[AISWorld] The contents of International Journal of Mobile and Blended Learning 3(1)

[Parsons, David]

The contents of the latest issue of the International Journal of Mobile and Blended Learning (IJMBL)
Official Publication of the Information Resources Management Association
Volume 3, Issue 1, January-March 2011
Published: Quarterly in Print and Electronically
ISSN: 1941-8647 EISSN: 1941-8655
Published by IGI Publishing, Hershey-New York, USA
www.igi-global.com/ijmbl

Editor-in-Chief: David Parsons, Massey University - Auckland, New Zealand

GUEST EDITORIAL PREFACE

David Metcalf, University of Central Florida, USA

To read the preface, please consult the issue of IJMBL in your library or follow the link and then click on "Preface." 
http://www.igi-global.com/bookstore/titledetails.aspx?titleid=47729

PAPER ONE

A Survey of Research Methods and Purposes in Mobile Learning

Anna Wingkvist (Linnaeus University, Sweden) 
Morgan Ericsson (Uppsala University, Sweden)

In this paper, the authors present a survey of published research in mobile learning. The authors investigate 114 papers from mLearn 2005, 2007, and 2008, and classify them according to two dimensions: research method and research purpose. Research methods and purposes are important parts of how research is conducted. Opinions and approaches toward research differ greatly. The classified papers are evenly distributed among the research methods investigated, with one exception, there are few in basic research. In terms of research purpose, papers that describe research are well represented but there is a lack of papers targeting evaluation. Papers recounting both basic research and research evaluation are imperative, as they help a research field to mature and researchers to avoid repeating known pitfalls. This maturity, in turn, leads to better scalability and sustainability for future research efforts in the mobile learning community.

To obtain a copy of the entire article, click on the link below.
http://www.igi-global.com/bookstore/article.aspx?titleid=52063

PAPER TWO

Mature Students Using Mobile Devices in Life and Learning

Agnes Kukulska-Hulme (The Open University, UK) 
John Pettit (The Open University, UK) 
Linda Bradley (Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden) 
Ana Carvalho (University of Minho, Portugal) 
Anthony Herrington (Curtin University, Australia) 
David Kennedy (University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong) 
Aisha Walker (University of Leeds, UK)

The paper reports on research concerned with learners' uses of mobile technologies based on an international survey that targeted students registered in selected master's and doctoral programmes in Australia, Hong Kong, Portugal, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. The survey findings were enriched by local knowledge, as the authors administered questionnaires in their own countries. The research gives an account of uses of handheld devices by students from departments of education, educational technology, engineering, and information technology in the domains of learning, work, social interaction and entertainment. The paper illuminates learners' choices in the midst of evolving social practices, and challenges the common preconception that mobile devices are not suitable for academic study. In today's global education marketplace, educators must know the technology habits and expectations of their students, including those from other countries. Knowing about students' previous practices and the techno-cultural setting they come from can help institutions determine what mobile applications are most appropriate to support learning.

To obtain a copy of the entire article, click on the link below.
http://www.igi-global.com/bookstore/article.aspx?titleid=52064

PAPER THREE

Empowered Learner Identity Through M-Learning: Representations of Disenfranchised Students' Perspectives

Ruth Wallace (Charles Darwin University, Australia)

E-learning has been promoted as a key component of improving educational access and opportunity internationally, but for disenfranchised learners, many forms of e-learning are just as alien as the educational systems they have rejected. M-learning utilises technologies, activities and social systems that are integrated into many people's lives, including those who have had limited access to, or rejected, formal education systems. This paper discusses projects conducted in Northern Australia that explored a range of e-tools to support indigenous students' engagement and recognition of their knowledge and contexts. Mobile learning tools emerged as the preferred way to learn throughout the project. This approach challenges educational institutions to connect to students' lives and contexts. This paper shows how participants utilised m-learning to demonstrate their diverse knowledge systems, the decisions they made about representing knowledge though m-learning, and the implications for trainers and assessors.

