WILL AN M-LEARNING TECHNIQUE PROMOTE STUDENT UNDERSTANDING OF PROBLEMATIC KNOWLEDGE AND KEY THRESHOLD CONCEPTS?

The key aim of the research is to study how the Introduction of m-Learning into my first year electronic modules will promote improved student understanding of problematic knowledge and key threshold concepts. M-Learning (or mobile-learning) facilitates the use of compact digital mobile devices as a tool to enhance and extend the reach of teaching and learning activities. The key challenge is to develop a method that would further engage students in identifying and addressing problematic knowledge and associated key threshold concepts. Within electronic engineering, first year students are presented with a number of key concepts that form the foundation for future learning. As such, a large amount of independent student effort is required to review material in order that problematic knowledge and threshold concepts can be identified. Without this independent effort, traditional approaches such as teacher-led tutorials can result in limited success. This paper reports on a study focusing on a group of thirty-five first year students enrolled in an electrical and electronic systems engineering course at Dundalk Institute of Technology. It is a qualitative based study using focus groups and interviews to access the use of m-Learning as an enhancement to formative assessment in both identifying and addressing troublesome knowledge. Initial results have shown that the adoption of an m-learning approach utilised in parallel with formative assessment has facilitated both the development and implementation of a more problematic knowledge and key threshold concept lead student-focused tutorial sessions. Although still at an early stage of investigation, the use of m-Learning has encouraged greater student engagement, which in turn has promoted stronger student reflection and identification of individual problematic knowledge and threshold concepts within the target modules. This in turn has resulted in an increase of student participation in tutorials.