View in EDS HTML Full Text PDF Full Text

Pervasive, Lifestyle-Integrated Mobile Learning for Distance Learners: An Analysis and Unexpected Results from a Podcasting Study

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Title: Pervasive, Lifestyle-Integrated Mobile Learning for Distance Learners: An Analysis and Unexpected Results from a Podcasting Study
Language: English
Authors: Lee, Mark J. W., Chan, Anthony
Source: Open Learning. Nov 2007 22(3):201-218.
Availability: Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 325 Chestnut Street Suite 800, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Fax: 215-625-2940; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals/default.html
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 18
Publication Date: 2007
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education
Descriptors: Information Technology, Distance Education, Life Style, Computer Uses in Education, Teaching Methods, Educational Technology, Access to Education, College Students, Foreign Countries, Student Attitudes
Geographic Terms: Australia
DOI: 10.1080/02680510701619810
ISSN: 0268-0513
Abstract: This article opens with a discussion of how and why mobile learning (m-learning) is purported to be the next step in the evolution of distance education, before looking at various perspectives on what m-learning constitutes. It critically examines the degree to which "true" m-learning has been achieved, by offering pedagogical value beyond the mere use of mobile devices to deliver e-learning content. The authors argue that podcasting, in combination with a variety of portable MPEG Layer 3 (MP3)-capable devices that are increasingly ubiquitous, can be used to deliver a form of m-learning that offers a higher degree of lifestyle integration than many current "state of the art" m-learning applications, despite not being as technically complex. They present an example of a study in which podcasting was used to deliver supplementary listening material to distance learners undertaking an information technology subject. An end-of-semester survey yielded extremely positive feedback about uptake levels and the perceived effectiveness of the podcasts in aiding the students' learning of the subject matter. However, it also produced interesting results on the ways the students made use of the podcasts, which deviated from the researchers' original intentions for "anytime, anywhere, any device" learning. The results are discussed in the light of possible influencing factors, supported by follow-up interview data. The study may have broader implications for the still nascent field of m-learning. (Contains 4 tables.)
Abstractor: Author
Number of References: 39
Entry Date: 2007
Accession Number: EJ776788
Database: ERIC
Full text is not displayed to guests.
FullText Links:
  – Type: pdflink
    Url: https://content.ebscohost.com/cds/retrieve?content=AQICAHj0k_4E0hTGH8RJwT4gCJyBsGNe_WN95AvKlDbXJGqwxwEBF5UZSZGBl3DrNley3fzZAAAA4jCB3wYJKoZIhvcNAQcGoIHRMIHOAgEAMIHIBgkqhkiG9w0BBwEwHgYJYIZIAWUDBAEuMBEEDHr6KFJ3P8x7lNWllQIBEICBms1SqiV0XIPETnpVb3BJ11aT_Mw5epM_5WTtj_8ybWGuVvKFdNPUDFPPNZN5_A6LUVkoXdm7jVPLy710BIB2OU9g6wvByoLEC9w_IMqz6ZLTsydRF0simL2uM_Py68UTYjq8iDds6ZuTDLrq4Ssreerza0GPUQM3ebwSVPDUAQGUaLL9h9B5l4uBNqQHxbD1yFnZ3MMs_h_fHPE=
Text:
  Availability: 1
  Value: <anid>AN0026946112;bbx01nov.07;2019Feb28.14:36;v2.2.500</anid> <title id="AN0026946112-1">Pervasive, lifestyle-integrated mobile learning for distance learners: an analysis and unexpected results from a podcasting study. </title> <p>This article opens with a discussion of how and why mobile learning (m‐learning) is purported to be the next step in the evolution of distance education, before looking at various perspectives on what m‐learning constitutes. It critically examines the degree to which 'true' m‐learning has been achieved, by offering pedagogical value beyond the mere use of mobile devices to deliver e‐learning content. The authors argue that podcasting, in combination with a variety of portable MPEG Layer 3 (MP3)‐capable devices that are increasingly ubiquitous, can be used to deliver a form of m‐learning that offers a higher degree of lifestyle integration than many current 'state of the art' m‐learning applications, despite not being as technically complex. They present an example of a study in which podcasting was used to deliver supplementary listening material to distance learners undertaking an information technology subject. An end‐of‐semester survey yielded extremely positive feedback about uptake levels and the perceived effectiveness of the podcasts in aiding the students' learning of the subject matter. However, it also produced interesting results on the ways the students made use of the podcasts, which deviated from the researchers' original intentions for 'anytime, anywhere, any device' learning. The results are discussed in the light of possible influencing factors, supported by follow‐up interview data. The study may have broader implications for the still nascent field of m‐learning.</p> <p>Keywords: Mobile learning; Multitasking; Podcasting</p> <hd id="AN0026946112-2">Introduction</hd> <p>Distance education has progressed and evolved from pencil‐and‐paper correspondence courses to the use of analogue audio‐based (radio, audio cassette tape) and video‐based (television, videotape, videoconferencing) educational technologies, and finally the use of the personal computer (PC). This evolution has paralleled the societal evolution from the Industrial Age to the Information or Electronic Age (Keegan, [<reflink idref="bib12" id="ref1">12</reflink>]). The advent of computer networks, and later the Internet, paved the way for the delivery of e‐learning. e‐Learning promised to allow learners to study at their own time and pace, with a reduction in or elimination of on‐campus attendance requirements, as with traditional distance education, but with the ability to disseminate course materials and facilitate both learner–learner and learner–instructor interaction at speeds and levels of convenience that were previously unconceivable.</p> <p>However, the flexibility afforded to learners continues to be limited by the need to undertake learning activities at a tightly delimited and/or predetermined physical location, using a fixed device. Traditional, desktop computer‐based e‐learning is leaving a large segment of learners 'out in the cold' (Yuen & Wang, [<reflink idref="bib39" id="ref2">39</reflink>], p. 2248). There is a need:</p> <p>... to dramatically expand the accessibility of learning beyond the physical footprint of the PC. If we remember that over 50% of the workforce [in the United States] does not sit at a desk, but instead is standing, walking or moving around a factory, we see the potential of breaking the tether of the Ethernet wire (Masie, n.d., cited in Shepherd, [<reflink idref="bib26" id="ref3">26</reflink>], sec. 2, para. 1).</p> <p>The rise in popularity of portable electronic devices such as laptop and handheld computers, tablet PCs, digital cameras, mobile phones and personal digital assistants (PDAs), with rich media capabilities, decreasing physical sizes and increasing storage capacities, is helping to fuel a transition to a 'Mobile Age'. Correspondingly, a specialised form of e‐learning, dubbed mobile learning (m‐learning), is gaining significant interest in most sectors of the education and training industry. At the dawn of the new millennium, at a time when wireless technology began to gain widespread adoption, Clark Quinn ([<reflink idref="bib23" id="ref4">23</reflink>], para. 5) painted the following picture of the possibilities of m‐learning: 'Rich interactivity, total connectivity, and powerful processing. A small device that is always networked, allowing easy input through pens and/or speech or even a keyboard when necessary, and the ability to see high resolution images and hear quality sound.' m‐Learning is a natural match for distance education, since it has the potential to fit in with the unique work‐style requirements of the mobile workforce, who form a large proportion of current and potential distance learners (Yuen & Wang, [<reflink idref="bib39" id="ref5">39</reflink>]). More can be done to help them make efficient use of their time, by harnessing the idle moments they have in their day waiting or travelling on public transport, allowing them to undertake learning in conjunction with other tasks, or when on the move for extended periods of time, such as during business trips. Many of them are 'continuously connected' by mobile phones, laptops and hand‐held devices.</p> <hd id="AN0026946112-3">Current state of affairs in m‐learning</hd> <p>Many varied and overlapping definitions of m‐learning exist in the literature. In fact, Laouris and Eteokleos ([<reflink idref="bib15" id="ref6">15</reflink>]) claim that a precise educational definition of m‐learning is yet to be achieved. For example, Geddes ([<reflink idref="bib8" id="ref7">8</reflink>]) defines it as 'the acquisition of any knowledge and skill through using mobile technology, anywhere, anytime, that results in an alteration in behaviour'. In their own definitions, many other authors (for example, Quinn, [<reflink idref="bib23" id="ref8">23</reflink>]; Harris, [<reflink idref="bib10" id="ref9">10</reflink>]; Keegan, [<reflink idref="bib12" id="ref10">12</reflink>]; Wood, [<reflink idref="bib38" id="ref11">38</reflink>]) have tended to place more emphasis on the mobility aspect and the types of devices used. These authors view m‐learning as occurring away from the learner's usual environment for formal learning, such as the home, workplace or educational institution. By contrast, O'Malley <emph>et al.