STUDENTS’ ATTITUDE TO M-LEARNINGin the MA program “Management For Organizational Excellence” School of Management, New Bulgarian University

1. Georgi Yadkov
Assoc. prof. Veselina Penevska
STUDENTS’ ATTITUDE TO M-LEARNING
in the MA program “Management For Organizational
Excellence” School of Management, New Bulgarian University

2. How many of you possess one of the following devices:
e-book reader
smartphone
tablet

3. Content
Research Framework
Research Results
Recommendations

4. Research Framework

5. Research Framework
 Interest in, and need
for, lifelong learning
 Diminishing free time
 Accelerated penetration
of mobile devices
Prerequisites – globally
 Increasing demand for
distance learning options
 Active involvement of
mobile technologies
society university

6. Research Framework
 Distance learning
programmes
 Web based tools
 Continuous
implementation of
innovative structure
and content
Prerequisites – in Bulgaria
No research data
on m-learning

7. Research Framework
Access to learning
resources from any place
and at any time
Contacts with colleagues
and tutors from
anywhere at any time
M-learning:
Learning through mobile technologies

8. Research Framework
To reveal students’ attitudes
toward mobile technologies use
in the learning process
Parameters and Methodology
Goal

9. Research Framework
 Facilitate learning
Parameters and Methodology
Whether and to what
extent mobile devices
would
 Improve the quality
of learning
 Make learning more
comfortable
Sub-goal 1
Sub-goal 2
Sub-goal 3

10. Research Framework
Students’ expectations
about the effectiveness of
mobile technologies use
in the learning process
Parameters and Methodology
Object

11. Research Framework
Parameters and Methodology
Subject
 Communication with tutors / colleagues
 Using e-resources and accompanying e-activities
 Participation in virtual teams / conferences
 Individual work
 E-portfolio preparation
 Self-reflection
 Individual and group work during seminars
Possibilities to:
 Improve the satisfaction of learning
 Save resources
 Learn at diverse place/time

12. Research Framework
Parameters and Methodology
Target group  Current students and alumni
of MP MOE (81 people)
Sample  29 respondents – 36%
Method /
research tool
 Online survey

13. Research Results

14. Research Results
I believe that using mobile devices (smartphone, tablet, e-reader)
during the academic courses at MP MOE
will facilitate
Communication with tutors
Communication with colleagues
Usage of e-resources / e-activities
Individual work
Work in virtual teams
Preparation of e-portfolio
Self-reflection
Participation in virtual conferences
Group work during seminars
Individual work during seminars
Strongly agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly disagree

15. Research Results
Sub-goal 1
 Whether and to what extent mobile
devices would facilitate learning
“Yes” – 90% and over 90% of the students
 Communication with tutors and colleagues
 Using e-resources and performing e-activities
 Participation in virtual teams / virtual conferences
 Individual work
“Yes” – 50% to 70% of the students
 E-portfolio preparation
 Self-reflection
 Individual and group work during seminars

16. Research Results
Sub-goal 1
 Whether and to what extent mobile
devices would facilitate learning
Gender as a factor
 Equal number of women and men have positive expectations
about the first group of parameters (~90% and above)
 More men than women are positive about the second group of
parameters (~70% of men v/s ~50% for women)
 Women show a higher degree of enthusiasm than men
Age as a factor
 The group over 30 is more positive
than the group under 30
 Most pronounced differences: individual work,
communication, individual and group work during seminars

17. Research Results
I believe that using mobile devices (smartphone, tablet, e-reader)
during the academic courses at MP MOE
will improve the quality of
Communication with tutors
Communication with colleagues
Usage of e-resources /e-activities
Individual work
Work in virtual teams
Preparation of e-portfolio
Self-reflection
Participation in virtual conferences
Group work during seminars
Individual work during seminars
Strongly agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly disagree

18. Research Results
Subgoal 2
 Whether and to what extent
mobile devices would improve
the quality of learning
“Yes” – 85% of the students
 Communication with tutors and colleagues
 Using e-resources and performing e-activities
 Participating in virtual teams/ virtual conferences
 Individual work
“Yes” – 40-60% of the students
 E-portfolio preparation
 Self-reflection
 Individual and group work during seminars

19. Research Results
Subgoal 2
 Whether and how much mobile devices
will improve quality of learning
Gender as a factor
 More men (~90%) than women (~80%) have positive
expectation about the first group of parameters
 Approximately equal number of men and women (40 to 70%)
have positive attitude about the second group of parameters
 Women have greater degree of enthusiasm
Age as a factor
 The group over 30 has a more positive
attitude than the older group over 30

20. Research Results
I believe that using mobile devices (smartphone, tablet, e-reader)
will
Help me save resources
Give me a greater satisfaction
of learning
Allow me to learn at times usually
not associated with learning
Allow me to learn at places
usually not available
Strongly agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly disagree

21. Research Results
Sub-goal 3
 Whether and to what extent
mobile devices would improve
the comfort of learning
“Yes” – 75 to 80% of the students
 Possibilities to learn at unusual time/place
 Possibilities to save resources
“Yes” – less than 50% of the students
 Possibilities to increase the satisfaction of learning

22. Research Results
Sub-goal 3
Gender as a factor
 More men (~85-90%) than women (~65%) are positive
about the new place/time options for learning
 Women have greater degree of enthusiasm (~60%)
than men (~30%)
Age as a factor
 The group over 30 is much more positive about
the satisfaction of learning and a bit more
positive about saving resources
 The group under 30 is a little bit more positive
about learning at new places/times
 Whether and to what extent
mobile devices would improve
the comfort of learning

23. Next steps

24. Next steps
 What factors influence the low expectations about the
effectiveness of m-learning in some of the elements of the
learning process: self-reflection, individual and group work
during seminars
 What factors contribute for the gender and age difference
in attitudes towards m-learning
Further research issues
 To develop approaches for increasing students’
motivation for m-learning
 To develop approaches for increasing the satisfaction
of m-learning
Implementation of
research results

25. Questions?
Georgi Yadkov
Veselina Penevska