Essential elements in designing mobile learning activities with moodle mobile

Abstract

In recent years, there has been an increase in the use of mobile learning and the publication of related articles. In April 2018, a search of the keyword “mobile learning 2017” in google came up with 50,600,000 records. When comparing to 25,500,000 records resulted from a search of the keyword “mobile learning 2012”, there has been around 100% increase in related records in the past five years. The rapid advancement in mobile device and the availability of open-sources mobile Apps have promoted the feasibility of adopting mobile teaching and learning activities. One of the distinguishing features in the millennium is their way of lifestyle has been changed by mobile technology. The learning style of millennium is to personalize how, when, and where that they will learn. To catch up with millennium way of learning, this paper proposed that an appropriate design of mobile learning activities can create innovative teaching and learning strategies so as to enhance both teaching and learning.

In reviewing recent literature using content analysis, this paper has identified five essential elements for designing mobile learning activities. These five elements are Space, Device, Activity, Interaction and Evaluation. Space refers to the right place and right time to use mobile learning. Device includes both learning management system, mobile device and mobile App. Activity refers to mobile learning tasks that are able to achieve the intended learning outcomes. Interaction involves encouraging students to engage into peer or social discussion using mobile devices so as to enhance their learning experience. Evaluation is a process to evaluate the effectiveness of the activity.

To enhance student learning, mobile learning is more than just uploading the teaching materials and allowing student to read with their mobile device. Indeed with the limited screen size of mobile device, traditional teaching materials cannot fit in. Mobile learning should involve interactive learning activities both beyond and inside the classroom. By sharing an example of using Moodle mobile to design a mobile learning activity in teaching the course “Happiness and Society”, this paper illustrates how to integrate the five essential elements in designing mobile pedagogical learning strategies.