</emph> ([<reflink idref="bib20" id="ref12">20</reflink>]) define mobile learning more broadly as 'any sort of learning that happens when the learner is not at a fixed, predetermined location, <emph>or</emph> learning that happens when the learner takes advantage of the learning opportunities offered by mobile technologies' (emphasis added; see Table 1).</p> <p>Table 1. Types of mobile learning (O'Malley et al., 2003)</p> <p> <ephtml> <table><thead valign="bottom"><tr><td /><td>Technology</td></tr><tr><td>Location</td><td>Fixed</td><td>Mobile</td></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>At usual environment</td><td>Non‐mobile learning</td><td>Mobile learning</td></tr><tr><td>Away from usual environment</td><td>Mobile learning</td><td>Mobile learning</td></tr></tbody></table> </ephtml> </p> <p>While m‐learning can be viewed as a specialised type of e‐learning that uses a variety of mobile computational devices, just a few years ago the advent of e‐learning offered the same promise of 'anytime, anyplace' learning that forms the chief selling point of m‐learning today. Is m‐learning nothing more than the new flavour of the month? Does it actually have anything new to offer us in the way of improving and/or enhancing the way we teach and learn? As Kukulska‐Hulme and Traxler ([<reflink idref="bib13" id="ref13">13</reflink>]) remind us, 'to a certain extent, learning... in various locations requires nothing more than the motivation to do so wherever the opportunity arises – from books, electronic resources, places and people' (p. 1). They list seven attributes that mobile learning applications might possess: <emph>spontaneity</emph>, <emph>personalisation</emph>, <emph>informality</emph>, <emph>context‐sensitivity</emph>, <emph>portability</emph>, <emph>ubiquity</emph> and <emph>pervasiveness</emph>, which are described in Table 2.</p> <p>Table 2. Desirable attributes of mobile learning (based on Kukulska‐Hulme & Traxler [2005, p. 2]) and how the use of podcasting and portable MP3‐capable devices might achieve them</p> <p> <ephtml> <table><thead valign="bottom"><tr><td>Attribute</td><td>Description</td><td>Possible manifestation in educational podcasting applications</td></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Spontaneous</td><td>Access to learning activities and/or resources at the spur of the moment or whenever the opportunity arises.</td><td>Access is on‐demand as content is automatically 'dripped in' as it becomes available. The learner can pick and choose what to listen to without the need to 'click and wait'. Moreover, the large storage capacities afforded by modern portable electronic devices allow learners to carry substantial 'libraries' of content for spontaneous access while on the move.</td></tr><tr><td>Personal</td><td>Learner‐centred; uses the affective qualities of various media to personalise the learning experience.</td><td>Companion media devices are 'personal' as is the nature of audio and the spoken word as a communication medium.</td></tr><tr><td>Informal</td><td>Makes learning a relaxed and casual activity. In some cases the learning may be incidental though facilitated/assisted by the use of mobile technology.</td><td>Podcasts can leverage the affective qualities of the human voice in such a way as to provide a relaxed and casual feel. Various podcast styles/formats can be used, instead of formally presented monologues or lectures (e.g. talkback radio, mailbag, interviews). Music and sound effects can also be incorporated to set the tone or feel and create a friendly, informal atmosphere.</td></tr><tr><td>Contextual</td><td>Aware of and sensitive to situational factors, time, location and the learner's current state/activity.</td><td>This attribute is only exhibited in a very limited sense of the term in that the onus is on the user (learner) to adapt the use of the content/material to particular contexts in his/her life. The technology in itself is incapable of providing contextualisation without significant human intervention.</td></tr><tr><td>Portable</td><td>Can be used in various locations and/or on multiple device types.</td><td>Podcasts can be transferred to and played back on a range of portable MP3‐capable devices.</td></tr><tr><td>Ubiquitous</td><td>Available everywhere and/or using universally available devices.</td><td>MP3 playback functionality is universally integrated into devices that are already ubiquitously used by people in their day‐to‐day lives for work, communication and entertainment.</td></tr><tr><td>Pervasive</td><td>Integrated tightly and unobtrusively with daily activities.</td><td>Listening to podcasts can not only be listened to in 'wasted' or 'dead‐time', but can also coincide with other, manual tasks in a truly unobtrusive fashion.</td></tr></tbody></table> </ephtml> </p> <p>It is arguable that the qualities of <emph>personalisation</emph> and <emph>informality</emph> are functions of the instructional and media design, and can already be achieved without the use of mobile technology. While most purported m‐learning applications offer <emph>portability</emph> and <emph>ubiquity</emph>, and therefore also opportunities for <emph>spontaneous</emph> use, simply by virtue of the devices they are consumed on, 'm‐learning' that consists of desktop‐based e‐learning content and activities that are repackaged for mobile platforms offers little extra value from a pedagogical perspective. It fails to deliver the real potential of <emph>pervasive</emph> mobile learning that provides the ability to undertake learning activities not only while moving, in the sense of travelling or being in transit, but also while being actively <emph>in motion</emph> carrying out other manual tasks such as performing household chores, walking from place to place or exercising. This type of learning 'on the move, while in motion' occurs only when learning activities are able to integrate into our daily lives in a completely unobtrusive fashion:</p> <p>I use my handheld devices for 'stolen moments of learning' so that I can eke out a little more productivity in my day by learning while standing in line at the bank or waiting for an appointment ... Designing for short instances of self‐directed learning will be a norm for these new devices. A kitchen‐sink design philosophy will most certainly fail because it violates the new paradigm for instant access and short sessions that is familiar to frequent handheld device users (Metcalf, [<reflink idref="bib18" id="ref14">18</reflink>], p. 19).</p> <p>This emphasises that in striving to achieve pervasive, lifestyle‐integrated m‐learning, the focus should be on providing short, bite‐sized pieces to facilitate 'educational moments' (Harris, [<reflink idref="bib10" id="ref15">10</reflink>]) or 'short ... informal learning events' (Lee, [<reflink idref="bib16" id="ref16">16</reflink>]). There also appears to be some agreement in the recent literature that m‐learning will not replace e‐learning or, for that matter, traditional modes of learning, but instead will extend and/or supplement it (cf. Metcalf, [<reflink idref="bib18" id="ref17">18</reflink>]; Son <emph>et al.</emph>, [<reflink idref="bib29" id="ref18">29</reflink>]; Yuen & Wang, [<reflink idref="bib39" id="ref19">39</reflink>]).</p> <p>In the face of myriad promising opportunities, m‐learning is met with a number of barriers. Quinn ([<reflink idref="bib23" id="ref20">23</reflink>]) suggests that these include: (i) the problem of managing learning through intermittent connections; and (ii) the lack of cross‐platform solutions to give all learners access to all materials independent of the devices they use.</p> <p>The second issue is continuing to be addressed through interoperability/standardisation efforts like learning object standards, with the goal of being able to run any compliant content on any compliant system. In response to the first issue, a continuous connection to the Internet may not be requisite for spontaneous, personal, informal, portable, ubiquitous and pervasive m‐learning. Trifonova and Ronchetti ([<reflink idref="bib33" id="ref21">33</reflink>]) describe m‐learning delivery mechanisms as a continuum, with the two extremes being 'pure connection' and 'pure mobility'. 'Pure connection' refers to a situation whereby the mobile device is continuously connected to the Internet; 'pure mobility' is when no connection is available and so all needed data and applications must be downloaded to the device beforehand in preparation for offline use. Devices are synchronised whenever and wherever connectivity is available. Through techniques such as 'content hoarding' (Trifonova & Ronchetti, [<reflink idref="bib34" id="ref22">34</reflink>]), learning content can be automatically selected, prepared and pre‐fetched to a mobile device's local memory in anticipation of a period of limited or no connectivity.