M-learing model to support access to learning content in primary schools
Abstract
Mobile technology has penetrated Kenya with depth and rapidity. Mobile devices have become integrated in our
daily lives. Unfortunately this has not extended to education. This proposal looks at a model for mobile learning (mlearning)
that can be used to promote access to learning content. M-learning is not meant to replace formal learning,
but rather to complement it. The research involves creating a prototype for mobile learning that will host content that
the students can access from mobile phones. The content hosted will be class notes and quizzes.
The target group is standard seven pupils and the subject is social studies. We look at how they have been accessing
content before the mobile learning system used and make a comparison with after using the system. This is to find
out if mobile learning can increase access to learning content. The methodology involved was a pair difference test.
It tests the same sample before and after treatment. The students were tested on how they accessed content before rnlearning
(BML) and after m-learning (AML).
The research was carried out on 17 students. Content is put into two categories class notes and quizzes and hosted on
a web server and accessed on a web server. In order to measure accessibility, the project looked at number of
quizzes/exams are accessed per week, number of times per week that quizzes/exams are attempted and lastly the
number of times per week that the class notes are accessed. In all three measures m-learning increased access to
learning content significantly. This report highlights the finding, implications and recommendations on m-learning
in Kenyan primary schools.
Keywords: primary school, learning content, mobile learning, mobile technology, mobile device
Publisher
School of Computing and Informatics
Description
MSc