Mobile Learning for Social Change

Author(s):  
Tseday Alehegn ◽  
Dominic Mentor

This chapter focuses on how mobile apps and smartphones can be used to enhance democratic education in schools and society at large, why such opportunities need to be more seriously considered as integral to the school learning environment, and how it can empower citizens for civic engagement. Using Dewey's philosophy of democratic education this chapter provides examples of mobile apps designed through classroom, community-based or after school programs that provide youth with coding training opportunities as well as macro-level highlights of civic engagement for social change. Reviewing theories of technology – from determinism to social embeddedness – this chapter reflects on the inherent “democratic” design of mobile technologies, as well as the challenge to embrace the interest that youth and society in general have for mobile app use. It is a call to promote mobile-driven democratic education in an environment encouraging continuous learning as well as cultivating and leveraging mobile technologies to develop an informed public voice and participatory agency.

2019 ◽  
pp. 412-426
Author(s):  
Tseday Alehegn ◽  
Dominic Mentor

This chapter focuses on how mobile apps and smartphones can be used to enhance democratic education in schools and society at large, why such opportunities need to be more seriously considered as integral to the school learning environment, and how it can empower citizens for civic engagement. Using Dewey's philosophy of democratic education this chapter provides examples of mobile apps designed through classroom, community-based or after school programs that provide youth with coding training opportunities as well as macro-level highlights of civic engagement for social change. Reviewing theories of technology – from determinism to social embeddedness – this chapter reflects on the inherent “democratic” design of mobile technologies, as well as the challenge to embrace the interest that youth and society in general have for mobile app use. It is a call to promote mobile-driven democratic education in an environment encouraging continuous learning as well as cultivating and leveraging mobile technologies to develop an informed public voice and participatory agency.


2019 ◽  
pp. 623-637
Author(s):  
Tseday Alehegn ◽  
Dominic Mentor

This chapter focuses on how mobile apps and smartphones can be used to enhance democratic education in schools and society at large, why such opportunities need to be more seriously considered as integral to the school learning environment, and how it can empower citizens for civic engagement. Using Dewey's philosophy of democratic education this chapter provides examples of mobile apps designed through classroom, community-based or after school programs that provide youth with coding training opportunities as well as macro-level highlights of civic engagement for social change. Reviewing theories of technology – from determinism to social embeddedness – this chapter reflects on the inherent “democratic” design of mobile technologies, as well as the challenge to embrace the interest that youth and society in general have for mobile app use. It is a call to promote mobile-driven democratic education in an environment encouraging continuous learning as well as cultivating and leveraging mobile technologies to develop an informed public voice and participatory agency.


10.2196/19154 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (11) ◽  
pp. e19154
Author(s):  
Rachel M Morse ◽  
Hanlie Myburgh ◽  
David Reubi ◽  
Ava E Archey ◽  
Leletu Busakwe ◽  
...  

Tuberculosis is the number one infectious cause of death globally. Young children, generally those younger than 5 years, are at the highest risk of progressing from tuberculosis infection to tuberculosis disease and of developing the most severe forms of tuberculosis. Most current tuberculosis drug formulations have poor acceptability among children and require consistent adherence for prolonged periods of time. These challenges complicate children’s adherence to treatment and caregivers’ daily administration of the drugs. Rapid developments in mobile technologies and apps present opportunities for using widely available technology to support national tuberculosis programs and patient treatment adherence. Pilot studies have demonstrated that mobile apps are a feasible and acceptable means of enhancing children’s treatment adherence for other chronic conditions. Despite this, no mobile apps that aim to promote adherence to tuberculosis treatment have been developed for children. In this paper, we draw on our experiences carrying out research in clinical pediatric tuberculosis studies in South Africa. We present hypothetical scenarios of children’s adherence to tuberculosis medication to suggest priorities for behavioral and educational strategies that a mobile app could incorporate to address some of the adherence support gaps faced by children diagnosed with tuberculosis. We argue that a mobile app has the potential to lessen some of the negative experiences that children associate with taking tuberculosis treatment and to facilitate a more positive treatment adherence experience for children and their caregivers.


2021 ◽  
Vol 27 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Edeh Michael Onyema ◽  
Ani Ukamaka Eucharia ◽  
Faluyi Samuel Gbenga ◽  
Akindutire Opeyemi Roselyn ◽  
Omachi Daniel ◽  
...  

