Title: Learning via mobile phones - students' learning styles, needs, preferences and concerns

Authors: Shudong Wang; Jun Iwata; Douglas Jarrell

Addresses: Shimane University, 1060 Nishikawatsu-cho, Matsue-shi, Shimane 690-8504, Japan ' Shimane University, 1060 Nishikawatsu-cho, Matsue-shi, Shimane 690-8504, Japan ' Nagoya Women's University, 1302 Takamiya-cho, Tempaku-ku, Nagoya-shi, Aichi 468-8507, Japan

Abstract: With increasing penetration of mobile devices into people's everyday life, mobile learning is regarded as the next generation of e-learning. Learning via mobile devices, especially mobile phones is widely practiced in educational areas all over the world. This paper describes a five-year ongoing mobile language learning project which creates and delivers English learning materials to Japanese university students. Based on the data collected from the project, we investigate Japanese students' mobile learning styles, learning needs and material preferences as well as their concerns about using mobile learning. The data is collected from various sources: online surveys, server logs, user registered personal information, interviews and actual quiz results. The findings obtained from this research reveal the status quo of learners in mobile learning and will provide useful information for future mobile learning project/system design.

Keywords: flexible learning; m-learning; learning styles; Japan; mobile learning design; mobile phones; cell phones; student needs; student preferences; student concerns; higher education; language learning; English learning; system design.

DOI: 10.1504/IJIL.2016.076797

International Journal of Innovation and Learning, 2016 Vol.19 No.4, pp.431 - 443

Received: 25 Oct 2014
Accepted: 12 Nov 2014

Published online: 01 Jun 2016 *

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