1. Supporting Mobile Learners: An
Action Research Approach
Krassie Petrova & Chun Li
25th June 2010
eLearning Research Group
1

2. Research Motivation
• My experiences as an EAS student.
• Vocabulary learning: memorize new words iteratively and practice them regularly.
• Time and location limitations.
• Mobile technologies, such as mobile phone texting (SMS) , promote learning to be
ubiquitous.
• According to Stroombergen (2008), “From 2007 to 2008, export education industry
generated around $2.3 billion of foreign exchange…, contributed to New Zealand’s
GDP is estimated at approximately $2.1 billion…, and supported over 32,000 full time
equivalent jobs” (p.1).
2

3. Research Questions
3

4. Research Methodology
Action Research
According to Cohen, Manion and
Morrison (2007), action research is a
“powerful tool for change and
improvement” (p.226) with an
“impressive” (p.226) scope which
includes almost all research settings
and involves people. In addition,
Yasmeen (2008) claims action research
is the most appropriate strategy in
educational context research.
4

5. Research Cycles and
Duration
5

6. Research Setting
Research Setting Model
Pedagogy layer
Education theory layer
Technology layer
6

7. Sample of Academic
Vocabulary Test
The pedagogical material delivered to
students was based on the AWL
(Academic Word List), as compiled by
AverilCoxhead at Victoria University of
Wellington, New Zealand (Coxhead,
2000).
According to Coxhead (2000), the
words selected in the AWL are those
ones that “appear with high
frequency” in English-language
academic articles, covering disciplines
including: “arts (including history,
psychology, sociology, etc.), commerce
(including economics, marketing,
management, etc.), law and the
sciences (including biology, computer
science, mathematics, etc.)”(p. 220).
7

8. Educational Theories
Behaviourism
Constructivism
Socio-culturalism
8

9. Nokia PC Suite
9

10. mLearning flow in
Research Cycle One
10

11. Data Analysis Framework
11

12. Data Collection in
Research Cycle One
12

13. Research Findings in
Research Cycle One
Average awaiting time for Average grade of word
participants’ responses tests
Number of short messages received in research cycle one
13

14. Data Analysis in Research
Cycle One
14

15. Data Analysis
in Research
Cycle One
15

16. Data Analysis in Research
Cycle One
16

17. Data Analysis in Research
Cycle One
17

18. Research Cycle Two
18

19. mLearning Flow in
Research Cycle Two
19

20. mLearning Text Messages
20

21. Data Collection in
Research Cycle Two
21

22. Research Findings in
Research Cycle Two
22

23. Research Findings in
Research Cycle Two
Number of SMS received by the researcher
in research cycle two
Average grades of students’ word tests in
research cycle two
23

24. Data Analysis in Research
Cycle Two
24

25. Data Analysis in Research
Cycle Two
25

26. Answers to the Research
Questions
Question one: to what extent does Question two: what are the underlying
mobile technology enhance learning success factors or obstacles to
activities and improve student integrating mobile technology into
learning? learning activities?
Answer: student learning was Answer: the more technologically
enhanced by adding flexibility (Song, experienced the students were, the
2008), and providing a stronger more enthusiastic they became about
motivation for learning. The results mLearning. Student-centred design
suggest that mLearning did contribute played a critical role in the success of
to improving learning. the second cycle. However, this
required significant effort on the part
of the lecturer/researcher as there
was no “ready made” material
available.
26

27. Further research:
Research Cycle Three
27

28. Conclusion
The findings of the two research cycles “Learning is good – it feels good.
demonstrate that an SMS-based It is right, it is natural,
vocabulary learning method was able It can be enjoyable,
to enhance ESL students’ learning by
adding flexibility and providing a And it is what we do here.
stronger motivation for study. The It is a natural act – like eating, sleeping, or breathing.”
results suggest that mLearning
contributed to improved learning.
--------Martin Haberman
Experience with mobile technology (as cited in Arhar, Holly &Kasten, 2001, p. 11)
promoted students’ enthusiasm for
mLearning. Student-centred design
played an important role in the
success of the second research cycle.
However, the lack of relevant and
proper resources for mLearning
highlighted a need for new and
modified pedagogical materials.
28

29. Acknowledgements
• AUT Language School, EAS teaching group
and EAS students
• AUTEC
• eLRG
29

30. References
Arhar, J. M., Holly, M. L., &Kasten, W. C. (2001). Action research for teachers : Traveling the yellow brick road. Upper Saddle River, N.J. :
Merrill.
Carter, P. (2007). Liberating usability testing. Interactions, 14(2), 18-22.
Cohen, L., Manion, L., & Morrison, K. R. B. (2007). Research methods in education: Routledge.
Coxhead, A. (2000). A new academic word list. TESOL Quarterly, 34(2), 213-238.
Petrova, K. (2006). Mobile commerce applications and adoption. In M. Khosrow-Pour (Ed.),Encyclopedia of e-Commerce, e-Government and
Mobile Commerce (pp. 771-776): Idea Group Reference.
Petrova, K. (2007b). Mobile learning as a mobile business application. International Journal of Innovation and Learning (IJIL) 2007,
4(1), 1-13.
Petrova, K. (2007c). Scenarios for SMS based mobile learning. In D. Taniar (Ed.),Encyclopaediaof Mobile Computing and Commerce (Vol.
1.1). New York, USA: Information Science Reference.
Petrova, K. (2007a). Student revising for a test using SMS. Paper presented at the Proceedings of the 6th Annual International Conference
on Mobile Learning, Melbourne, Australia. 218-222.
Petrova, K., & Li, C. (2009). Focus and setting in mobile learning research: A review of the literature. Paper presented at the
Proceedings of the 11th International Business Information Management Conference (IBIMA) on Innovation and Knowledge
Management in Twin Track Economies, Cairo, Egypt. 1456-1463.
Stroombergen, A. (2008). Export education worth supporting. Opinions on Education(123).
Yasmeen, G., &Yasmeen, G. (2008). Action research: An approach for the teachers in higher education. The Turkish Online Journal of
Educational Technology, 7(4).
30

31. Thank You
31

32. Discussion
32