Learner-Centred Teaching With Netbooks. Three Case Studies Of Mobile Learning In Swiss Schools

Im Rahmen der vorliegenden Studie sind drei innovative, Netbook-gestützte Pilotprojekte mit Lernenden aus Kindergarten, Primarschule und einer Kleinklasse realisiert und systematisch untersucht worden. Schulkinder haben die Mobilgeräte u. a. zu Recherchen in einer Projektwoche zur Erarbeitung einer Zeitung sowie zur Umsetzung der Methode «Lernen durch Lehren» mit Kindergartenkindern eingesetzt.Wir zeigen mit diesem Beitrag auf, wie Netbooks in offen-strukturierten Lernumgebungen soziale, kooperative Lernpraktiken, kontextübergreifendes Lernen sowie multimedial-gestaltende Unterrichtsformen ermöglicht oder unterstützt haben. In der Untersuchung wird insbesondere die Eignung und motivationale Wirkung der Methode «Lernen durch Lehren» im Rahmen eines Netbookeinsatzes deutlich. Die überwiegend lerner/innen- zentrierten Aktivitäten konnten durch Funktionalitäten des Netbooks gut unterstützt werden und haben zu einer grossen Akzeptanz, zu vielfältigen Nutzungsformen und einer hohen Motivation der Lernenden geführt.Within the framework of the present study, three innovative, netbook-supported pilot projects with learners from kindergarten, primary school and a small class were realised and systematically investigated. Schoolchildren used the mobile devices, among other things, for research in a project week for the development of a newspaper as well as for the implementation of the method "learning through teaching" with kindergarten children.We show with this contribution how netbooks in open-structured learning environments have enabled or supported social, cooperative learning practices, cross-context learning as well as multimedia-formative forms of teaching. In particular, the study shows the suitability and motivational effect of the method "learning through teaching" in the context of netbook use. The predominantly learner-centred activities could be well supported by the functionalities of the netbook and have led to a high level of acceptance, diverse forms of use and a high level of motivation among the learners

Informal mobile learning in nurse education and practice in remote areas-a case study from rural South Africa

BACKGROUND: With the proliferation of portable digital technology, mobile learning is becoming increasingly popular in nursing education and practice. Most of the research in this field has been concentrated on small-scale projects in high income countries. Very little is known about the ways in which nurses and midwives use mobile technology in remote and resource poor areas in informal learning contexts in low and middle income countries. OBJECTIVES: To address this gap, this study investigates whether nurses use mobile phones as effective educational tools in marginalized and remote areas, and if so, how and why. SETTING AND METHODS: In rural South Africa, 16 nurses who attended an advanced midwifery education program, facilitators and clinical managers were interviewed about their use of digital mobile technology for learning. Techniques of qualitative content analysis were used to examine the data. RESULTS: Several rich “organically-grown”, learning practices were identified: mobile phone usage facilitated (1) authentic problem solving; (2) reflective practice; (3) emotional support and belongingness; (4) the realization of unpredictable teaching situations; and (5) life-long learning. CONCLUSIONS: It is concluded that mobile phones, and the convergence of mobile phones and social media, in particular, change learning environments. In addition, these tools are suitable to connect learners and learning distributed in marginalized areas. Finally, a few suggestions are made about how these insights from informal settings can inform the development of more systematic mobile learning formats.Web of Scienc

Supervision on Social Media: Use and Perception of Facebook as a Research Education Tool in Disadvantaged Areas

This exploratory study investigates how a typically disadvantaged user group of older, female learners from rural, low-tech settings used and perceived a Facebook group as a research supervision and distance learning tool over time. The within-stage mixed-model research was carried out in a module of a part-time, advanced midwifery education course in rural South Africa. To address the research questions, three quantitative and qualitative surveys were repeated, pre, post, and three months post evaluation. The findings indicate that using the social media space lowered learners' threshold to accessing educational resources. The increased ease of communication was afforded in particular by using mobile phones to access the space. The analysis also suggests that the social networking site became a more integral part of students' learning environments. The learners' use of the site to discuss further course and work-related issues increased during the intervention and also remained significantly higher in the three-month, post evaluation survey, indicating the routinisation and habitualisation of this learning space. The practical implications and constraints of using social networking spaces to enhance disadvantaged groups of learners’ access to educational resources are discussed

Using mobile phones and social media to facilitate education and support for rural-based midwives in South Africa

Background: Empirical studies show the value of mobile phones as effective educational tools to support learning in the nursing profession, predominantly in high income countries. Problem statement: The rapidly increasing prevalence of mobile phone technology in Africa nourishes hopes that these tools could be equally effective in lowly resourced contexts, specifically in efforts to achieve the health-related Millennium Development goals. The purpose of this study was to investigate the perception and use of mobile phones as educational and professional tools by nurses in lowly resourced settings. Methodology: A quantitative survey using self-administered questionnaires was conducted of rural advanced midwives. Results: Fifty-six nurses (49.6%) from the 113 rural-based midwives attending an advanced midwifery training programme at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, filled in a questionnaire. The results showed that, whilst nurses regarded their technology competences as low and although they received very little official support from their educational and professional institutions, the majority frequently used mobile functions and applications to support their work and learning processes. They perceived mobile devices with their voice, text, and email functions as important tools for the educational and professional activities of searching for information and engaging with facilitators and peers from work and study contexts. To a lesser extent, the use of social networks, such as WhatsApp and Facebook, were also reported. Conclusion and recommendation: It is concluded that educational institutions should support the appropriate use of mobile phones more systematically; particularly in relation to the development of mobile network literacy skills

Instant messaging and nursing students` clinical learning experience

Background Although learning in clinical settings is a key element of nursing education, for many learners these are challenging developmental contexts often marked by isolation and a lack of belongingness. Despite the massive appropriation of mobile instant messaging (MIM) platforms and the connective properties attendant to them, very little is known about their role in and impact on nursing students' clinical learning experiences. Approach and Methods To address this gap, the study, which was part of a multinational research project on the use of mobile social media in health professions education in developing countries, examined the use of the instant messaging platform WhatsApp by nursing students during placements and potential associations with socio-professional indicators. The survey involved a total number of 196 nursing students from 5 schools in Oyo State, Nigeria. Results The findings suggest that students used WhatsApp relatively frequently and they perceived that this platform strongly enhanced their communication with other students and nurses. WhatsApp use during placements was positively associated with students' maintained social capital with peer students, the development of a professional identity, placement satisfaction and with reduced feelings of isolation from professional communities. The determinants that influenced WhatsApp use during placements were perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use. No associations were found between WhatsApp use during placement and age, attitude, subjective norms and placement duration. Conclusion This study is one of the first of its kind that points to the relevance of mobile instant messaging as part of nursing students' (inter)personal learning environments in clinical settings and, particularly, in the development setting under investigation. Further research is needed to corroborate these findings, to enhance the understanding of the impact mechanisms, and to evaluate a more systematic use of MIM in clinical learning contexts