Library of Congress Classification: LB1050.9-1091
THE IMPACT OF MOBILE LEARNING ON LEARNING
AND RETENTION CHEMISTRY AND PROVIDING
AN EDUCATIONAL DESIGN MODEL
Mohadeseh Nabipour
Department of Instructional Technology, Psychology and Education,
Islamic Azad University, South Tehran Branch, Tehran (IRAN)
E-mail: m_nabipour61@yahoo.com
DOI: 10.7813/2075-4124.2015/7-1/B.95
Received: 07.11.2014
Accepted: 19.01.2015
ABSTRACT
The main purpose of this research is to study the impact of mobile learning and retention chemistry course and providing
an educational design model for first grade high school girls in Tehran city. The case study is consisting of 60 first grade high
school girl students of Tehran fifth district (30 students for traditional method and 30 students for experimental method) that
have been chosen through simple random sampling. The collection tools in this research are, Android operating system cellphone,
also pre-test, post-test of learning and retention test from Chemistry book. The obtained results from statistical operation
by using covariance analysis indicate that mobile learning has more positive impact on learning Chemistry and also than
traditional learning method.
Keywords: mobile learning, Teaching Chemistry, smart phones, providing educational design model
1. INTRODUCTION
“One of mobile learning indexes is the availability of devices that are portable for every single people in anytime and
anywhere and they are available in different forms of personal, public interest, low price and different kinds of settings in all
aspects of life.” Nicholas (2009) in accordance with the declarations of Moura and Carvalho (2008) cellphone devices are
having a very important position in life of youths, ages 18-38. As a result, the demand for using cellphones in recent years
had important changes in field of mobile technology. These changes are including laptops, notebooks, cellphones, smart
phones, wireless technologies, accessibility to connect to GPRS, Bluetooth and etc. Mobile technology is one of the
communicational technology aspects that has influenced on scope of learning like other communicational technologies and it
is represented as Mobile learning or learning through cellphones (MLearning).
This communicative device can pave the way for learning of the learners in terms of time and place and has resolved
many limitations of traditional presence teaching. In active environment of mobile learning, students can use their spare
times for participating in online learning class, like when we are waiting for bus, or we are in traffic jam and etc. In fact, they
can adjust time of learning on their own. In such environment, teachers can teach to students around the globe in order to
find a theme and mutual report in online class located in a spot, without the need for searching an internet connected computer
for teaching. It is in fact a “hunting of learning opportunities” and sharing it with others. (Nordin, Embi and Yunos, 2010).
Learners can receive contents both in presence of online by cellphone technologies. Therefore, students can access to the
contents of the courses during trip or when they are in a restaurant. Environment by using wiki, social networks and weblogs
must increase students’ interactions with each other and also with their teachers and in wider extent it must increase social
interactions. Uzunboylu H and Ozdamli (2011) said that mobile learning by using latest technologies has eliminated geographical
borderlines and it has created an interactional and cooperative learning environment in order to do individual and
group interactions in training and learning. Mobile learning is more spontaneous and more immediate than other learning
methods. Such index of immediacy is one of the most prominent features of mobile learning. Based on Cavus N and Ibrahim
D (2009) wireless technologies like laptops, pocket computers and cellphones have created a evolution in learning and have
changed traditional learning of a class to learning at any time and any place. Mobile learning has increased flexibility and has
provided freedom of action for learners in which the learners learn how to interact with learning environment permanently. In
addition to it, advancement in handy devices has facilitated the possibility of using multimedia in cellphones’ applications and
lets the learners’ access to wide scope of rich learning resources, Low O’Connel (2006).