</p> <p>Admittedly, applications that are context dependent require solutions closer to the 'pure connection' end of the continuum (Trifonova & Ronchetti, [<reflink idref="bib33" id="ref23">33</reflink>]). Reliable, permanent connections for mobile devices are becoming available in many countries, in particular within metropolitan areas; however, recent media reports suggest that in countries like Australia the growth of m‐learning has been hampered by the practices of the major telecommunications providers. Australian e‐learning and m‐learning analyst Dr Marcus Bowles ([<reflink idref="bib1" id="ref24">1</reflink>]) states (in Wilson, [<reflink idref="bib37" id="ref25">37</reflink>]) that network switching is important for m‐learning to prevent dead spots and dropouts from interrupting real‐time learning and assessment activities. However, the providers have caused mobile data transmissions to be confined to high‐cost cellular networks, neglecting the viability of wireless networks and satellite technology. While there have been definite improvements in infrastructure, with carrier licensing still based on the traditional cellular network model configuration and access are vendor specific and cannot be designed for seamless, transparent switching between networks (M. Bowles, personal communication, 17 November 2006). Perhaps part of the answer to this lies in the developments in and increasing availability of wireless broadband technologies such as WiMAX (Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access) and Third Generation (3G) mobile phone networks, which enable mobile devices to maintain continuous connections to the Internet—but the costs of using these technologies on a large scale for synchronous m‐learning remain prohibitive.</p> <p>Another major obstacle lies in the usability of mobile devices. In discussing the outcomes of a wireless applications protocol (WAP)‐based m‐learning project by an Asia–Pacific consortium formed by Insead, Nokia and Incus, Keegan ([<reflink idref="bib12" id="ref26">12</reflink>]) pointed out that 'most wireless devices ... [had] small screens, low resolution, slow processing, and limited storage capabilities' (p. 63). Although these limitations are fading as technology continues to develop, increasing the screen size compromises the level of portability and mobility, as with laptops and tablet PCs. Most e‐learning content has been developed for larger screens that impose fewer restrictions on the types of learner–computer interactions that are possible. The lack of convenient input tools continues to push research towards exploration of new types of user interfaces, like sound (e.g. text‐to‐speech, microphones and voice recognition) and mobile scanning tools (Trifonova & Ronchetti, [<reflink idref="bib33" id="ref27">33</reflink>]).</p> <p>In response to the question of whether true m‐learning has been achieved to date, Reimann ([<reflink idref="bib24" id="ref28">24</reflink>]) maintains that:</p> <p>... with Internet access from our laptops, PDAs and mobile phones, thanks to iBurst, Blackberry and the likes, we [already have anytime, anywhere access to content] ... [But] [a]re people learning anywhere, anytime? Probably not. They make use of the technology to access information and in particular email, anywhere, but that's not the same as learning. (para. 1)</p> <p>Similarly, authors such as Metcalf ([<reflink idref="bib18" id="ref29">18</reflink>], [<reflink idref="bib19" id="ref30">19</reflink>]) and van Barneveld and Shaw ([<reflink idref="bib35" id="ref31">35</reflink>]) believe what we have now is more accurately termed as 'mobile performance support'.</p> <hd id="AN0026946112-4">Educational podcasting and its benefits for distance learners</hd> <p>In order for the vision of true mobile learning to come to fruition, continued technological development and consumer market entry of <emph>ad hoc</emph> networking and context‐aware mobile devices may be needed (Reimann, [<reflink idref="bib24" id="ref32">24</reflink>]). These devices will be sensitive to their environment, able to cooperate with one another and 'smart' enough to sense 'situationally appropriate' (Carnegie Mellon University, [<reflink idref="bib2" id="ref33">2</reflink>]; Fogarty <emph>et al.</emph>, [<reflink idref="bib6" id="ref34">6</reflink>]) times to interact with the learner to supply content or otherwise intervene to facilitate learning. Meanwhile, although there is no silver bullet, the authors believe that the use of portable digital audio players is a step in the right direction. Unlike many other existing m‐learning applications, listening to learn 'frees eyes and hands' (Clark & Walsh, [<reflink idref="bib4" id="ref35">4</reflink>]) and liberates learners from the need to fixate on a small screen. Short, 'bite‐sized' audio clips can not only be used to fill the moments of 'wasted' or 'dead‐time' amidst other day‐to‐day activities but, in many cases, can also coincide with these activities for pervasive learning that is interwoven with and integrated into learners' lifestyles. Moreover, MP3‐capable mobile devices have tremendous levels of social appeal that work to their advantage (Clark & Walsh, [<reflink idref="bib4" id="ref36">4</reflink>]).</p> <p>Podcasting, a technology that allows users to receive new audio material on their desktop computers automatically by subscription, offers a low‐cost, low‐barrier solution for the timely delivery of content as it becomes available, ready for transfer to or synchronisation with a portable device. In this way, this approach is closer to the 'pure mobility' end of the m‐learning spectrum. The subscription‐based download of files is made possible by Really Simple Syndication (RSS), a technology originally designed to allow the syndication of text summaries of frequently updated websites like news sites and weblogs. RSS 2.0 (RSS Advisory Board, [<reflink idref="bib25" id="ref37">25</reflink>]) feeds permit the inclusion of <emph>enclosures</emph>, which in the case of podcasts are simply references to audio files, usually in MPEG Layer 3 (MP3) format. A podcast‐aware aggregator or 'podcatcher' application on the user's desktop is configured with the URL of the feed(s) to monitor for newly added enclosures.</p> <p>RSS and podcasting have much to offer in the way of simplicity, convenience and time savings for busy distance learners since the user does not have to manually plough through a plethora of sites for relevant content; nor is there a need for the even more tedious process of continually monitoring these sites for updates. As new enclosures become available on subscribed feeds, the files they refer to are automatically downloaded, with no user intervention. By having a computer continuously online, bandwidth‐intensive content can be 'dripped in' and made available when ready, so that the 'click and wait' situation common in streaming is effectively eliminated (Curry, [<reflink idref="bib5" id="ref38">5</reflink>]), even in bandwidth‐constrained environments.</p> <p>Being MP3 files, podcasts can be transferred to a variety of portable devices including, but not limited to, dedicated MP3 players, mobile phones and PDAs. Returning to Kukulska‐Hulme and Traxler's ([<reflink idref="bib13" id="ref39">13</reflink>]) seven characteristics of m‐learning, the use of podcasting in combination with portable MP3‐capable devices appears to demonstrate all but one of these characteristics to a large degree, as can be seen in Table 2.</p> <p>The remainder of this article is devoted to a case study in which podcasting was used to deliver supplementary learning material to a group of distance learners studying an information technology subject, with the initial assumption that these students would transfer the podcasts to portable devices and multitask listening to them with other activities in the interest of efficiency and time savings. A survey of the students' usage patterns yielded some unexpected results, which may have broader implications for the theory and practice of mobile learning.</p> <hd id="AN0026946112-5">Mobile learning, podcasting and distance learners: a case study</hd> <p></p> <hd id="AN0026946112-6">Background, purpose and aims</hd> <p>In a recent study, the authors attempted to ascertain whether or not the use of podcasts could help mitigate the issues caused by isolation and promote inclusivity for distance education students, by taking advantage of the affective qualities of audio (Lee & Chan, [<reflink idref="bib17" id="ref40">17</reflink>]). They used podcasts that were structured as short, three‐minute to five‐minute talkback‐radio style segments presented in a relaxed and informal style. It was hoped that the style and format of these podcasts would make listening to them more easily multitasked with other activities, using a variety of mobile devices. The ability to enjoy 'anytime, anyplace, any device' consumption with this level of convenience and lifestyle integration would ostensibly be of considerable benefit to distance learners with hectic personal and professional schedules. However, as seen in an end‐of‐semester survey, their reported usage patterns were not altogether consistent with this view. This case study is included in the present article as an illustration of the possibilities and problems that may arise when trying to accomplish pervasive, lifestyle‐integrated mobile learning.</p> <p>The research aims of the study relevant to the present article include the following:</p> <p></p> <ulist> <item> • To determine the <emph>level of uptake</emph> of the podcasts among the distance education student cohort and the factors that influenced this.