Voices of youth in reconceptualising and repositioning the role of mobile learning for sustainable development

ABSTRACT

This qualitative study explores youth’ perception of opportunities for mobile learning (M-Learning) as a means to achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Data were collected through the qualitative case study of a M-Learning project called the 8th e-ICON World Contest hosted by Korean Ministry of Education and the Hawaii Department of Education. Drawing on youth’ insights and their knowledge as a basis for exploring the potential of M-Learning, the study recommends three areas for the integration of M-Learning with a view to achieving SDGs as follows: (1) M-Learning for improving access to education; (2) M-Learning for improving the quality of education; (3) M-Learning for building and scaling up collective partnership. The study also confirms that youth could play an active role in utilising opportunities of M-Learning to address the current educational development agenda and suggests how M-Learning can be conceptualized as a development intervention.

KEYWORDS:

• Voices of youth
• role of mobile learning
• educational mobile apps
• sustainable development
• ICT4D

Notes on contributor

Jinhee Kim is a former project specialist at the APEC e-Learning Training Center. She holds a B.Sc. in Business Management from University of Johannesburg, a Master in International Education and Development from University of Sussex in UK and is a PhD student in Education (Educational Technology) at Seoul National University in Republic of Korea. Her research interests lie in ICT for education and development, teacher education, digital literacy, and Human-Robot Interaction(HRI).

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 Estimates show that the next 1 billion new internet connections will be from mobile devices in the hands of young people in developing countries.

2 ITU (2018b) found that the digital gender gap in fact increased from 11% in 2013 to 12% in 2016-a small, but significant change, as gender inequality is increasing, not diminishing.

3 This study follows UNESCO (2018b)'s definition of M-Learning that is defined as education that involves the use of mobile devices to enable learning any times and anywhere, with a particular focus on mobility and its unique affordance rather than on technology per se. This includes questions about how mobile devices can support not only learning but also broad educational goals such as effective education administration and information management.

4 Australia, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Republic of Korea, South Africa, Spain, Taiwan, United States, Vietnam.