A Study On Effectiveness Of Mobile Learning In Higher Education Of Agriculture (Case Study: Payame Noor University, Zanjan Center)

Document Type : Research Paper

Abstract

Changes in the interests of young people toward communicating in cyberspace, using mobile phone and SMS communications is a threat in the some critics’ point of view, which can be an opportunity to learn anytime, anywhere. Mobile learning is an approach to targeted nourishing of curious minds of technology generation in the wireless communication world. Thus, this study toward establishing the grounds of mobile learning application conducted, aiming to evaluate the effectiveness of mobile learning in higher education of agriculture. Quasi-experimental study was conducted with random assignment of experimental (n = 25) and control (n = 19)  groups and intervention technique of using mobile learning as a teaching aid in first semester of the academic year 2014-15 at Zanjan center of Payame Noor University. Investigation of mobile learning effectiveness was performed by comparing the mean score of pre-test with post-test and monitoring-test using t-test statistics and the results showed that compared to control group who received only routine training, mobile learning including training in the usual way along with educational messages through mobile phone, is able to significantly enhance experimental group learning. In this context, the use of mobile phone that has penetration rate of one hundred percent among the students is suggested as a tool for mobile learning in higher education of agriculture.

Keywords

References

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Iranian Journal of Agricultural Economics and Development Research
Volume 47, Issue 2
December 2016
Pages 441-451

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