</item> <p></p> <item> • To examine the <emph>perceived effectiveness and impact</emph> of the podcasts on the students' learning.</item> <p></p> <item> • To investigate the <emph>ways in which the students preferred to obtain and consume</emph> the podcasts.</item> </ulist> <hd id="AN0026946112-7">Context and participants</hd> <p>The participants were from a class of on‐campus and distance education students, including both undergraduates and postgraduates, enrolled in a Human–Computer Interaction (HCI) subject at Australia's largest distance education provider. The subject's core learning strategies are based around readings from a set textbook, web‐based notes and other readings, as well as a series of online tutorials and practical exercises. In addition, students are urged to undertake wide reading of academic literature beyond that prescribed or suggested by the lecturer. The primary online communication method in the subject is an asynchronous discussion board, used to facilitate a continual class dialogue in which students share their reading, experiences, ideas and questions with one another.</p> <p>In Autumn 2006, the students studying the HCI subject in on‐campus and distance education modes were provided with access to the same podcasts, with a new episode made available each week. The episodes were recorded and released progressively over the semester, and included the following, all of which involved dialogues between two or more speakers (volunteer students) presented in a casual and light‐hearted fashion for easy listening:</p> <p></p> <ulist> <item> • Various 'topic trailers' providing a lead‐in to and broad overview of each topic to prepare students for the core learning activities.</item> <p></p> <item> • Summary or 're‐cap' material to provide revision and reinforcement.</item> <p></p> <item> • Assignment tips, hints and post‐assignment feedback from the lecturer.</item> <p></p> <item> • An interview, conducted over the popular Voiceover Internet Protocol (VoIP) tool <emph>Skype</emph> ([<reflink idref="bib28" id="ref41">28</reflink>]), with the UK‐based author of the prescribed textbook for the subject.</item> </ulist> <p>The content of the podcasts was supplementary in nature. In the university's definition, this refers to materials that do not directly affect the assessment of a subject but aid learning and provide support in relation to the core learning materials. In other words, students who did not listen to the podcasts but diligently worked through the textbook, online materials and printed study guide would not miss out on content that might appear in the final examination. The students had the option of either downloading the MP3 files manually via hyperlinks on the online subject outline, accessible through a portal within the university's proprietary learning management system, or configuring their podcatchers to periodically check for new files and download them automatically.</p> <hd id="AN0026946112-8">Methods</hd> <p>At the end of the semester, email invitations were issued to the distance education students in the HCI subject to participate in an online survey, which was advertised as being completely voluntary and anonymous. The survey consisted mainly of close‐ended (multiple‐choice and Likert rating scale) items, although two open‐ended items were also included, the responses to which are not relevant to the present article. Students were requested to respond regardless of whether they had downloaded or listened to the podcasts. The survey was kept open to collect responses for approximately 10 days, before simple descriptive statistics were performed on the responses to the close‐ended items.</p> <p>Following the survey, semi‐structured interviews were carried out with a small random sample of students, for triangulation purposes as well as to gain richer and deeper insight into the students' usage patterns of the podcasts and the reasons behind their choices, which relates to the third research aim above. The interview recordings were transcribed and analysed using a simple content analysis (Patton, [<reflink idref="bib22" id="ref42">22</reflink>]) approach to identify, code and categorise primary patterns in the participants' discourse according to the major issues of interest that emerged from the survey.</p> <hd id="AN0026946112-9">Results</hd> <p>A total of 39 distance education students (31 undergraduates and eight postgraduates, aged between 19 and 54 years, mean age 30.9 years) were invited to participate. There was a response rate of 46% (18 students).</p> <p>According to the survey results, all 18 respondents had access to a desktop or laptop computer able to play MP3 files, with 12 (67%) of them additionally having access to one or more MP3‐capable portable devices. Reported uptake levels of the podcasts were excellent. Of the nine available podcasts, each respondent reported having downloaded a mean of 8.09 podcasts (standard deviation = 0.59), with all but one respondent downloading at least seven podcasts. The respondents listened to a mean of 7.61 of the podcasts (standard deviation = 0.64) in their entirety (from start to finish), with 15 (83%) of them listening to seven or more podcasts in their entirety. Sixteen (89%) of the respondents listened to at least three of the podcasts multiple times.</p> <p>Tables 3 and 4 summarise the responses to the survey questions pertaining to the students' perceptions of the value, effectiveness and impact of the podcasts, as well as how, when and where they obtained and consumed the podcasts. Most respondents reported having little or no trouble both obtaining (downloading) and consuming (listening to) the podcasts (Table 3, questions 8j and 8k). The podcasts themselves were also seen not only as being useful and of educational value in the context of the subject, but also as being of entertainment value (Table 3, questions 8a–8c, 8m and 8r). The students' perceptions of the style, format and approach adopted, of the content and topics chosen and of the specific benefits gained from the exercise are detailed in Lee and Chan ([<reflink idref="bib17" id="ref43">17</reflink>]).</p> <p>Table 3. HCI distance education students' end‐of‐semester responses: perceived value, effectiveness and impact of the podcasts</p> <p> <ephtml> <table><thead valign="bottom"><tr><td>Please rate the following statements</td><td>Mean</td><td>Standard deviation</td></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Q8a. I found the podcasts useful for this subject.</td><td>6.17</td><td>0.36</td></tr><tr><td>Q8b. I found listening to the podcasts educational.</td><td>6.00</td><td>0.36</td></tr><tr><td>Q8c. I found the podcasts to be entertaining.</td><td>5.17</td><td>0.59</td></tr><tr><td>Q8d. Listening to the podcasts is trendy and socially acceptable.</td><td>5.33</td><td>0.71</td></tr><tr><td>Q8e. The ability to listen to material on the move makes it more likely for me to use it.</td><td>5.28</td><td>0.72</td></tr><tr><td>Q8f. Subscribing to the feed using an aggregator/podcatcher to allow automatic download of the podcasts makes it easier for me to obtain them.</td><td>5.00</td><td>0.68</td></tr><tr><td>Q8j. I found it easy to access the podcast audio files.</td><td>5.94</td><td>0.46</td></tr><tr><td>Q8k. I found it easy to play the podcast audio files.</td><td>6.35</td><td>0.27</td></tr><tr><td>Q8m. Listening to the podcasts helped clarify and/or enhance my understanding of the subject.</td><td>5.83</td><td>0.46</td></tr><tr><td>Q8n. I found the 3 to 5 minute podcasts to be of the right length.</td><td>5.44</td><td>0.56</td></tr><tr><td>Q8r. I felt that listening to the podcasts was not a productive use of my time.</td><td>1.94</td><td>0.84</td></tr><tr><td>Q8s. I would recommend that other students undertaking this subject listen to the podcasts.</td><td>6.06</td><td>0.42</td></tr><tr><td>Scale: 1 = very strongly disagree, 2 = strongly disagree, 3 = disagree, 4 = neutral, 5 = agree, 6 = strongly agree, 7 = very strongly agree</td></tr></tbody></table> </ephtml> </p> <p>Table 4. HCI distance education students' end‐of‐semester responses: preferred methods of obtainment and consumption</p> <p> <ephtml> <table><thead valign="bottom"><tr><td>Question</td><td><italic>n</italic></td><td>%</td></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Q3. How do you prefer to obtain the podcasts?</td><td /><td /></tr><tr><td> By downloading the files using a web browser (via online subject outline)</td><td>11</td><td>61.11</td></tr><tr><td> By subscribing to the podcast channel with my podcatcher/aggregator</td><td>5</td><td>27.78</td></tr><tr><td> Using both methods above</td><td>2</td><td>11.11</td></tr><tr><td> I have not downloaded any of the podcasts to date</td><td>0</td><td>0.00</td></tr><tr><td> Did not respond</td><td>0</td><td>0.00</td></tr><tr><td>Q5. How do you prefer to listen to the podcasts?</td><td /><td /></tr><tr><td> Using a desktop/laptop computer</td><td>13</td><td>72.22</td></tr><tr><td> Using a portable device (e.g. MP3 player/iPod, PDA, mobile phone)</td><td>3</td><td>16.67</td></tr><tr><td> Using both methods above</td><td>2</td><td>11.11</td></tr><tr><td> I have not listened to any of the podcasts to date</td><td>0</td><td>0.00</td></tr><tr><td>Q6. Where do you usually listen to the podcasts?