Uncoupling mobility and learning: When one does not guarantee the other

Mobile learning was an embedded component of the pedagogical design of an undergraduate course, Digital media and society. In the final semester of 2010 and the first semester of 2011, 135 students participated in an empirical study inquiring into their perceptual experience of mobile learning. To control for access to technology, an optional iPad student loan scheme was used. The iPads were loaded with an electronic textbook and a mobile application of the learning moderation system. Eighty students participated in ten-person focus groups. Feedback on mobility and the electronic text was positive and optimistic. However, the majority of students were not convinced that the trial made a difference to their learning. This result was interpreted to indicate that the presence or absence of mobile devices does not guarantee or preclude student learning. © 2011 Springer-Verlag

Evaluating ICT based learning technologies for disabled people

This paper discusses the need for an evaluation framework specifically for (ICT-based) learning technologies for disabled learners and demonstrates the limitations of existing approaches based on the evaluation of assistive technology or learning technologies for non-disabled learners. It presents elements of the first full such evaluation framework comprising a set of evaluation principles and aims and three evaluation methodologies. It has a wide range of applications including (i) stand-alone and comparative evaluations of ICT-based learning technologies for disabled people; (ii) identifying gaps in provision or the need for modifications; (iii) supporting the design and development of new technologies; (iv) supporting learners in making informed choices about appropriate learning technologies; and (v) supporting the policy process and determination of the future research agenda, including by evaluating the impact of various measures on the effective implementation and use of ICT learning technologies for disabled learners