Abstract
Increasingly, mobile learning has been considered as a part of professional development due to its unique attributes: ubiquitous, flexible, highly personalized, and easily accessible. It represents a paradigm shift for continuous professional development especially amongst teachers who have a tight working schedule. This paper will provide a conceptual framework for the design of a mobile learning course for UAE teachers’ professional development. It aims to assist teachers to continuously engage in professional development activities and mitigating challenges such as time constraints, the suitability of training content, impactful strategies, and personalization of learning. A smart conceptual framework based on the three important principles of learning design was developed and pilot tested. The main elements of the conceptual framework and the results of the pilot test are presented in this paper. Paper type: Research paper
Keywords
Teacher Education, Professional Development, Mobile Learning, UAE, Mobile Technologies, Educational Technology
Introduction
The UAE upholds the value of education as the main tool for human development. There is a strong awareness of the need to reach sustainable human development in a globalized context to keep pace with the rapidly changing world. One of the crucial elements in the education system reform is the improvement of teaching quality through effective professional development as emphasized by Alhassani (2012) that there is a strong connection between students’ performance and teaching quality. Certainly, teachers must be equipped with adequate knowledge, skills, and awareness in order to perform better. Accordingly, there is a need to rethink professional development for educators. Nowadays, technological and educational innovation can empower both educator and learner to enhance the learning experience. Advances in technology not only allow borderless education that is accessible, scalable, and also flexible.
UNESCO (2012) had shed light on the necessity to use mobile devices to develop education for all purposes especially the following: those facing challenges in a particular educational context, enrich formal schooling, and those related to creating a more equitable, accessible, and flexible learning for learners anywhere and at any time (Franklin, 2011). This paper is an effort towards the development of a conceptual framework for an effective training environment using mobile tools which is oriented to serve teacher professional development in the UAE and the Arab region.
Conclusion
This paper discussed how a model for the design of mobile content was conceptualized. A learning design framework was used to collate literature related to instructional design, other sciences, and informed practices. These assisted in bringing all the important elements of learning design into a focal point of the conceptual framework. The major elements of the learning design are a combination of instructional design elements such as systematic design, using impactful strategies to attract, retain learning, and be engaged in the learning. These strategies include and are not limited to using scenarios, case studies, problem-based learning, and task-based learning which are presented using rich and engaging resources such as videos, gamification, and simulations. Building participant confidence and satisfaction (drawing on ARCS motivational models) is highly emphasized by providing relevant Arab oriented content. The learning design is enhanced by incorporating appropriate informed practices suited to mobile technology such as micro-content and easily navigable interfaces. Other sciences that are important were considered and this includes challenge-based learning- an element that is highly emphasized by UAE leaders. Other important elements include positive reinforcements and personalization.
In the future, this framework will be studied further and tested with larger groups of the target audience. It can be considered as the starting point of the pedagogical and technological design of mobile learning courses proper for Arab region as well as for a more global audience. Moreover, the framework will be good guidance for instructional designers to create and design meaningful instruction for mobile learning.
About KSRA
The Kavian Scientific Research Association (KSRA) is a non-profit research organization to provide research / educational services in December 2013. The members of the community had formed a virtual group on the Viber social network. The core of the Kavian Scientific Association was formed with these members as founders. These individuals, led by Professor Siavosh Kaviani, decided to launch a scientific / research association with an emphasis on education.
KSRA research association, as a non-profit research firm, is committed to providing research services in the field of knowledge. The main beneficiaries of this association are public or private knowledge-based companies, students, researchers, researchers, professors, universities, and industrial and semi-industrial centers around the world.
Our main services Based on Education for all Spectrum people in the world. We want to make an integration between researches and educations. We believe education is the main right of Human beings. So our services should be concentrated on inclusive education.
The KSRA team partners with local under-served communities around the world to improve the access to and quality of knowledge based on education, amplify and augment learning programs where they exist, and create new opportunities for e-learning where traditional education systems are lacking or non-existent.
FULL Paper PDF file:
A Smart Mobile Learning Conceptual Framework for Professional Development of UAE In-Service TeachersBibliography
author
Year
2017
Title
A Smart Mobile Learning Conceptual Framework for Professional Development of UAE In-Service Teachers
Publish in
International Journal of Management and Applied Research
DOI
https://doi.org/10.18646/2056.43.17-012
PDF reference and original file: Click here
Nasim Gazerani was born in 1983 in Arak. She holds a Master's degree in Software Engineering from UM University of Malaysia.
Professor Siavosh Kaviani was born in 1961 in Tehran. He had a professorship. He holds a Ph.D. in Software Engineering from the QL University of Software Development Methodology and an honorary Ph.D. from the University of Chelsea.
Somayeh Nosrati was born in 1982 in Tehran. She holds a Master's degree in artificial intelligence from Khatam University of Tehran.
