Mobile Learning Features Preferred: An Examination of Students in The United Arab Emirates

Jason D. Johnson; Cara Williams

doi:10.29333/iejme/8325

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Jason D. Johnson ¹ ^* , Cara Williams ²

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¹ Zayed University, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES² Emirates College for Advanced Education, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES^* Corresponding Author

Abstract

The purpose of the current study was to examine the preferred mobile learning features higher education Emirati students use to make sense of mathematics and to determine if these Emirati students valued a mobile device as an essential tool to learn mathematics. Both students and instructors used the Texas Instruments Nspire: Computer Algebra System (CAS) App in a semester mathematics course. The app has such features as enter expressions in proper mathematics notation, import images, dynamically linked notes, share work across platforms (emails, iTunes, Dropbox, etc.), and save documents to mobile device. Participates included sixty-three undergraduate students enrolled in a mathematics course at Zayed University (Dubai campus, United Arab Emirates). Based on a pre- and post-survey, students’ positive perspectives of mathematics increased, negative perspectives decreased, and instructor influence on mobile learning increased. The pre- and post-questionnaire revealed an increase in the participants’ opinion that mobile learning is an essential tool to help make sense of mathematics.

Keywords

Middle East
United Arab Emirates
TI-Nspire CAS App
university mathematics

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This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Article Type: Research Article

INT ELECT J MATH ED, 2020, Volume 15, Issue 3, Article No: em0596

https://doi.org/10.29333/iejme/8325

Publication date: 07 Jun 2020

Article Views: 1671

Article Downloads: 918

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How to cite this article

APA

Johnson, J. D., & Williams, C. (2020). Mobile Learning Features Preferred: An Examination of Students in The United Arab Emirates. International Electronic Journal of Mathematics Education, 15(3), em0596. https://doi.org/10.29333/iejme/8325

Vancouver

Johnson JD, Williams C. Mobile Learning Features Preferred: An Examination of Students in The United Arab Emirates. INT ELECT J MATH ED. 2020;15(3):em0596. https://doi.org/10.29333/iejme/8325

AMA

Johnson JD, Williams C. Mobile Learning Features Preferred: An Examination of Students in The United Arab Emirates. INT ELECT J MATH ED. 2020;15(3), em0596. https://doi.org/10.29333/iejme/8325

Chicago

Johnson, Jason D., and Cara Williams. "Mobile Learning Features Preferred: An Examination of Students in The United Arab Emirates". International Electronic Journal of Mathematics Education 2020 15 no. 3 (2020): em0596. https://doi.org/10.29333/iejme/8325

Harvard

Johnson, J. D., and Williams, C. (2020). Mobile Learning Features Preferred: An Examination of Students in The United Arab Emirates. International Electronic Journal of Mathematics Education, 15(3), em0596. https://doi.org/10.29333/iejme/8325

MLA

Johnson, Jason D. et al. "Mobile Learning Features Preferred: An Examination of Students in The United Arab Emirates". International Electronic Journal of Mathematics Education, vol. 15, no. 3, 2020, em0596. https://doi.org/10.29333/iejme/8325