Abhigyan

Open Access Open Access  Restricted Access Subscription Access
Open Access Open Access Open Access  Restricted Access Restricted Access Subscription Access

Opportunity Analysis of Educational Mobile App to Provide Higher Education in Rural India


Affiliations
1 Vedatya Institute, Gurgaon, Haryana, India
2 Sri Guru Gobind College of Commerce, University of Delhi, New Delhi, India
     

   Subscribe/Renew Journal


Education is one of the most important instruments for growth of an economy. All developing economies are ensuring access to quality education for all, in particular for the poor and rural population. While on one side rural India is lacking in basic amenities like schools, colleges, universities, library, hospitals, transportation, on the other side mobile subscriptions are increasing year on year. This paper reflects the mobile technology usage readiness among the rural students of Madhya Pradesh for educational apps based on the survey through questionnaires. Total numbers of 8273 respondents across 43 villages of Madhya Pradesh were covered during the study. The findings show that there exists high level of readiness among the rural youth for educational mobile apps to meet their educational needs. This paper serves as a reference base for future studies focused on development of mobile learning applications specially for improving education levels of rural students.

Keywords

Mobile Learning, Learning Theories, Higher Education, Educational Mobile Apps, Developing Economies.
User
Subscription Login to verify subscription
Notifications
Font Size

  • Allen S. J. (2007). Adult learning theory & leadership development, Leadership Review, 7, 26-37.

  • ASER (2014). Annual Status of Education Report (Rural) Retrieved from www.asercentre.org/P/51.html?P=61

  • Attewell, J., & Savill S. C. (2003). M-learning and social inclusion – focusing on learners and learning. Proceedings of MLEARN 2003: Learning with Mobile Devices (pp. 3-12). London, UK: Learning and Skills Development Agency.

  • Avgerou, C. (2008). Information systems in developing countries: A critical research review. Journal of Information Technology, 23 (3), 133-146.

  • Brown, J.S., Collins, A., & Duguid, S. (1989). Situated cognition and the culture of learning. Educational Researcher, 18 (1), 32-42.

  • Bruner, J. (1966). Toward a theory of instruction. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

  • Chinnery, G.M. (2006). Emerging technologies going to the MALL: Mobile assisted language learning. Language Learning & Technology, 10, 9–16.

  • Cortez, C., Nussbaum, M., Santelices, R., Rodríguez, P., Zurita, G., Correa, M., & Cautivo, R. (March, 2004). Teaching science with mobile computer supported collaborative learning (MCSCL). Proceedings of the 2nd International Workshop on Wireless and Mobile Technologies in Education (pp. 67-74). JungLi, Taiwan: IEEE Computer Society.

  • Joseph, S., Binsted, K., & Suthers, D. (Nov, 2005). Photo study: Vocabulary learning and collaboration on fixed and mobile devices. Proceedings of the 3rd International Workshop on Wireless and Mobile Technologies in Education (pp. 206-210). Tokushima, Japan: IEEE Computer Society.

  • IAMAI says India will have 500 Million Internet users by 2017. (2015, July 21). The Indian ExpressRetrieved from: http://indianexpress.com/article/technology/tech-news-technology/iamai-says-india-to-have236-million-mobile-internet-users-by-2016/#sthash.ckWCjAvi.dpuf.

  • Kadyte, V. (2003). Learning can happen anywhere: A mobile system for language learning. In J. Attewell & C. Savill-Smith ( Eds.) Learning with mobile devices research and development Proc MLEARN 2003 (pp. 73-78). London: Learning and Skills Development Agency.

  • Kiernan, P.J., & Aizawa, K. (2004). Cell phones in task based learning: Are cell phones useful language learning tools? ReCALL, 16 (1), 71-84.

  • Kim, P., Buckner, E., Kim, H., Makany, T., Taleja, N., & Parikh, V. (2012). A comparative analysis of a gamebased mobile learning model in low-socioeconomic communities of India. International Journal of Educational Development, 32 (2), 329-340. Elsevier Ltd.

  • Koschmann, T., Kelson, A. C., Feltovich, P. J., & Barrows, H. S. (1996). Computer-supported Problem-Based Learning: A principled approach to the use of computers in collaborative learning. In T.D. Koschmann (Ed.), CSCL: Theory and Practice of an Emerging Paradigm (pp. 83–124). Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.

  • Lave, J., & Wenger, E (1991). Situated learning: Legitimate peripheral participation. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press.

  • Levy, M., & Kennedy, C. (2005). Learning Italian via mobile SMS. In: Mobile Learning: A Handbook for Educators and Trainers. (pp. 76–83.) Taylor and Francis, London.

  • Lonsdale, P, Baber, C, Sharples, M ., & Arvanitis, T. N. (2003). A context-awareness architecture for facilitating mobile learning. Proceedings of MLEARN 2003: Learning with Mobile Devices (pp. 79-85). London, UK: Learning and Skills Development Agency.

  • Looi, C. K., Scow, P., Zhang, B.H., So, H, J., Chen, W. L., & Wong, L. H. (2010). Leveraging mobile technology for sustainable seamless learning: A research agenda. British Journal of Educational Technology, 41(2), 154-169.

