Title: Effects of an integrated mind-mapping and problem-posing approach on students' in-field mobile learning performance in a natural science course

Authors: Chun-Ming Hung; Gwo-Jen Hwang; Siang-Yi Wang

Addresses: Haidong Elementary School, Tainan, Taiwan ' Graduate Institute of Digital Learning and Education, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Taipei, Taiwan ' Graduate Institute of Digital Learning and Education, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Taipei, Taiwan

Abstract: In this study, the researchers investigate the effects of an integrated mind mapping and problem-posing approach on students' in-field mobile learning performance in an elementary school natural science course. A total of 86 sixth graders in three classes were assigned as follows: one class, with 29 pupils, for the mind-mapping and problem-posing mobile learning; another class, with 28 pupils, for the problem-posing mobile learning; and the other class, with 29 pupils, for the conventional tour-based mobile learning. From the experimental results, it was found that the students who learned with the problem-posing mobile learning strategy showed significantly better learning achievements than those who learned with the mind-mapping and problem-posing integrated strategy, indicating that the simpler problem-solving strategy was more suitable for application in in-field learning than the more complicated strategy that engaged students in both the learning tasks of posing problems and developing mind maps.

Keywords: mobile learning; m-learning; in-field learning activities; mind mapping; problem posing; learning performance; natural sciences; science education; elementary schools; elementary education; mind maps.

DOI: 10.1504/IJMLO.2014.067019

International Journal of Mobile Learning and Organisation, 2014 Vol.8 No.3/4, pp.187 - 200

Received: 05 Aug 2014
Accepted: 06 Sep 2014
Published online: 22 Jan 2015 *

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