Mobile Games for Negotiated-Play and Decision-Making in Health Literacy

The purpose of this qualitative case study study is to examine the ways in which mobile videogames can be used in non-formal educational environments, to support students to develop decision-making skills through negotiated play. In the context of this study, the health literacy mobile videogame, PlayForward: Elm City Stories developed at Yale University was implemented in an afterschool setting in southern Europe. In this study we explored how secondary school students negotiate meaning, make decisions, and interpret the consequences in a non-formal education context, through an interpretive symbolic-interactive framework. The data included individual interviews with students, field-notes, and video-based student-groups' interactions. These were analyzed with the use of open coding techniques. The analysis of the data resulted in the following three assertions: (a) The technical affordances of the game such as sound, usability, rating system, and visuals, are vital features that defined the quality of play and learning experience; (b) The narrative of the game guided the learning game-play experience of the students; and, (c) Students perceived that their engagement in the game facilitated their collaboration and decision-making. These are discussed alongside recommendations for game design for supporting negotiated play and decision-making

Framework for evaluating and selecting mobile-learning applications using multi criteria decision making techniques

The use of mobile learning (m-learning) applications in education has increased dramatically in recent years. M-learning applications are installed by users through a variety of mobile device distribution platforms. For a wide audience to accept them, these applications must be stable and of high quality. The decision to purchase m-learning applications needs systematic guidelines so that the appropriate one can be selected to provide a viable and effective solution to educational organizations. Usability in m-learning applications has been studied as a non-functional problem in several previous studies. In reality, Saudi tertiary institutions still lack a systematic, efficient, and well-defined framework for evaluating and selecting m-learning applications due to the lack of reliable m-learning application selection methods. Therefore, this study addresses this gap by proposing a framework to support and improve m-learning applications evaluation and selection process named as Mobile-Learning Application Evaluation and Selection Framework (MLA-ESF). MLA-ESF supports evaluation and selection of m-learning applications and integration of functional and non-functional requirements as well as addresses mismatch problems. In addition, the MLA-ESF is developed to assist and guide developers and educational organizations in selecting the required m-learning application in a more systematic and repeatable manner. Moreover, the MLA-ESF framework provides a guideline for future theoretical research, as well as being a practical and usable tool in real contexts. The study is conducted in four main phases: a survey and interview of decision-makers and users to identify the evaluation criteria, development of the framework based on the Evaluation Theory, development of a new decision-making technique by integrating Fuzzy Analytical Hierarchy Process (FAHP), Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS), and GAP Analysis (GA) to handle user requirements mismatches, and validation of the applicability and reliability of MLAESF using experts review, case study and yardstick validation. The study shows that the evaluated aspects of MLA-ESF namely, inputs, actions, outcomes, are feasible and demonstrate their potential and applicability to be applied in the real environment as 75% of the experts found it as useful, 66.7% find it easy to implement, and 75% find the techniques are adequate and sufficient

Using design-based research to develop a Mobile Learning Framework for Assessment Feedback

Students’ lack of engagement with their assessment feedback and the lack of dialogue and communication for feedback are some of the issues that affect educational institutions. Despite the affordance that mobile technologies could bring in terms of assessment feedback, research in this area is scarce. The main obstacle for research on mobile learning assessment feedback is the lack of a cohesive and unified mobile learning framework. This paper thus presents a Mobile Learning Framework for Assessment Feedback (MLFAF), developed using a design-based research approach. The framework emerged from the observation of, and reflection upon, the different stages of a research project that investigated the use of a mobile web application for summative and formative assessment feedback. MLFAF can be used as a foundation to study the requirements when developing and implementing wide-scale mobile learning initiatives that underpin longitudinal practices, as opposed to short-term practices. The paper also provides design considerations and implementation guidelines for the use of mobile technology in assessment feedback to increase student engagement and foster dialogic feedback communication channels

Chatbots for learning: A review of educational chatbots for the Facebook Messenger