  • Ogata, H., & Yano, Y. (2004). Knowledge awareness map for computer-supported ubiquitous language-learning, Proceedings of 2nd International Workshop on Wireless and Mobile Technologies in Education, JungLi, Taiwan, 2325 March.

  • Pea, R., & Maldonado, H. (2006). WILD for learning: Interacting through new computing devices anytime, anywhere. In R. K. Sawyer (Ed.), The Cambridge handbook of the learning sciences (pp. 427-441). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

  • Prakash, A., & De, R. (2007). Importance of development context in ICT4D projects: A study of computerization of land records in India. Information Technology and People, 20 (3), 262–281.

  • PwC Global 100 Software Leaders report (2013), Retrieved from http://www.pwc.in/press-releases/indiansoftwareindustry-poised-for-strong-revenue-growth.html.

  • Saxena R., Sen A., Indian app makers struggle for download breakthroughs (2013, March 4) Live Mint, Retrieved from http://www.livemint.com/Industry/rKbwPPa4A11X4952SVwcuJ/Indian-app-makersstrugglefor-download-breakthroughs.html.

  • Sharples, M., Taylor, J., & Vavoula, G. (2005). Towards a Theory of Mobile Learning, in van der Merwe H, Brown T, Mobile Technology: The Future of Learning in Your Hands, mLearn 2005 Book of Abstracts, 4th World Conference on mLearning, Cape Town, 25-28 October 2005, Cape Town: mLearn 2005, p. 58.

  • Reimers, F. (2000). Unequal schools, unequal chances: The challenges to equal opportunity in the Americas, Harvard University Press.

  • Rheingold, H. (2003). Smart mobs: The next social revolution, Cambridge, MA: Perseus.

  • Rogers, Y, Price, S, Harris, E, Phelps, T, Underwood, M, Wilde, D, Smith, H, Muller, H, Randell, C, Stanton, D, Neale, H, Thompson, M, Weal, M., & Michaelides, D (2002). Learning through digitally-augmented physical experiences: reflections on the Ambient Wood project. EQUATOR IRC. Retrieved from http://mcs.open.ac.uk/ yr258/papers/Rogers_Ambient_Wood2.1.pd.

  • Siemens, G. (2004). Connectivism: A learning theory for the digital age. International journal of instructional technology and distance learning, 2 (1), 3-10.

  • Squire, K. D., & Klopfer, E. (2007). Augmented reality simulations on handheld computers, Journal of the learning Sciences, 16 (3), 371-413.

  • Stavredes, T. (2011). Effective online teaching: Foundations and strategies for student success. San Fransisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

  • Shuler, C. (2009). iLearnII; An Analysis of the education category of Apple's App store. New York: The Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop.

  • Thornton, P., & Houser, C. (2005). Using mobile phones in English education in Japan. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 21, 217–228.

  • TRAI (2014) report retrieved from http://www.trai.gov.in/

  • Trucano M. (2007). What do we know about the effective uses of information and communication technologies in education in developing countries?, Assessing the effects of ICT in education, OECD, 61-67.

  • Walsham, G. (2010). ICTS for the broader development of India: An analysis of the literature. Electronic Journal of Information Systems in Developing Countries, 41 (4), 1–20.

  • The World Bank, World Development Indicators (2014) retrieved from http://data.worldbank.org/ sites/default/files/wdi2014-highlights.pdf.

  • Zurita, G., Nussbaum, M., & Sharples, M. (2003). Encouraging face-to-face collaborative learning through the use of hand-held computers in the classroom: Proceedings of Mobile HCI 2003 (pp. 193-208). Udine, Italy: Springer-Verlag .

  • Zurita, G., & Nussbaum, M. (2004). Computer supported collaborative learning using wirelessly interconnected hand-held computers. Computers & Education, 42(3), 289-314.


Abstract Views: 350

PDF Views: 0




  • Opportunity Analysis of Educational Mobile App to Provide Higher Education in Rural India

Abstract Views: 350  |  PDF Views: 0

Authors

Neetu Ahmed
Vedatya Institute, Gurgaon, Haryana, India
Gurleen Kaur
Sri Guru Gobind College of Commerce, University of Delhi, New Delhi, India

Abstract


Education is one of the most important instruments for growth of an economy. All developing economies are ensuring access to quality education for all, in particular for the poor and rural population. While on one side rural India is lacking in basic amenities like schools, colleges, universities, library, hospitals, transportation, on the other side mobile subscriptions are increasing year on year. This paper reflects the mobile technology usage readiness among the rural students of Madhya Pradesh for educational apps based on the survey through questionnaires. Total numbers of 8273 respondents across 43 villages of Madhya Pradesh were covered during the study. The findings show that there exists high level of readiness among the rural youth for educational mobile apps to meet their educational needs. This paper serves as a reference base for future studies focused on development of mobile learning applications specially for improving education levels of rural students.

Keywords


Mobile Learning, Learning Theories, Higher Education, Educational Mobile Apps, Developing Economies.

References