The unplanned closure of schools due to Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) left millions of students out of schools. However, the use of mobile technologies offered opportunities for educators and students to engage in remote pedagogical activities during the school closures. The study investigated the effects of the usage of mobile technologies on educators’ and students’ pedagogical activities during the COVID-19 school closure, and on the students’ attitudes towards pedagogical activities during the COVID-19 school closure. A total of 150 questionnaires were administered to participants that consist of educators and students from different levels of education in Nigeria. The samples were selected through simple random sampling technique, and collected data were analyzed using percentages, frequencies, and statistical methods of regression and ANOVA. The results show that the use of mobile technologies had statistically significant effects on the pedagogical activities of students and educators during the COVID-19 school closure, and on the attitudes of students towards pedagogical activities during the COID-19 school closure. Majority of the participants agreed that the use of mobile technologies such as: laptops, mobile phones, mobile apps, MP3, and other PDAs positively influenced their pedagogical activities during the COVID-19 school closure. The study concludes that mobile technologies have become an important and promising pedagogical tool which can be harnessed to enhance ubiquitousness and continued education during and after school closure or outbreak of pandemics.


2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer M Waite-Jones ◽  
Rabiya Majeed-Ariss ◽  
Joanna Smith ◽  
Simon R Stones ◽  
Vanessa Van Rooyen ◽  
...  

BACKGROUND There is growing evidence that supporting self-management of Juvenile Arthritis can benefit both patients and professionals. Young people with Juvenile Arthritis and their healthy peers increasingly use mobile technologies to access information and support in day-to-day life. Therefore, a user-led, rigorously developed and evaluated mobile app could be valuable for facilitating young people’s self-management of Juvenile Arthritis. OBJECTIVE The objective of this study was to seek the views of young people with Juvenile Arthritis, their parents or carers, and health care professionals (HCPs) as to what should be included in a mobile app to facilitate young people’s self-management of chronic Juvenile Arthritis. METHODS A qualitative approach was adopted with a purposeful sample of 9 young people aged 10-18 years with Juvenile Arthritis, 8 parents or carers, and 8 HCPs involved in their care. Data were gathered through semi-structured focus group and individual interviews with young people and their parents or carers and HCPs. Interview discussion was facilitated through demonstration of four existing health apps to explore participants’ views on strengths and limitations of these, barriers and facilitators to mobile app use, preferred designs, functionality, levels of interaction, and data sharing arrangements. Data were analyzed using the framework approach. RESULTS Analysis revealed three interlinked, overarching themes: (1) purpose, (2) components and content, and (3) social support. Despite some differences in emphasis on essential content, general agreement was found between young people with Juvenile Arthritis their parents or carers, and professionals that a mobile app to aid self-management would be useful. Underpinning the themes was a prerequisite that young people are enabled to feel a sense of ownership and control of the app, and that it be an interactive, engaging resource that offers developmentally appropriate information and reminders, as well as enabling them to monitor their symptoms and access social support. CONCLUSIONS Findings justify and pave the way for a future feasibility study into the production and preliminary testing of such an app. This would consider issues such as compatibility with existing technologies, costs, age, and cross-gender appeal as well as resource implications.


Author(s):  
Rooban Arumugam ◽  
Norah Md Noor

Mobile learning (or m-learning) is the ability to learn anywhere and at any time using a portable electronic device. Mobile technologies gradually integrate into learnedness. Mobile devices and apps are changing the way learners acquires English. This study aims to develop a mobile Apps based on the Keller Plan Personalized system of instruction (PSI) theory called JuJu English Vocabulary to improve learners’ vocabulary acquisition. The mobile Apps was developed using ADDIE instructional design model. The developed Apps was investigated using a quasi-experimental research design among 60 students separated into two(2) groups: control and experimental groups. Data were analysed using SPSS software. The outcome shows a significant difference between Post-test experimental (using the mobile app) and the control group (traditional learning). This Mobile Apps design allows personalised growth among the experimental group of students in terms of their vocabulary acquisition. The design mimicking a game strategy did help increase their interest to enjoy the learning process.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rachel M Morse ◽  
Hanlie Myburgh ◽  
David Reubi ◽  
Ava E Archey ◽  
Leletu Busakwe ◽  
...  

