School of Education

In recent years, the use of mobile devices has significantly increased among the youth population. However, despite the widespread adoption of smartphones and tablets in everyday life, their use in education is in an early adoption phase. Moreover, the “anytime, anywhere” feature of mobile learning may have a considerable impact on how learning takes place in many disciplines and educational contexts. This presentation will argue that mobile technology could play an important role in education, with a special focus on inquiry-based learning.

Mobile-Based Assessment (MBA) is an alternative or complementary to paper- or computer-based assessment delivery mode. Its successful implementation depends on users' acceptance. However, no study exists exploring the factors that influence students' acceptance of mobile-based assessment. Furthermore, research that combines acceptance with motivational factors is limited. The current study builds on the theoretical framework of the Self-Determination Theory (SDT) of Motivation and the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and proposes the Mobile Based Assessment - Motivational and Acceptance Model (MBA-MAM), a combined model that explains and predicts Behavioral Intention to Use Mobile-based Assessment. One-hundred and forty students (N = 140) from a European senior-level secondary school participated in mobile-assisted assessment activities and self-reported their perceptions about ΜΒΑ afterwards. Structured equation modeling used to analyze quantitative survey data. The study confirmed the proposed model, explaining and predicting students’ intention to use MBA in terms of both acceptance and motivational (autonomy, competence and relatedness) factors. The study provides a better understanding towards the development of mobile-based assessments by relating acceptance and motivational factors into an integrated model. Implications are discussed within the wider context of mobile learning acceptance research.

Acceptance and intention to use mobile learning is a topic of growing interest in the field of education. Although there is a considerable amount of studies investigating mobile learning acceptance, little research exists that investigates the driving factors that influence students' intention to use mobile technologies for assessment purposes. The aim of this study is to provide empirical evidence on the acceptance of Mobile-Based Assessment (MBA), the assessment delivered through mobile devices and technologies. The proposed model, Mobile-Based Assessment Acceptance Model (MBAAM) is based on the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). MBAAM extends TAM in the context of MBA by adding to the Perceived Ease of Use and Perceived Usefulness, the constructs of Facilitating Conditions, Social Influence, Mobile Device Anxiety, Personal Innovativeness, Mobile-Self-Efficacy, Perceived Trust, Content, Cognitive Feedback, User Interface and Perceived Ubiquity Value and investigates their impact on the Behavioral Intention to Use MBA. 145 students from a European senior-level secondary school experienced a series of mobile-based assessments for a three-week period. Structured equation modeling was used to analyze quantitative survey data. According to the results, MBAAM explains and predicts approximately 47% of the variance of Behavioral Intention to Use Mobile-Based Assessment. The study provides a better understanding towards developing mobile-based assessments that support learners, enhance learning experience and promote learning, taking advantage of the distinguished features that mobile devices may offer. Implications are discussed within the wider context of mobile learning acceptance research.

Mobile-based Assessment (MBA) is a relatively new delivery mode of assessment. MBA not only offers an alternative to web-based tests and quizzes that can be answered anytime and anywhere but it also introduces a new assessment paradigm offering adaptive, personalized, context-aware and ubiquitous assessment activities embedded in learning flow. However, for an effective use of MBA, instructional designers and educators need to be aware of its underpinning motivational dimensions and concepts. The current study proposes MBAMF, a Mobile-Based Assessment Motivational Framework based on the Self-Determination Theory (SDT) of Motivation. The framework aims to connect the basic SDT constructs with features offered by mobile-based assessment. For a preliminary evaluation of the model, a pilot study with 47 medical students in a near-patients clinical training environment was conducted. The study provides empirical evidence that fits into the proposed framework. Mobile-assisted assessment can effectively support the three basic psychological needs of SDT, namely perceived autonomy, competence and relatedness. The current work provides a foundation for further elaboration towards a more comprehensive motivational framework for mobile-based assessment. Implications are discussed.

Promoting Inquiry-Based Science Learning (IBSL) is addressed as a top priority or important issue in many national educational systems. Mobile technologies are particularly suited for supporting inquiry-based science learning since they promote learning achievement and motivation. There are many previous studies on the positive effects of mobile-assisted inquiry-based science learning on student motivation and learning achievement. However, few studies have addressed the issue of student engagement. The current study implements a mobile-assisted inquiry-based science learning intervention in the context of secondary school science and aims to explain and predict student engagement in terms of the underlying motivational concepts of autonomy, competence and relatedness from the Self-Determination of motivation (SDT). Data collected for 80 secondary school students and analyzed with by structural equation modeling. The proposed model explains about 55% of the variance in students’ engagement in mobile-assisted inquiry-based science learning. Perceived autonomy was found to be the strongest predictor of engagement. Implications for instructional designers and educators are discussed.

Teachers' role can be catalytic in the introduction of innovative digital tools in order to create new learning and assessment opportunities. This study explores science technology engineering and mathematics (STEM) teachers' intention to use mobile-based assessments in the teaching practice. The study proposes the teachers' acceptance mobile-based assessment (TAMBA) model which extends the technology acceptance model by introducing individual, social, institutional and instructional design factors. An appropriate questionnaire was developed and answered by 161 STEM teachers from 32 European countries. Their responses were analyzed using structural equation modeling. The proposed TAMBA model explains about 50% of the variance in teachers' intention to adopt mobile-based assessment. Perceived Ease of Use was found to be the most important determinant in teachers' intention to use mobile-based assessment. Facilitating Conditions and Output Quality were the most influential external variables in the model. The study findings revealed that focusing on mobile assessment quality design as well as on institutional support are important factors for STEM teachers in order to accept mobile-based assessments in schools.

Mobile-based micro-learning has gained a lot of attention lately, especially for work-based and corporate training. It combines features of mobile learning and micro-learning to deliver small learning units and short-term learning activities. The current study uses the lens of the Self-Determination Theory of motivation and proposes a series of Mobile-Based micro-Learning and Assessment (MBmLA) homework activities to improve high school students' motivation and learning performance in science. An experiment was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed approach. One hundred and eight students of a senior-level high school in Europe were randomly assigned into either a control condition (conventional paper-based homework approach) or an experimental (MBmLA approach) condition. The study carried out for a period of 5 weeks. From the experimental results, it was found that, in comparison to the conventional paper-based approach, the proposed MBmLA approach enhanced students' basic psychological needs of self-perceived autonomy, competence, and relatedness and improved students' exam performance in terms of factual knowledge. Moreover, students self-reported greater learning satisfaction with the mobile-based microassessment and micro-learning homework tasks. Implications on educational practices as well as future research are discussed.

Mobile devices not only provide a medium for delivering personalized and context-aware learning but also facilitate the delivery of assessment activities anytime and anywhere. With the growing adoption of the Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) practices in education, Mobile-Based Assessment (MBA) is an emerging field in the context of mobile learning research. Although a considerable number of literature reviews exists about mobile learning, there is no such review study to provide insight into mobile-based assessment. The current study is a review of forty-three (43) articles about mobile-based assessment published in seven major educational technology research journals from January 2009 to February 2018. Major findings include that most mobile-based assessment studies focused on formative assessments with elementary students and in STEM subjects. Most of the reviewed articles reported a significant positive impact on student learning performance, motivation and attitudes. Moreover, the study identified several gaps in the mobile assessment literature. More research is needed to investigate issues and concerns related to negative perceptions against mobile assessment, especially form the teachers’ point of view. Also, a stronger alignment needs to be developed between student motivation and different mobile-based assessment practices. The study can be a valuable reference for educators and researchers working in the field of mobile-based assessment.

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