Time to Engage? Texting to Support and Enhance First Year Undergraduate Learning

Time to Engage? Texting to Support and Enhance First Year Undergraduate Learning

SMS

mobile phones

transition to HE

time management

text management service

In this paper we discuss a case study investigating how the academic and personal development of first year students on an undergraduate sports education degree can be supported and enhanced with mobile SMS communication. SMS-based technologies were introduced in response to studentsâ?? particular needs (in transition to Higher Education) and characteristics (â??digital nativesâ??). Despite being unaccustomed to using their mobile phones for academic study, students willingly participated in SMS communication with their tutor via a texting management service. Drawing on evidence from two student surveys, focus groups and a tutorâ??s journal, we illustrate the potential that mobile SMS communication has to link and establish continuity between face to face teaching sessions and online learning activities in the Virtual Learning Environment (VLE). Many students perceived the SMS communication to have had a positive impact on their management of study time. We link our findings with the existing literature and argue that mobile text based communication has the potential to support the development of time management skills, an important component of self regulatory learning, a skill which has been shown to be key in making a successful transition.

Jones, Geraldine

Edwards, G.

International Journal of Interactive Mobile Technologies (iJIM); Vol. 3 No. 2 (2009); pp. 6-11

1865-7923

International Association of Online Engineering (IAOE), Vienna, Austria

2009-03-03

Copyright (c) 2017 Geraldine Jones, G. Edwards

application/pdf

eng

info:eu-repo/semantics/article

info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion