Mobile Devices in Higher Education: Instructor Perspectives on Usage, Problems, Opportunities.

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Challenges 55

4.2.2.1 Mobile devices as disturbances in learning 58

4.3 Instructors’ role in the learning environment 62

4.4 Students’ role in the learning environment 63

5 CONCLUSION 65

REFERENCES 67

APPENDICES 84

Appendix A: Questionnaire 85

LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 2.1 Main components of mobile learning……………………………….....…36

Figure 2.2 The FRAME Model………………………………..………………….…39

Figure 2.3 Interaction with learning content…………………….…………………..42

Chapter 1

1 INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background

The pivotal role in higher education belongs to teachers and learners that push forward mobile technology for its integration into the learning process. Mobile technology becomes ubiquitous in schools.Mobile technology support and improve the interaction between instructors and students. Interactions in distance education through the mobile devices support direct feedback between the learners and faculty (Rodriguez, 2011). Students and instructors have an opportunity to access learning content in order to increase knowledge anytime and anywhere. Instructors are interested in how students interact on the learning content. Mobile devices can give students a chance to access training material and provide collaboration with teacher and other classmates. Mobile technologies enable simplistic collaboration between instructors and students, providing learner’s constant feedback from teachers via social networking or learning management system that in turn can help to improve learning (Gikas& Grant, 2013).

The mobile learning is a next step of progress of e-learning. It reflects on students’ literacy and competences to access data via interaction devices (Trilling&Fadel, 2009). Mobile learning includes formal and informal learning, where an informal learning is presented as a daily work of learners, while formal learning is designed by a teacher to involve students into course material (Hulme et. al., 2009 ). In turn, mobile devices build bridge between formal and informal learning,which is beneficial for higher education (Munawar&Cukier, 2011).

Mobile learning content can include authentic knowledge. Students can access course content, using competences and inculcated knowledge by the instructor. Mobile devices enable learning in students’ environment (Popoola&Haliso, 2009).

Faculty staff and learners use mobile devices via Web 2.0 to develop communication. In addition, it enables development and sharing of the course content. Social media and mobile devices are presented as tools to promote learner-centered and teacher-centered approaches (Greenhow, 2011). Handheld devices provide opportunity to instructor to participate in discussion of the content with colleagues and learners.

Since, the instructors’ view in higher education play defining role, which allows to determinepolicy about perspectives to use mobile devices in the learning environment. They bear important contributions in the learning environment such as motivation and impact to students or learning environment, integration or impediment to use mobile devices in the classroom, and assessment of opportunities and challenges of this technology (MacCallum& Jeffrey, 2009,Hammer et al., 2010, Iscioglu&Hocanın, 2014).

1.2 Purpose of the study

The main aim of this research is to investigate the instructors’ view about the usage of mobile devices in the learning environment. This study has taken into account general views and perceptions of instructors about mobile learning. In order to implement technology in education it is necessary to find the easier way of its realization in higher educational establishment, since this could impact instructors’ viewpoints.

1.2.1 Research Questions

In order to reach to the objectives, it is important to answer of the questions below:

1. What are the general opinions of the instructors about the use of mobile devices in the learning environment?

1.1. What are instructors’ views about the use of mobile devices in learning environment?

1.2. What are instructors’ views about advantages and disadvantages of mobile devices in learning environment?

1.3. What are instructors’ views of the role of instructors in the mobile learning environment?

1.4. What are instructors’ views about the role of students in the mobile learning environment?

1.3 Limitations

This study limited to instructors of the School of Computing and Technology in the Eastern Mediterranean University; 2014 – 2015 Spring semester.

1.4 Significance of the Study

The significance of this studywill help to explore teachers’ experience in using mobile devices in the learning environment, which can answer of effective integration of the mobile devices. In addition, another importance of the research is to define advantages and disadvantages of mobile devices in the learning environment. Research allows defining teachers and students’ perspectives of use of mobile devices, as well as their roles in higher education. The goal of this research is to explore students’ and teachers’ views and experience of use of mobile devices and social media in the learning environment.

1.5 Definition of terms

Applications- “Apps;” it is a program that affords access to learning resources and permits learners to make task (Winters et. al, 2013).

Distance education (distance learning) - is the form of interaction between students and instructors in distance, which allows to share knowledge, instruction through ICT and Internet (Moore, 1990).

E-Learning – learning approach, which is used to deliver information through media that enrich education (Urdan&