</td><td /><td /></tr><tr><td> At home</td><td>14</td><td>77.78</td></tr><tr><td> At work</td><td>0</td><td>0.00</td></tr><tr><td> On the road</td><td>3</td><td>16.67</td></tr><tr><td> I have not listened to any of the podcasts to date</td><td>0</td><td>0.00</td></tr><tr><td> Other</td><td>1</td><td>5.56</td></tr><tr><td>Q7. When do you usually listen to the podcasts?</td><td /><td /></tr><tr><td> While travelling</td><td>3</td><td>16.67</td></tr><tr><td> While waiting</td><td>1</td><td>5.56</td></tr><tr><td> While carrying out other tasks (e.g. household chores, exercising)</td><td>1</td><td>5.56</td></tr><tr><td> I set aside dedicated time to listen to the podcasts</td><td>13</td><td>72.22</td></tr><tr><td> I have not listened to any of the podcasts to date</td><td>0</td><td>0.00</td></tr><tr><td> Other</td><td>0</td><td>0.00</td></tr></tbody></table> </ephtml> </p> <p>There were also some rather unexpected results. Despite the high levels of MP3 player ownership and the fact that the respondents were generally in agreement that they were more likely to listen to the podcasts because of the ability to do so on the move (Table 3, question 8e), an overwhelmingly vast majority preferred to listen to the podcasts <emph>using a desktop/laptop computer</emph>, <emph>at home</emph> and <emph>set aside dedicated time to do so</emph> (Table 4, questions 5–7). Similarly, although the respondents were in clear agreement with the statement 'Subscribing to the feed using an aggregator/podcatcher to allow automatic download of the podcasts makes it easier for me to obtain them' (Table 3, question 8f), most of them favoured <emph>manually downloading the MP3 files via a web browser</emph> instead of taking advantage of the capabilities of RSS (Table 4, question 3).</p> <p>While the results obtained in relation to the uptake levels and perceived effectiveness/usefulness of the podcasts were extremely encouraging, the respondents' reported usage patterns are at odds with the vision of pervasive m‐learning as portrayed by authors such as Clark and Walsh ([<reflink idref="bib4" id="ref44">4</reflink>]), Lee ([<reflink idref="bib16" id="ref45">16</reflink>]) and Metcalf ([<reflink idref="bib18" id="ref46">18</reflink>]), cited earlier. While one might justifiably question the pedagogical soundness of expecting students to engage in activities designed to encourage 'deep' learning while performing other tasks, or with a host of distractions around them, this was not at all the expectation with these informal, talkback‐radio style podcasts. Because the survey did not probe the reasons why students made the choices they did, as seen in questions 5–7 in Table 4, a series of follow‐up interviews was conducted with 12 students studying the HCI subject. Discussion centred primarily around the reasons behind the students' preferences in terms of how, when and where they listened to the podcasts.</p> <p>It was evident from most of the interviewees' responses that they did not multitask their listening of the podcasts with other tasks because they treated it as a learning activity that formed part of formal, deliberate study efforts demanding undivided attention and concentration within a designated study location (usually in the home). This was despite the fact that the podcasts were classed as supplementary in nature, and were deliberately designed so as to provide for easy, casual listening as opposed to lectures containing complex, information‐dense instructional content:</p> <p>I do all my study at home ... Listening to the podcasts is part of my study and so happens in [my] dedicated study time.</p> <p>I have time at home at night to listen and concentrate on the podcast[s] with less distractions.</p> <p>Unlike music, podcasts tend to require more focus and concentration, so I prefer to be sitting down in front of my laptop.</p> <p>[I] ... want to hear the content clearly.</p> <p>For the small number of students who did choose to multitask, the fact that the podcasts did not contain examinable material was a key factor in influencing this choice:</p> <p>If they were for assessment then I would set aside time to listen to the podcasts, however as they are not for assessment purposes I listen to them while doing other tasks.</p> <p>At a deeper level, the interview data revealed that the ways in which students used the podcasts to enhance their learning in line with their own learning styles, preferences and individual study strategies appeared to have a bearing on when, where and how the podcasts were listened to. For example, a number of interviewees reported using the podcasts as pre‐study listening material, either to provide a preview of the content to be covered in the prescribed readings, or to serve an affective function such as to motivate them and set the mood for their personal study time:</p> <p>[I set aside dedicated time because I] ... Usually [listen to the podcasts] before I commence reading the relevant material from the textbook for the given week ...</p> <p>Like pulling on your running shoes seems to mentally prepare you for exercise, so listening to podcasts helps ... [me] ... prep for ... [my] ... study session.</p> <p>Another student's preferred strategy involved listening to each podcast multiple times, initially using a portable device, then subsequently on her home computer to facilitate more in‐depth listening:</p> <p>The first time I listen is usually a scan and that is done on an MP3 [player] ... I can then re‐listen [at home, on my PC], while I sit down with my books and material. That is why the podcasts are extremely useful to me in my learning, especially [for] one with a busy worklife... [Listening to the podcasts at home is beneficial because it is] quieter ... [and allows for]... better concentration after the first 'quick' listen ... I close my eyes and just listen away.</p> <p>Last but not least, many of the interviewees expressed the view that they found it inconvenient—even cumbersome—to transfer the podcasts to a portable player, and did not find this to be worth the time savings to be gained from the ability to listen on the move:</p> <p>... I can download when I am online and then listen to the podcast on the PC without having to transfer onto the iPod.</p> <p>[I tend to listen to the podcasts on my laptop to avoid spending] ... too much time messing with controls of [my] MP3 player. On my laptop I can just quickly switch over to iTunes or [Windows] Media Player and listen for 5 minutes.</p> <p>... the podcasts aren't important to listen to more than once so I don't transfer them to my iPod to listen to on the road.</p> <p>Further research is required to ascertain what influence, if any, the design of the podcasts, including their format and length, had on this view. For example, students may see benefit in transferring longer podcasts, such as full‐length lectures, to a portable device.</p> <hd id="AN0026946112-10">Discussion and future work</hd> <p>The issue of multitasking as well as its effect on m‐learning certainly warrants further investigation, since the ability to engage in multiple tasks concurrently forms the core, essential motivation driving the development of the technologies upon which m–learning is based. A limitation of the present study is that it relied solely on students' retrospective self‐reports of their podcast usage. The authors plan to conduct a subsequent study in which they will implement measures to capture and analyse the usage patterns <emph>as they occur</emph> through a combination of computer log files and journals/diaries maintained by the students.</p> <p>Meanwhile, despite an extensive literature search, the authors have been unable to locate information on systematic research conducted into students' tendencies or abilities to multitask their listening of audio learning material with other activities. It appears that rhetoric, rather than empirical evidence, is often used as the basis for arguing that modern mobile technologies are a time‐saver, allow students to multitask and promote a high level of lifestyle integration. The authors also attempted to find research on student use of older portable audio technologies such as personal stereos and portable CD players, as a means of understanding whether the issues that arose from the podcasting study were new, or simply old issues in a new guise. This search yielded only results of limited relevance, which do not focus directly on the effects of mobility and multitasking on student learning. In a study by Sumner ([<reflink idref="bib30" id="ref47">30</reflink>]), commuter students living at a distance from their university campus rated listening to educational audio tapes while commuting as 'not helpful', although they did report listening to the radio while commuting. The reasons behind this were not covered by the study. Other learning activities that the commuter students found to be not helpful included reading, writing, using instructional materials and playing educational games; instead, they favoured engaging in collaborative activities with fellow commuter students during their travel time, such as discussion, brainstorming and providing encouragement for one another.