Regarding to the described situation, among different skills of 21th century, researchers believe such technology is
getting a necessary factor in order to get success in life and business. Also Ison, A et al (2004) declared that mobile learning
strategies and cellphone technology has impact on participation, learning and achieving knowledge and in addition to it, by
emerging excitement and involving the individual with learning it fulfills individual demand. In fact, one of the prominent
features of mobile learning is that we can resolve some of weaknesses of students in learning like anxiety, emotions and etc.
through “Mobile learning techniques”, some of these techniques are, adjusting learning speed based upon individual talents,
learning in any place that the student is more comfortable to learn, and learning of each individual based upon needs and
personal interests (Hashemi, Ghasemi, 2011).
2. THE BASIC ELEMENTS OF MOBILE LEARNING
Main elements of mobile learning are: student, teacher, environment, content and assessment. Figure 1 indicates fundamental
elements of an effective mobile learning approach (Ozdamli and Cavus, 2011).
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Fig. 1. The basic elements of mobile learning (Ozdamli Cavus, 2011)
Regarding to Makoe M (2010) declarations in pointing to Mobile learning concept, student has an active role from
purpose determining step to assessment step.
3. THE ESSENTIAL CHARACTERISTICS OF MOBILE LEARNING
Mobile learning has different features. Ozdamli and Cavus (2011), main feature of mobile learning is defined as follows.
Fig.2. The basic elements of mobile learning (Ozdamli Cavus 2011)
Therefore, quick advancement in cellphone technology features have provided the capability for students to do wide
range of their tasks and activities by using their cellphones. Such feature specifically in learning scope also has positive
impacts that researchers are tending to explore the way of optimized using of such device in learning. Present study is to find
a way in order to merge cellphones with teaching beyond class activities and providing an appropriate way for students in
order to use cellphone as educational tools in and out of class. This research has studied some of patterns and models of
educational designs in connection with mobile learning, like:
1. Educational design model SMSE for mobile learning: SMSE (Shih, 2005) 2. MMS: schema of MMS pattern
2. Framework for mobile learning: designing mobile learning framework (Liu et al, 2008) that of course they have some
weaknesses like lack of appropriate communicative coverage, ability to trust, inadequate safety and high cost. Therefore this
research has tried to present an appropriate teaching pattern in order to use such attractive and fashionable technology in
teaching Chemistry lessons.
4. THE PROPOSED MODEL
In this proposed model, the learning objectives and content of education are the starting point of educational
designed.Other design decisions will be classified after them. Design of this classification consists of five stages.The
first step is determining content and character of the objectives.The second step is to evaluate the behavior of the
input.The third step consists of determining strategies, Organizing the group, time and space allocation and selection of
resources.The fourth stage is the stage of evaluation of performance and the last stage is feedbackanalysis.
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Researches in connection with this technology have been done by Kumar, A et al (2010) and they declared that
cellphone devices are like appropriate vehicle in order to establish training opportunities for children in villages, in places and
times that are far more comfort than official learning at schools. The results indicate logical level of happening scientific
leaning and creating motivation (Ghaln, 2011). Libman and Ling (2013) in literature review it is studied in more than 200
recent case studies in connection with using cellphone within developing world. He has classified his research in three
mutual topics that one of them is the impact of cellphone in teaching and training. He says: large number of studies and
researches have studied cellphone devices as one of electronic learning resources Lepper, M.& Cordova, D.(1992) have
explained that; one of the advantages that students will receive through the services of short messages is improvement and
reinforcing course assignments that this is one of most important features for students in order to get prepared for exams.
Research findings of Barzegar, Razieh,Norouzi, Dariush (2012) with title of identifying solutions for mobile learning
development in retention-learning activities of scientific education indicated that teaching courses, teaching planning,
informing and providing financial facilities are introduced as the most significant solutions for mobile learning development in
university of medical sciences.
Ahmadi, Shiri, Ahmad Abadi and Asgari Moghaddam (2012) have researched with this topic under the title of
assessment and ranking the effective factors on success of applying mobile learning within universities by using TRA model
and the results indicate that the performance of willing to mobile learning has the most effect from mobile learning mentality,
tendency to mobile learning and behavioral control respectively.
Mansouri, Kaghazi, Khr