The use of mobile phones to mediate a design experiment in a secondary school

Abstract

Current advances in mobile technology have enabled the formation of mobile technology enriched learning environments. This study documents a specific experimental research project in which secondary school learners used mobile cellular phones as a form of mobile technology to create, support and enhance a learning event in physical science studies. Although students used their own mobile phones for the duration of the research, they could connect to the MobilED platform used in this study to access information that they had previously created online. Mobile phones therefore served to extend the physical boundaries of the classroom by creating an ubiquitous and personal learning experience for each student. The experimental learning event was central to the design of the research. The iterative component of the design made it possible for the facilitator to operate as a “reflective practitioner” (Reeves, 2005) who could manipulate the components of the lesson in a quest for optimal success. The data and conclusions of the study confirm that that the texting function of mobile phones may be effective in furthering communication, cooperative learning and access to content.