</p> <p>It is unclear at this stage whether the tendency of the students in the podcasting study to avoid multitasking was an issue of actual ability, in which they found difficulty in absorbing and processing information from multiple concurrent sources, or simply one of self‐efficacy, which may have been a result of the way they were conditioned to learn in their prior tertiary studies. Another plausible explanation for the unexpected results is that the students simply might not have wanted their study to infringe on their personal (family, social, leisure) and professional (work) time, and so consciously chose to demarcate boundaries to keep these aspects of their lives separate. In relation to the former issue, in a study at Cornell University, Hembrooke and Gay ([<reflink idref="bib11" id="ref48">11</reflink>]) found that students who were allowed to multitask using their laptops while listening to lectures suffered decrements on traditional, immediate measures of memory (recall and recognition questions) for the lecture content, as compared with those who were not allowed to do so. The viewing of relevant web content on the laptops did not predict better performance, and spending the majority of class time viewing class‐related content did not result in higher scores on the memory tests. In fact, students who spent more time browsing class‐related pages fared poorer on recall questions, whereas those who spent more time browsing class‐unrelated pages scored better on these questions.</p> <p>Cognitive load theory (Chandler & Sweller, [<reflink idref="bib3" id="ref49">3</reflink>]; Sweller <emph>et al.</emph>, [<reflink idref="bib32" id="ref50">32</reflink>]) provides one good candidate to serve as a theoretical framework for further investigation into students' abilities to engage in the type of multitasking demanded of pervasive, lifestyle‐integrated m‐learning. According to cognitive load theory, the 'split attention' effect occurs when a learner must attend to multiple sources of information simultaneously, causing him/her to have to divide attention between tasks. Few, if any humans are capable of effectively dealing with many of the cognitive tasks demanding split attention, due to the cognitive load these efforts have on our limited working memory (Sweller, [<reflink idref="bib31" id="ref51">31</reflink>]). Even attempts to combine tasks that require passive and behaviourally active cognitive constructiveness may result in split attention overload (Gladstones & Regan, [<reflink idref="bib9" id="ref52">9</reflink>]; Fracker & Wickens, [<reflink idref="bib7" id="ref53">7</reflink>]; Pashler, [<reflink idref="bib21" id="ref54">21</reflink>]). This cognitive overloading, rather than deeply engaging attention, generates frustration or distraction. Recent research in the neuroscience domain is supportive of the presence and effects of the split attention principle. For example, experiments conducted at Johns Hopkins University (Shomstein & Yantis, [<reflink idref="bib27" id="ref55">27</reflink>]) produced results indicating that not only are attentional resources strictly limited, but when attention is allocated to one sensory modality, such as audition, this necessarily exacts a toll on the resources available to another modality, such as vision.</p> <p>Cognitive load theory tells us that split attention problems in multitasking may be eliminated through the development of automated schemata within long‐term memory for one or more of the tasks through sustained practice in those tasks. In the study by Hembrooke and Gay ([<reflink idref="bib11" id="ref56">11</reflink>]) described earlier, by categorising learners by browsing style, the researchers found that the negative correlation between the time spent on class‐related sites and performance was mediated by the learner's ability to monitor or balance their browsing behaviours: 'The sustained distraction, regardless of content relevance appears to be the nemesis of the multitasker; if one is adroit at staccato‐like browsing, processing multiple inputs simultaneously may not suffer to the same extent' (p. 59). Perhaps a similar principle applies to m‐learning. If this is the case, some learners may be able to jump quickly and nimbly between the cognitive tasks involved in attending to audio learning material, and other tasks in their daily lives. Hembrooke and Gay further suggest that if, through time and practice, students can become more efficient browsers, or at least become more adept at self‐monitoring their browsing behaviour, the typical performance decrement seen in multitasking conditions may be reduced. This highlights the importance of self‐regulatory and other metacognitive skills (White, [<reflink idref="bib36" id="ref57">36</reflink>]) in multitasking situations, even more so in non‐classroom‐based situations such as those that would be found in many types of m‐learning.</p> <p>In certain situations or with the available technology, it may in fact transpire that it is infeasible to manage split attention problems in order to achieve a high degree of lifestyle integration through multitasking learning with other activities. This does not mean that the goal of pervasive, lifestyle‐integrated m‐learning cannot be fulfilled; an alternative strategy is to attempt to avoid split attention as much as possible by designing m‐learning that is linked to or coupled with, rather than replacing or occurring in parallel to, other tasks in learners' daily lives. This way, learning tasks can be attended to with focused attention and active engagement, rather than divided across several tasks, while still accomplishing the goal of having a high level of lifestyle integration. The use of mobile technologies presents exciting prospects for authentic learning and assessment that is directly linked to and/or situated within distance learners' work contexts. For example, the multimedia capabilities of modern portable devices can be used to deliver text, audio, images and video to members of a distributed workforce in small, 'bite‐sized' pieces for just‐in‐time learning. Simulations can be built for quick, formative and/or diagnostic assessments that can be completed by learners at their convenience or in preparation for a real task in the workplace. The technology also opens new doors in the way of delivering learner‐generated content. In addition to text, learners can capture voice, images and video in authentic settings to be shared with their peers and instructors, and receive assistance with and feedback on job tasks through opportunities for observation, correction and remediation.</p> <hd id="AN0026946112-11">Conclusion</hd> <p>Mobile learning is being hailed by many as the next stage in the evolution of e‐learning. While it is likely that m‐learning will not fully replace traditional forms of learning, at least in the foreseeable future, it offers considerable potential to supplement and/or extend existing face‐to‐face, print‐based distance learning and e‐learning applications, particularly when it is able to incorporate all of the qualities listed in Table 2. The benefits of these features are substantial for distance learners with several competing priorities in their lives. However, at this stage, few or none of even the most technologically sophisticated m‐learning applications are able to fully demonstrate these features without compromising at least some of them. In particular, the goal of totally pervasive and context‐sensitive m‐learning remains a vision rather than reality at the present time. As Kukulska‐Hulme <emph>et al.</emph> ([<reflink idref="bib14" id="ref58">14</reflink>]) caution, educators and technologists must be wary about claims that new technologies and devices can be used for learning anyplace, anytime—pedagogical, technical, logistical, usability and social constraints must be given due consideration.</p> <p>For now, the use of recorded audio, albeit a simple and mature medium for learning delivery, offers a step towards and insight into pervasive m‐learning designed to take place 'on the move, in motion', since listening does not require visual fixation and therefore can coincide with other manual activities. The podcasting case study described in this article is presented as an example of the possibilities and problems in trying to achieve this level of lifestyle integration. It is clear that podcasting provides a flexible option for the delivery of content to, and consumption of material by, distance learners, and that it adds yet another modality of learning. However, there may be impediments to realising its full potential as a means of facilitating pervasive, lifestyle‐integrated mobile learning.</p> <p>While the sample size alone makes the study and its results far from conclusive and generalisable, they certainly prompt us to consider the challenges that may persist even following the development of tools and technologies that are theoretically able to make learning spontaneous, personalised, informal, contextual, portable, ubiquitous and pervasive. For example, if learning is to be multitasked with other activities, split attention problems must be avoided or managed. Individual learners' self‐efficacy and perceptions of the devices and tasks involved, including their desire to see these technologies used in their learning—or otherwise—cannot be overlooked. Educators cannot make assumptions based solely on extrapolations of how students' day‐to‐day uses of technology for other purposes will carry over into learning scenarios. The fact that learners use certain technologies for work, communication and entertainment does not necessarily mean that they will automatically use them in similar ways for effective learning. The ability to be a successful m‐learner, for example, may require the development of new meta‐learning competencies or, at the very least, a different mindset.