants also mentioned that pedagogical and technological training was required for both university instructors and pre-service teachers of TEFL. The comparison of pre-service teachers’ mid-term and final scores in the online courses showed a significant difference and improvement of students’ learning achievement in online courses with medium to large effect sizes. In the interviews, the participants also confirmed that online courses could improve student learning.


Author(s):  
Mary Holz-Clause ◽  
Dileepkumar Guntuku ◽  
Vikram Koundinya ◽  
Reginald Clause ◽  
Kanika Singh

Emerging educational practices and growing demand from education researchers and learners appear to be driving a shift toward the learner and context-centered teaching approach. Higher education is transitioning delivery from a predominantly teacher-centered mode to a non-traditional learner-oriented one. This change is being primarily facilitated by the advent of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) in curriculum design and delivery ushering online learning. In this chapter, we discuss the current and future trends in higher education for curriculum design and delivery using online learning. We present Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) as an online teaching-learning future trend that can help provide educational access to millions of students geographically situated all over the world. We share a case study from India, highlighting the initiatives in the field of higher education and course delivery with the use of ICTs and the changes in methods of learning-content delivery. The advantages and challenges associated with MOOCs are also discussed.


Author(s):  
Sang Chan ◽  
Devshikha Bose

Online learning will continue to be one of the popular modes of instruction offered by higher education institutions to accommodate different learning needs. Student engagement is critical to the success of online learning. Students should be engaged cognitively, emotionally, and behaviorally. This chapter discusses design considerations for online courses to promote student-instructor, student-student, and student-content interactions to engage students cognitively, emotionally, and behaviorally. The chapter also discusses the application of flow theory, specifically, in the design of instruction to engage students during their interaction with course content.


Author(s):  
Steven W. Schmidt

The expansion of distance education programs has allowed institutions of higher education to be successful in their collective mission to make educational programs more accessible to adults who normally would not have that access. Indeed, online learning has brought education to the people. Access to school is now as simple as logging on to the Internet in the privacy of one’s own home. Who are these students taking courses online? Why are they in online courses versus traditional classrooms? What is different about them, about their situations, and their expectations? Why are some online learners successful and others not? Why do some online learners continue to work through programs while others drop out? For online learning programs to be successful in the long term, it is important to have a thorough understanding of the online learner. This chapter examines the adult online learner in higher education.


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