Integrating Academic and Everyday Learning Through Technology: Issues and Challenges for Researchers, Policy Makers and Practitioners

This paper builds on work undertaken over a number of years by a group of international researchers with an interest in the potential of connecting academic and everyday practices and knowledge. Drawing extensively on literature and our own work, we first discuss the challenges around defining informal learning, concluding that learning is multidimensional and has varying combinations of formal and informal attributes. We then highlight the potential of technology for integrating formal and informal learning attributes and briefly provide some exemplars of good practice. We then discuss in depth the challenges and issues of this approach to supporting learning from the perspective of pedagogy, research, policy and technology. We also provide some recommendations of how these issues may be addressed. We argue that for the learner, integration of formal and informal learning attributes should be an empowering process, enabling the learner to be self-directed, creative and innovative, taking learning to a deeper level. Given the complexity of the learning ecosystem, this demands support from the teacher but also awareness and understanding from others such as parents, family, friends and community members. We present a conceptual model of such an ecosystem to help develop further discussions within and between communities of researchers, policy makers and practitioners

A comparison of mobile learning attitudes among university students in four nations

This paper contains findings based on administering a Likert-type mobile learning attitude survey to 261 university students from four nations, China, Lebanon, the UAE and the USA. Students were asked to provide attitudes and perceptions toward the use of mobile technologies in education. The results of the survey indicate that students in different regions of the world tend to agree that mobile learning could empower informal learning and could enhance teaching and learning. Lebanon students were most similar to those from the USA, while students from China were more similar to those from the UAE. Similarities and differences in results among nations and implications of these findings are discussed

Advancing mobile learning in formal and informal settings via mobile app technology: Where to from here, and how?

In this paper a brief review of the framework that addressed mobile learning implementation challenges (pedagogical, technological, policy and research) that was developed by Khaddage et al. (2015) is briefly discussed, followed by possible solutions that could be deployed to tackle those challenges. A unique approach is then applied to bridge the gap between formal and informal learning via MAT (Mobile Applications Technology). This approach is based on STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics) as subjects to be taught and the specific skills needed to achieve the RLOC (Required Learning Outcome) that can support student learning informally. This specific approach shows HOW to advance mobile learning in formal and informal settings

A proposed blended mobile learning model for application in higher education

Today’s learners exhibits the attitude towards 24/7 access to their learning materials, and wanting these materials to be available in mobile format so it can be portable, and they will be able to access it on-the-go. This paper investigates the use of mobile learning technologies in higher education, and proposes a blended mobile learning model, which has the ability to serve the emerging learning process and delivery, and provide a well balanced learning environment that meets the current learners’ needs