To obtain a copy of the entire article, click on the link below.
http://www.igi-global.com/bookstore/article.aspx?titleid=52065

PAPER FOUR

Advancing Collaboration between M-Learning Researchers and Practitioners through an Online Portal and Web 2.0 Technologies

Laurel Dyson (University of Technology Sydney, Australia) 
Andrew Litchfield (University of Technology Sydney, Australia)

With growing interest in mobile learning to address the educational requirements of a generation of students who have grown up with digital technology, and given the widespread adoption of mobile devices by indigenous people and in developing countries, there is a need for improved practice and better theoretical understanding of m-learning. This could be achieved through a more accessible body of knowledge of m-learning principles, teaching strategies and case-studies. This paper proposes the establishment of an online portal to influence and support good m-learning practice. An m-learning portal, incorporating a range of online, Web 2.0 and mobile technologies, would foster collaboration between researchers and educators and inform emerging national and international approaches using mobile technologies at all levels of the education sector and across all disciplines.

To obtain a copy of the entire article, click on the link below.
http://www.igi-global.com/bookstore/article.aspx?titleid=52066

PAPER FIVE

Empirical Research on Learners' Thoughts About the Impact of Mobile Technology on Learning

Gábor Kismihók (Corvinus University of Budapest, Hungary) 
Réka Vas (Corvinus University of Budapest, Hungary)


Mobile learning is gaining attention in Europe. Researchers are examining both pedagogical and technical issues regarding mobilized content delivery; however, little is known about current learners' thoughts toward mobile learning. In this article, based on an empirical research study, the authors show what learners think about mobile learning and related learning technologies. Data consisting of 300 learners' thoughts and experiences in connection with mobile learning (living in five different European countries) have been gathered and analysed. Results indicate that current positive attitudes toward mobile learning may be negatively influenced by experience, if previous patterns with other learning technologies are repeated.

To obtain a copy of the entire article, click on the link below.
http://www.igi-global.com/bookstore/article.aspx?titleid=52067


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For full copies of the above articles, check for this issue of the International Journal of Mobile and Blended Learning (IJMBL) in your institution's library.  This journal is also included in the IGI Global aggregated "InfoSci-Journals" database:  http://www.igi-global.com/EResources/InfoSciJournals.aspx.
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CALL FOR PAPERS

Mission of IJMBL: 

The primary mission of the International Journal of Mobile and Blended Learning (IJMBL) is to provide comprehensive coverage and understanding of the role of innovative learning theory and practice in an increasingly mobile and pervasive technological environment. As technology enables a more seamless experience of device supported learning worlds that may integrate mobile, embedded, augmented, and immersive technologies, we may expect to see increasing interest and activity in blended approaches to learning. IJMBL brings together researchers at the forefront of this field, in both technology and pedagogical practice and assists them in the development and dissemination of new approaches to both mobile and blended learning.

Coverage of IJMBL:

The International Journal of Mobile and Blended Learning (IJMBL) spans theoretical, technical, and pedagogical issues in mobile and blended learning. These embrace comprehensive or critical reviews of the current literature, relevant technologies and applications, and important contextual issues such as privacy, security, adaptivity, and resource constraints.

Among topics to be included (but not limited) are the following:

Comprehensive or critical reviews of the current literature 
Evaluation of mobile or blended learning in practice 
Future of mobile or blended learning 
Knowledge sharing 
Learner interaction/collaborative learning 
Mobile games for learning 
Mobile or blended learning applications 
Mobile or blended learning applied at different levels of education from pre-school to tertiary and beyond 
Pedagogical and/or philosophical underpinnings of mobile or blended learning 
Privacy and security issues 
Related research in learning, including e-learning and pedagogical approaches 
Resource constraints in the delivery of mobile or blended learning 
Reviews of the application of mobile or blended learning in multiple contexts 
Role of Wikis, blogs, podcasts, messaging, other online tools, and Web 2.0 components in learning delivery 
Roles of mobile, pervasive, and immersive technologies in education 
Technologies that directly or indirectly support mobile or blended learning systems (devices, networks, tools etc.) 
Theoretical approaches to mobile or blended learning solutions 
Use of mobile or blended learning in professional environments

Interested authors should consult the journal's manuscript submission guidelines at www.igi-global.com/ijmbl.

All inquiries and submissions should be sent to:
Editor-in-Chief: David Parson at ijmbl at igi-global.com