</p> <ref id="AN0026946112-12"> <title> References </title> <blist> <bibl id="bib1" idref="ref24" type="bt">1</bibl> <bibtext> Bowles, M. S.2004. Relearning to e‐learn: strategies for electronic learning and knowledge, Carlton: University of Melbourne Press.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibl id="bib2" idref="ref33" type="bt">2</bibl> <bibtext> Carnegie Mellon University. 2001. Situationally appropriate interactionAvailable online at: <ulink href="http://www.2.cs.cmu.edu/∼hudson/sai/">http://www.2.cs.cmu.edu/∼hudson/sai/</ulink> (accessed 21 June 2005).</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibl id="bib3" idref="ref49" type="bt">3</bibl> <bibtext> Chandler, P. and Sweller, J.1992. The split‐attention effect as a factor in the design of instruction. British Journal of Educational Psychology, 62(22): 233–246.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibl id="bib4" idref="ref35" type="bt">4</bibl> <bibtext> Clark, D. and Walsh, S.2004. iPod‐learning, Brighton: Epic Group.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibl id="bib5" idref="ref38" type="bt">5</bibl> <bibtext> Curry, A.2004. iPodder—a brief historyAvailable online at: <ulink href="http://www.ipodder.org/history">http://www.ipodder.org/history</ulink> (accessed 23 April 2005).</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibl id="bib6" idref="ref34" type="bt">6</bibl> <bibtext> Fogarty, J., Hudson, S. E., Atkeson, C. G., Avrahami, D., Forlizzi, J., Kiesler, S., Lee, J. C. and Yang, J.2005. Predicting human interruptibility with sensors. ACM Transactions on Computer–Human Interaction, 12(1): 119–146.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibl id="bib7" idref="ref53" type="bt">7</bibl> <bibtext> Fracker, M. L. and Wickens, C. D.1991. Resources, confusions and compatibility in dual axing tracking: displays, controls, and dynamics. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance, 15(1): 80–96.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibl id="bib8" idref="ref7" type="bt">8</bibl> <bibtext> Geddes, S.2004. Mobile learning in the 21st century: benefit for learners. The Knowledge Tree: An e‐Journal of Learning Innovation, 6Available online at: <ulink href="http://knowledgetree.flexiblelearning.net.au/edition06/download/geddes.pdf">http://knowledgetree.flexiblelearning.net.au/edition06/download/geddes.pdf</ulink> (accessed 14 November 2006).</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibl id="bib9" idref="ref52" type="bt">9</bibl> <bibtext> Gladstones, W. H. and Regan, M. A.1989. Division of attention: the single‐channel hypothesis revisited. Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, 4(A): 1–17.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Harris, P.2001. Going mobile. Learning Circuits, JulyAvailable online at: <ulink href="http://www.learningcircuits.org/2001/jul2001/harris.html">http://www.learningcircuits.org/2001/jul2001/harris.html</ulink> (accessed 14 November 2006).</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Hembrooke, H. and Gay, G.2003. The laptop and the lecture: the effects of multitasking in learning environments. Journal of Computing in Higher Education, 15(1): 46–64.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Keegan, D.2002. The future of learning: from eLearning to mLearning, Hagan: FernUniversität.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Kukulska‐Hulme, A. and Traxler, J.2005. Mobile learning: a handbook for educators and trainers, New York: Taylor & Francis.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Kukulska‐Hulme, A., Evans, D. and Traxler, J.2005. Landscape study in wireless and mobile learning in the post‐16 sector, Bristol: Joint Information Systems Committee. Available online at: <ulink href="http://www.jisc.ac.uk/index.cfm?name=eli%5foutcomes">http://www.jisc.ac.uk/index.cfm?name=eli%5foutcomes</ulink> (accessed 24 November 2006).</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Laouris, Y. and Eteolkeos, N.We need an educationally relevant definition of mobile learning. paper presented at mLEARN 2005. October25–28, Cape Town.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Lee, M. J. W.2005. Mobile learning: should we get a move on?. Training and Development in Australia, 32(4): 8–11.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Lee, M. J. W. and Chan, A.8(1)85–104. (2007) Reducing the effects of isolation and promoting inclusivity for distance learners through podcasting, Turkish Online Journal of Distance Education,</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Metcalf, D.2002. Stolen moments for learning. eLearning Developers' Journal, March: 18–20. Available online at: <ulink href="http://www.elearningguild.com/pdf/2/March02‐Metcalf‐H.pdf">http://www.elearningguild.com/pdf/2/March02‐Metcalf‐H.pdf</ulink> (accessed 21 June 2005).</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Metcalf, D.2006. mLearning: mobile learning and performance in the palm of your hand, Amherst, MA: HRD Press.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> O'Malley, C. O., Vavoula, G., Glew, J. P., Taylor, J., Sharples, M. and Lefrere, P.2003. Guidelines for learning/teaching/tutoring in a mobile environmentAvailable online at: <ulink href="http://www.mobilearn.org/download/results/public%5fdeliverables/MOBIlearn%5fD4.1%5fFinal.pdf">http://www.mobilearn.org/download/results/public%5fdeliverables/MOBIlearn%5fD4.1%5fFinal.pdf</ulink> (accessed 15 November 2006).</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Pashler, H.1994. Dual task interference in simple tasks: data and theory. Psychological Bulletin, 116(2): 220–244.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Patton, M. Q.1990. Qualitative evaluation and research methods, Newbury Park, CA: Sage.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Quinn, C.2000. mLearning: mobile, wireless, in‐your‐pocket learningAvailable online at: <ulink href="http://www.linezine.com/2.1/features/cqmmwiyp.htm">http://www.linezine.com/2.1/features/cqmmwiyp.htm</ulink> (accessed 5 June 2005).</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Reimann, P.2005. Mobile learning, ready or not?Available online at: <ulink href="http://www.elnet.com.au/experts/mobile%5flearning">http://www.elnet.com.au/experts/mobile%5flearning</ulink> (accessed 18 November 2006).</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> RSS Advisory Board. 2005. Really Simple Syndication: RSS 2.0.1 specification (revision 6)Available online at: <ulink href="http://www.rssboard.org/rss‐2‐0‐1‐rv‐6">http://www.rssboard.org/rss‐2‐0‐1‐rv‐6</ulink> (accessed 2 March 2006).</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Shepherd, C.2001. M is for maybeAvailable online at: http://www.fastrak‐consulting.co.uk/tactix/features/mlearning.htm (accessed 10 November 2006).</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Shomstein, S. and Yantis, S.2004. Control of attention shifts between vision and audition in human cortex. Journal of Neuroscience, 24(47): 10702–10706.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Skype (2007) Available online at: <ulink href="http://www.skype.com">http://www.skype.com</ulink> (<ulink href="http://www.skype.com">http://www.skype.com</ulink>) (accessed 13 March 2007).</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Son, C., Lee, Y. and Park, S.1–5 November2004. "Toward a new definition of m‐learning". In Proceedings of E‐Learn 20041–5 November, 2137–2140. Washington, DC</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Sumner, J. A.As assessment of adults' learning strategies while commuting. paper presented at the 5th National Conference on the Adult Learner. May28–30, Columbia, SC.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Sweller, J.1999. Instructional design in technical areas, Camberwell, VIC: ACER Press.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Sweller, J., van Merriënboer, J. J. G. and Paas, F. G. W. C.1998. Cognitive architecture and instructional design. Educational Psychology Review, 10(3): 251–296.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Trifonova, A. and Ronchetti, M.7–11 November2003. "Where is mobile learning going?". In Proceedings of E‐Learn 20037–11 November, 1794–1801. Phoenix, AZ</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Trifonova, A. and Ronchetti, M.2006. Hoarding content for mobile learning. International Journal of Mobile Communications, 4(4): 459–476.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> van Barneveld, A. and Shaw, S.2006. "Mobile learning: a review of implementations". In Proceedings of E‐Learn 2006 13–17 October980–85. Honolulu, HI</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> White, C. J.1999. The metacognitive knowledge of distance learners. Open Learning, 14(3): 37–46.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Wilson, E.7 June2005. "Why mobile e‐learning fails to make a move". In Sydney Morning Herald7 June, 5Next,</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Wood, K.18 March2003. "Introduction to mobile learning". In Ferl18 March, Available online at: <ulink href="http://ferl.becta.org.uk/display.cfm?page=65&catid=192&resid=5194">http://ferl.becta.org.uk/display.cfm?page=65&catid=192&resid=5194</ulink> (accessed 5 July 2004).