With the exponential growth in the mobile device market over the last decade, chatbots are becoming an increasingly popular option to interact with users, and their popularity and adoption are rapidly spreading. These mobile devices change the way we communicate and allow ever-present learning in various environments. This study examined educational chatbots for Facebook Messenger to support learning. The independent web directory was screened to assess chatbots for this study resulting in the identification of 89 unique chatbots. Each chatbot was classified by language, subject matter and developer's platform. Finally, we evaluated 47 educational chatbots using the Facebook Messenger platform based on the analytic hierarchy process against the quality attributes of teaching, humanity, affect, and accessibility. We found that educational chatbots on the Facebook Messenger platform vary from the basic level of sending personalized messages to recommending learning content. Results show that chatbots which are part of the instant messaging application are still in its early stages to become artificial intelligence teaching assistants. The findings provide tips for teachers to integrate chatbots into classroom practice and advice what types of chatbots they can try out.Web of Science151art. no. 10386

Get yourself connected: conceptualising the role of digital technologies in Norwegian career guidance

This report outlines the role of digital technologies in the provision of career guidance. It was commissioned by the c ommittee on career guidance which is advising the Norwegian Government following a review of the countries skills system by the OECD. In this report we argue that career guidance and online career guidance in particular can support the development of Norwa y’s skills system to help meet the economic challenges that it faces.The expert committee advising Norway’s Career Guidance Initiativ

A Conceptual Framework for Mobile Learning

Several technology projects have been launched to explore the opportunities that mobile technologies bring about when tackling issues of democratic participation and social inclusion through mobile learning. Mobile devices are cheaper than for instance a PC, and their affordance, usability and accessibility are such that they can potentially complement or even replace traditional computer technology. The importance of communication and collaboration features of mobile technologies has been stressed in the framework of ICT-mediated learning. In this paper, a theoretical framework for mobile learning and e-inclusion is developed for people outside the conventional education system. The framework draws upon the fields of pedagogy (constructivist learning in particular), mobile learning objects and sociology.Mobile Learning, Digital Divide, Constructivist Pedagogy, Forms Of Capital

INFORMATION SYSTEM FOR EDUCATIONAL EVALUATION OF UNIVERSITY'S ACADEMIC ACTIVITIES

The system of academic activities in higher education institutions is a program created to enable students and academic activities to communicate with each other. The mainpurpose of the existence of this system is to provide guidance and mentoring to students in their academic direction. Web-based system has been used as a medium for students to obtain information specifically related to academic course of study and learning. The use of the web-based system is to facilitate the process of selecting courses for planning of studies. The aims of this research are to design and implement quality management system based on International Organization for Standardization (ISO) in higher education or university with android and to know the respondents’ reaction regarding the new design quality management system based on ISO in higher education or university with android. The tools that used in this research are hardware and sofware. In this research use quality management system based on ISO 9001 (quality control) and the process of managing the data in the application of Android telephone celuler will use to implement the system to achieve the result of the research. The sample is 15 students of Information System Department students in Diponegoro University. The method analysis use in this research is descriptive analysis. The result of this study is the develop of information systems used in the higher education or university to know the quality management system based on ISO using Android. The information system to know the quality management system based on ISO using Android telephon celluler is very useful and easy to aplicated. New findings/significance that the design of this information system can help to aplicatedquality management system based on ISO using Android. Keywords: ISO, educational system, academic advisor

Students\u27 Perceptions of a Mobile Application for College Course Management Systems

Higher education administrators need data on student perceptions to support their decision making regarding mobile learning (m-learning) applications. There is a lack of research addressing students\u27 perceptions of mobile applications for course management systems (CMS). The findings of this study may help administrators understand students\u27 perceptions of a CMS m-learning application, Blackboard Mobile Learn (BML). This m-learning application is available on mobile devices, such as the iPad, iPod Touch, iPhone, Android, and Blackberry smartphones. The purpose of this quantitative survey study was to explore the linear relationship between the independent variables of students\u27 perceptions of usefulness and students\u27 perceptions of ease of use with the dependent variable of the students\u27 intent to use BML. The technology acceptance model (TAM) provided the theoretical framework. The study was a survey-based cross-sectional design in which 98 students from 2 community colleges were polled. The results of multiple regression analyses indicated that students\u27 perceptions of usefulness and students\u27 perceptions of ease of use were both significantly and positively related to students\u27 intent to use BML. The results of t tests for population means where the variances are unknown confirmed the students\u27 intent to use many of the specific functions of BML: Announcements, Information, Contacts, and My Grades. The findings were inconclusive for Discussions, Assignments, and Course Documents. This study is significant in that it provides college administrators and faculty with supportive data, giving students a new educational platform: mobile learning. The key positive social change provided is a CMS m-learning solution for students to be lifelong learners