UNSTRUCTURED Tuberculosis is the number one infectious cause of death globally. Young children, generally those younger than 5 years, are at the highest risk of progressing from tuberculosis infection to tuberculosis disease and of developing the most severe forms of tuberculosis. Most current tuberculosis drug formulations have poor acceptability among children and require consistent adherence for prolonged periods of time. These challenges complicate children’s adherence to treatment and caregivers’ daily administration of the drugs. Rapid developments in mobile technologies and apps present opportunities for using widely available technology to support national tuberculosis programs and patient treatment adherence. Pilot studies have demonstrated that mobile apps are a feasible and acceptable means of enhancing children’s treatment adherence for other chronic conditions. Despite this, no mobile apps that aim to promote adherence to tuberculosis treatment have been developed for children. In this paper, we draw on our experiences carrying out research in clinical pediatric tuberculosis studies in South Africa. We present hypothetical scenarios of children’s adherence to tuberculosis medication to suggest priorities for behavioral and educational strategies that a mobile app could incorporate to address some of the adherence support gaps faced by children diagnosed with tuberculosis. We argue that a mobile app has the potential to lessen some of the negative experiences that children associate with taking tuberculosis treatment and to facilitate a more positive treatment adherence experience for children and their caregivers.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
April Savoy ◽  
Jason J Saleem ◽  
Barry C Barker ◽  
Himalaya Patel ◽  
Areeba Kara

BACKGROUND The hospitalist workday is cognitively demanding and dominated by activities away from patients’ bedsides. Although mobile technologies are offered as solutions, clinicians report lower expectations of mobile technology after actual use. OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study is to better understand opportunities for integrating mobile technology and apps into hospitalists’ workflows. We aim to identify difficult tasks and contextual factors that introduce inefficiencies and characterize hospitalists’ perspectives on mobile technology and apps. METHODS We conducted a workflow analysis based on semistructured interviews. At a Midwestern US medical center, we recruited physicians and nurse practitioners from hospitalist and inpatient teaching teams and internal medicine residents. Interviews focused on tasks perceived as frequent, redundant, and difficult. Additionally, participants were asked to describe opportunities for mobile technology interventions. We analyzed contributing factors, impacted workflows, and mobile app ideas. RESULTS Over 3 months, we interviewed 12 hospitalists. Participants collectively identified chart reviews, orders, and documentation as the most frequent, redundant, and difficult tasks. Based on those tasks, the intake, discharge, and rounding workflows were characterized as difficult and inefficient. The difficulty was associated with a lack of access to electronic health records at the bedside. Contributing factors for inefficiencies were poor usability and inconsistent availability of health information technology combined with organizational policies. Participants thought mobile apps designed to improve team communications would be most beneficial. Based on our analysis, mobile apps focused on data entry and presentation supporting specific tasks should also be prioritized. CONCLUSIONS Based on our results, there are prioritized opportunities for mobile technology to decrease difficulty and increase the efficiency of hospitalists’ workflows. Mobile technology and task-specific mobile apps with enhanced usability could decrease overreliance on hospitalists’ memory and fragmentation of clinical tasks across locations. This study informs the design and implementation processes of future health information technologies to improve continuity in hospital-based medicine.


2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (01) ◽  
pp. 60-70
Author(s):  
Shesha Kanta Pangeni

Integration of mobile technologies into training and instruction for learning facilitation is important these days. It is because the users of the mobile devices are increasing as enablers of the learning opportunity anywhere all the times. In addition, learners like to get information, learning resources and activities on their palms via mobile devices. In this context, this paper reports lessons from action research about the use of customized android mobile application at a teacher education institution in Nepal. The research started with the purpose of promoting the use of Mobile App for e-learning that contributes to improving access to e-learning resources and instant communication for course activities. Online survey, informal interaction and interview were used to collect data. Activity theory has been influential to analyse the use of Mobile App for the learning facilitation. The research shows that the course facilitators rarely used Mobile App, instead they liked using web browsers in their large computer screen. However, students used the Mobile App and they wanted the updated version with user-friendly interface. Main lesson from the research is that the roles of institution and facilitators are important to create and provide mobile friendly options of learning facilitation where students themselves can explore in the internet, learn, and use available applications and tools required for their learning. Training institutions can introduce mobile application to bring about a change in the ways of training methods and pedagogical practices with technological interventions. Trainers can consider mobile apps for techno-friendly instructional experiences. Also, learners can access mobile apps for training resources and other learning to enhance their knowledge and skill.


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