</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Yuen, S. and Wang, S.M‐learning: mobility in learning. Proceedings of E‐Learn 2004 1–5 November. pp.2248–2252. Washington, DC</bibtext> </blist> </ref> <aug> <p>By MarkJ. W. Lee and Anthony Chan</p> <p>Reported by Author; Author</p> </aug> <nolink nlid="nl1" bibid="bib12" firstref="ref1"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl2" bibid="bib39" firstref="ref2"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl3" bibid="bib26" firstref="ref3"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl4" bibid="bib23" firstref="ref4"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl5" bibid="bib15" firstref="ref6"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl6" bibid="bib10" firstref="ref9"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl7" bibid="bib38" firstref="ref11"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl8" bibid="bib20" firstref="ref12"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl9" bibid="bib13" firstref="ref13"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl10" bibid="bib18" firstref="ref14"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl11" bibid="bib16" firstref="ref16"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl12" bibid="bib29" firstref="ref18"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl13" bibid="bib33" firstref="ref21"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl14" bibid="bib34" firstref="ref22"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl15" bibid="bib37" firstref="ref25"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl16" bibid="bib24" firstref="ref28"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl17" bibid="bib19" firstref="ref30"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl18" bibid="bib35" firstref="ref31"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl19" bibid="bib25" firstref="ref37"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl20" bibid="bib17" firstref="ref40"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl21" bibid="bib28" firstref="ref41"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl22" bibid="bib22" firstref="ref42"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl23" bibid="bib30" firstref="ref47"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl24" bibid="bib11" firstref="ref48"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl25" bibid="bib32" firstref="ref50"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl26" bibid="bib31" firstref="ref51"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl27" bibid="bib21" firstref="ref54"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl28" bibid="bib27" firstref="ref55"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl29" bibid="bib36" firstref="ref57"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl30" bibid="bib14" firstref="ref58"></nolink>
Header DbId: eric
DbLabel: ERIC
An: EJ776788
AccessLevel: 3
PubType: Academic Journal
PubTypeId: academicJournal
PreciseRelevancyScore: 0
IllustrationInfo
Items – Name: Title
  Label: Title
  Group: Ti
  Data: Pervasive, Lifestyle-Integrated Mobile Learning for Distance Learners: An Analysis and Unexpected Results from a Podcasting Study
– Name: Language
  Label: Language
  Group: Lang
  Data: English
– Name: Author
  Label: Authors
  Group: Au
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Lee%2C+Mark+J%2E+W%2E%22">Lee, Mark J. W.</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Chan%2C+Anthony%22">Chan, Anthony</searchLink>
– Name: TitleSource
  Label: Source
  Group: Src
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22Open+Learning%22"><i>Open Learning</i></searchLink>. Nov 2007 22(3):201-218.
– Name: Avail
  Label: Availability
  Group: Avail
  Data: Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 325 Chestnut Street Suite 800, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Fax: 215-625-2940; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals/default.html
– Name: PeerReviewed
  Label: Peer Reviewed
  Group: SrcInfo
  Data: Y
– Name: Pages
  Label: Page Count
  Group: Src
  Data: 18
– Name: DatePubCY
  Label: Publication Date
  Group: Date
  Data: 2007
– Name: TypeDocument
  Label: Document Type
  Group: TypDoc
  Data: Journal Articles<br />Reports - Research
– Name: Audience
  Label: Education Level
  Group: Audnce
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Higher+Education%22">Higher Education</searchLink>
– Name: Subject
  Label: Descriptors
  Group: Su
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Information+Technology%22">Information Technology</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Distance+Education%22">Distance Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Life+Style%22">Life Style</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Computer+Uses+in+Education%22">Computer Uses in Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Teaching+Methods%22">Teaching Methods</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Educational+Technology%22">Educational Technology</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Access+to+Education%22">Access to Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22College+Students%22">College Students</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Foreign+Countries%22">Foreign Countries</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Student+Attitudes%22">Student Attitudes</searchLink>
– Name: Subject
  Label: Geographic Terms
  Group: Su
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Australia%22">Australia</searchLink>
– Name: DOI
  Label: DOI
  Group: ID
  Data: 10.1080/02680510701619810
– Name: ISSN
  Label: ISSN
  Group: ISSN
  Data: 0268-0513
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: This article opens with a discussion of how and why mobile learning (m-learning) is purported to be the next step in the evolution of distance education, before looking at various perspectives on what m-learning constitutes. It critically examines the degree to which "true" m-learning has been achieved, by offering pedagogical value beyond the mere use of mobile devices to deliver e-learning content. The authors argue that podcasting, in combination with a variety of portable MPEG Layer 3 (MP3)-capable devices that are increasingly ubiquitous, can be used to deliver a form of m-learning that offers a higher degree of lifestyle integration than many current "state of the art" m-learning applications, despite not being as technically complex. They present an example of a study in which podcasting was used to deliver supplementary listening material to distance learners undertaking an information technology subject. An end-of-semester survey yielded extremely positive feedback about uptake levels and the perceived effectiveness of the podcasts in aiding the students' learning of the subject matter. However, it also produced interesting results on the ways the students made use of the podcasts, which deviated from the researchers' original intentions for "anytime, anywhere, any device" learning. The results are discussed in the light of possible influencing factors, supported by follow-up interview data. The study may have broader implications for the still nascent field of m-learning. (Contains 4 tables.)
– Name: AbstractInfo
  Label: Abstractor
  Group: Ab
  Data: Author
– Name: Ref
  Label: Number of References
  Group: RefInfo
  Data: 39
– Name: DateEntry
  Label: Entry Date
  Group: Date
  Data: 2007
– Name: AN
  Label: Accession Number
  Group: ID
  Data: EJ776788
PLink https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=eric&AN=EJ776788
RecordInfo BibRecord:
  BibEntity:
    Identifiers:
      – Type: doi
        Value: 10.1080/02680510701619810
    Languages:
      – Text: English
    PhysicalDescription:
      Pagination:
        PageCount: 18
        StartPage: 201
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Information Technology
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Distance Education
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Life Style
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Computer Uses in Education
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Teaching Methods
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Educational Technology
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Access to Education
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: College Students
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Foreign Countries
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Student Attitudes
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Australia
        Type: general
    Titles:
      – TitleFull: Pervasive, Lifestyle-Integrated Mobile Learning for Distance Learners: An Analysis and Unexpected Results from a Podcasting Study
        Type: main
  BibRelationships:
    HasContributorRelationships:
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Lee, Mark J. W.
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Chan, Anthony
    IsPartOfRelationships:
      – BibEntity:
          Dates:
            – D: 01
              M: 11
              Type: published
              Y: 2007
          Identifiers:
            – Type: issn-print
              Value: 0268-0513
          Numbering:
            – Type: volume
              Value: 22
            – Type: issue
              Value: 3
          Titles:
            – TitleFull: Open Learning
              Type: main
ResultId 1