Motivation for Mobile Learning: Teacher Engagement and Built-In Mechanisms

ABSTRACT

The relevance of the study of mobile learning as an upcoming trend in education in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic is not denied. Thestudy of students’ ability and motivation to use modern technologies of mobilelearning is characterized by novelty. However, the problematic issue of studyingthe motivation of students and teachers for mobile learning in today’s pandemicremains relevant. The purpose of the study is to examine some aspects of theformation of students’ motivation (intrinsic motivation interest in the subject ofstudy, understanding of its significance for further career;extrinsic motivationpoints, awards, recognition), as well as the role of teachers in this process andthe influence of cognitive abilities of a person on their motivation and academicachievement. The study is based on the method of experiment as well as the interviewsand analysis of student reports. There were 185 students (19–22 years old)from Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University and Far Eastern FederalUniversity participating in the study. After the participants had listened to anonline lecture on the topic “Neuro-linguistic programming”, they were asked tomake a report on the topic of the same name and expand the information. Next,the students were interviewed. The results showed that 89% of students wereinterested in the issue and 69% noted a desire to learn more information on thistopic;100% of participants actively use mobile devices with Internet access foreducational purposes and, in particular, for making the required report. However,only 12% of respondents believe that mobile learning alone can be used in orderto study specialized disciplines at their university. Thus, 43% of students find itdifficult to perceive information from the screen of a smartphone (tablet);61%of students prefer traditional education to mobile learning, which is probablydue to the novelty of this process;65% of respondents noticed that their knowledgeis deteriorating due to the use of mobile (distance) learning. In connectionwith the results obtained, the following recommendations were made to improvethe educational process to explain to students the importance and usefulnessof the topic under study;to use adequate pedagogical methods in the context ofmobile learning;to provide feedback and the ability to communicate to studentsduring mobile learning;to take into account the personality and learning style of a student;to use all types of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation of students inaccordance with specific circumstances. The most popular motivation factors formobile learning are possibility of improving exam grades (65%), possibility ofimproving knowledge (25%), and broadening horizons and deep interest in thetopic (10%). Developing applications that will take into account the needs of aparticular university and specialty will also make a contribution. Teachers arealso encouraged to use a play-based approach and a student reward system inorder to increase the level of motivation (additional points, a simplified examscheme, etc.). The practical significance and prospects for further research arepresented by the opportunities of increasing students’ motivation in the contextof mobile learning, and, consequently, the success of their studies. The resultscan be used in the comparative study of mobile learning possibilities in modernconditions and teachers’ involvement in it in different countries © 2022, International Journal of Interactive Mobile Technologies. All Rights Reserved.