Apples On! Exploring Mobile Device Learning in Schools

Abstract

Mobile Device Learning (MDL), as a tool for student learning, is predicted by many scholars to be the transformational singularity forecasted to change traditional learning environments into student-centered, 21st Century classrooms. The literature is imbued with quantitative studies focused on teacher attitudes and teacher self-reported pedagogical practices regarding MDL. However, few qualitative studies exist in which lived experiences of teachers is revealed through rich, descriptive data to include self-reported data as well as actual observation. This qualitative case study sought to understand how teachers are using mobile learning in ways that put students in unique learning situations in which MDL is the learning tool. In presenting the analysis of this qualitative case study, the triangulation of data included a structured interview, lesson plan analysis, and observation as elements of a descriptive narrative process used to represent participants’ understandings of the influence of MDL on their teaching practices. Constructivist learning theory and its relationship to MDL integration analyzed through the TPACK model of instruction was the underlying framework that helped to understand how teachers worked to infuse content, pedagogy, and technology into engaging, active learning.