Can mobile technology improve flexibility and quality of interaction for graduate students in distance programs? This paper reports the results of an innovative study exploring the usability, learning, and social interaction of mobile access to online course materials at a Canadian distance education university. Through a system called MobiGlam, students accessed Moodle course materials on a variety of mobile devices. The Framework for the Rational Analysis of Mobile Education (FRAME) model (Koole, 2006) was used to examine the complexities of this mobile system, its perceived usefulness, and potential impact on distance students. The researchers recommend further study of the balance between the controls and constraints of social technologies and the needs of distance students. Is there a way to achieve a balance so as to encourage adaptation to new technologies and a greater sense of “connectedness” among learners? As a result of the study, the researchers remain supportive of “device-agnostic” mobile tools that permit the greatest freedom of choice to distance learners.
Resume
Est-ce que la technologie sans fil peut ameliorer la souplesse et la qualite de l’interaction pour les etudiants de 2eme et 3eme cycles dans des programmes a distance? Cette etude rapporte les resultats d’une recherche novatrice qui explore la facilite d’utilisation, l’apprentissage et l’interaction sociale de l’acces sans fil au contenu de cours en ligne dans une universite canadienne d’education a distance. Par l’entremise d’un systeme appele MobiGlam, les etudiants pouvaient acceder a du materiel de cours Moodle a partir de divers appareils sans fil. Le Framework for the Rational Analysis of Mobile Education (FRAME) (Koole, 2006) fut le modele utilise afin d’examiner les complexites de ce systeme sans fil, son utilite percue et son impact potentiel sur les etudiants a distance. Les chercheurs recommandent une etude plus approfondie de l’equilibre entre les controles et contraintes des technologies sociales et les besoins des etudiants a distance. Peut-on atteindre un certain equilibre de maniere a promouvoir l’adaptation aux nouvelles technologies et un plus grand sentiment de « connexite » parmi les etudiants? A la suite de cette etude, les chercheurs continuent a proner l’utilisation d’outils sans fil « a dispositif independant » qui offrent une plus grande liberte de choix aux etudiants a distance.
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