Legitimisation, personalisation and maturation: Using the experiences of a compulsory mobile curriculum to reconceptualise mobile learning

Abstract

Background: Smartphone use is well established in society, with increasing acceptance in many professional workplaces. Despite the growth in mobile resources, how students and teachers benefit from these devices remains under-researched.

Aims: An exploration of student and educators views on the impact of mobile learning re-sources on placement learning experiences as part of the Leeds ‘MBChB Mobile’ programme.

Methods: Focus groups incorporating visual methodologies were undertaken with students from each year group; semi-structured interviews were undertaken with clinical teaching staff, including those who experienced the mobile programme as students themselves.

Results: Four key themes emerged. ‘Maturity of learning’, related to the way in which senior students use resources in a more nuanced way than junior colleagues. ‘Learning differently’, identified ‘personalisation’ and ‘just in time’ opportunities that mobile resources afforded. ‘Learning legitimately’ was identified by students as key to ensuring they adopted appropriate behaviours in relation to mobile learning. Using mobile resources at undergraduate level was found to ‘change learning patterns for life’.

Conclusions: There is a need to further develop the educational theory behind using mobile resources for learning. The results here suggest that mobile technologies are shaping learning behaviours, and are an indicator of learning maturity, reflecting the wider context of societal enculturation.

Notes on contributors

DR VIKTORIA JOYNES, BA (Hons), MSc, PhD, is the Mobile Learning Implementation, Evaluation, and Development Officer, Leeds Institute of Medical Education, University of Leeds.

DR RICHARD FULLER, MA, MBChB, FRCP, is Associate Professor and Director of the MBChB Programme, Leeds Institute of Medical Education, University of Leeds.

Acknowledgements

Thanks are due to Nancy Davies who acted as co-facilitator at all focus groups. We would also like to thank the TEL Team at LIME and particularly Gareth Frith, Dr Sue Bickerdike and Lee Gill. We also thank Rebecca O’Rourke who provided comments on a draft of this article. Finally, we would like to acknowledge and thank Professor Trudie Roberts for her continued support for the MBChB Mobile programme.

Declaration of interest: The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of this article.