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