In recent years, there has been an evident expansion in the affordance of mobile and wearable technologies that are becoming increasingly implemented in teaching and learning. Mobile learning has become widely accepted as an important and imperative area for the development of education at all levels (Churchill et al., Citation2018). Educational uses of e-books, digital videos, podcasts, social networking, cloud computing, virtual and augmented realities, games, device connectivities, and other mobile and emerging applications have been adopted by innovative educators and institutions around the world (Churchill, Citation2017; Churchill & Hedberg, Citation2008). To scale up these innovative practices supported by mobile and emerging technologies, there is a need to harness research studies with a sound theoretical and empirical underpinning to inform practices, policies and research.
Mobile technology offers a spectrum of affordances for education and new options for student–technology partnerships in learning. Literature underlines a variety of issues in relation to the use of mobile technologies in education (e.g., Churchill et al., Citation2016; Churchill & Wang, Citation2014; Lim & Churchill, Citation2016; Wong et al., Citation2010; Wong & Looi, Citation2011). The powerful affordances of these mobile technologies, such as representational, social media, and cloud computing, etc., enable new forms of learning-environment-enhancing pedagogies across a variety of educational settings (Churchill & Churchill, Citation2008; Lai et al., Citation2007). The literature in education emerges to explore mobile technologies across the three areas of interests “learning with mobile technologies” (e.g., Churchill & Churchill, Citation2008; Song & Fox, Citation2008), “learners on move” (e.g., Gu et al., Citation2011; Wong et al., Citation2010), and “dynamic, seamless and ubiquitous learning experience” (e.g., Kearney et al., Citation2014; Song, Citation2014).
Making Technologies available does not guarantee pedagogical transformation, and it is critical that new tools are embedded in learning designs. Churchill et al. (Citation2018, p. 23), call for further research “to establish solid theoretical frameworks whose validity is demonstrated in empirical studies, in order to develop best practice principles that can guide governments, institutions, educators, and students on how best to capitalize on the teaching and learning potential of the mobile devices.” A teacher’s use of new technology in teaching and learning is carried out with a belief that this technology will afford learning in some way. Therefore, how mobile technology will be used in education depends largely on teachers’ understanding of the affordances of this technology. Despite the availability of powerful affordances, literature with respect to effective adoption of mobile technologies in education, and in particular with respect to teacher readiness to effectively theorize and apply these affordances in their practice, appears to be underdeveloped. Henceforth, this special issue is an attempt to partly narrow this gap in the literature. The purpose of this special issue is to explore developments surrounding theories and applications of mobile technologies in education, with a particular focus on teacher readiness. Understanding teacher readiness will support the development of more effective practical, theoretical and research frameworks for adoption and learning design.
This special issue presents five papers by scholars from around the world, showcasing evidence-based research and developments in mobile learning and teacher readiness. The paper by Boticki et al. explores mobile Computer Supported Collaborative Learning (mCSCL). The preliminary findings in the study demonstrate the importance of learner’s engagement and on-task behavior when they are given ill-structured problems and opportunities to participate in mCSCL activities. The authors explore the interaction among members of collaborative groups and the readiness of teachers in fostering learning. Tarvenier and Hu highlight the utility of emerging Mobile Learning Pedagogy Practices (MLPP) in the context of early childhood education. The authors demonstrate pedagogical practices for motivating and supporting young children in using mobile technologies to reflect and create digital multimedia artefacts. The authors emphasize that a teachers’ readiness to “employ personalized direct interactions was essential to maintaining a high level of well-being and involvement”. Similarly, Churchill explores the readiness of teachers and mobile technologies in supporting the development of digital literacies. Digital literacy learning is important in today’s education due to the expanding notion of literacy for 21st-century learners. Mobile technologies offer a number of important affordances for the development of “digital literacy skills, including information, visual and media literacy, and technology tools skills” (Churchill & Barratt-Pugh, Citation2020; p.152). At the same, the wide adoption of mobile technologies in society demands digital literacy for the effective utility of these affordances. The author emphasizes the application of digital storytelling as a strategy for digital literacy learning. In addition, Diao and Hedberg explore the application of mobile and emerging learning technologies in the context of face-to-face classroom teaching and learning in higher education. The authors examine three approaches to learning where mobile technologies are argued to have an effective application, including (a) engaged learning, (b) convenient learning, and (c) customized and personalized learning. Furthermore, first, the authors emphasize connections between “representations” and how learners change their “communication behaviour” while using various mobile tools, and secondly, teachers’ readiness to act as an expert who can facilitate learning with technologies. Finally, Sue and Churchill explore the affordances of mobile social media and how teachers are thinking and adopting these in their practices. The authors provide a unique perspective on teacher readiness to adopt mobile social media.
In summary, mobile technologies and their educational affordances present powerful tools for the enhancement of teaching and learning. This enhancement is largely dependent upon teacher readiness to theorise, design and apply learning technologies and activities. For this to be effective, it is essential to have a framework of teacher readiness for the adoption of the affordances of mobile technologies. We call upon further studies to investigate aspects of such frameworks by expanding on the understanding of the educational affordances of mobile and emerging technologies. This special issue intends to deliver a comprehensive overview of the development in relation to mobile technologies, their adoption in education and teacher readiness. We hoped that this special issue can contribute to the advancement of knowledge and practice in the implementation of mobile learning.
References
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