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An exploration of smartphone microblogging supporting the device, learner and social aspects of mobile learning within post primary Religious Education

Morrison-Reilly, Ciara (2016) An exploration of smartphone microblogging supporting the device, learner and social aspects of mobile learning within post primary Religious Education. Doctor of Education thesis, Dublin City University.

Abstract
Within Religious Education in the Irish post primary sector, there is little evidence of smartphone use for supporting mobile learning. This research aims to address this shortcoming by exploring our experience of smartphone microblogging supporting mobile learning. A participatory action research (PAR) methodology was employed. Research participants involved one teacher-researcher and a hundred and five first year post primary students of Religious Education from an Educational Training Board (ETB) school. A mixed method design was employed using both quantitative and qualitative data from pre and post online surveys, pre and post-research questionnaires, focus groups, online posts from Edmodo and the teacher-researcher’s own reflective journal. The research question was ‘What were our experiences of smartphone microblogging supporting mobile learning on ‘Images of God?’ ‘Images of God’ is a module from the Junior Certificate Religious Education syllabus. Mobile learning was defined as consisting of three aspects: the device, learner and social aspect as theorised in Koole’s (2009) Framework for the Rational Analysis of Mobile Education (FRAME) model. First, the device aspect of mobile learning examined Edmodo’s technical challenges and conveniences as well as measuring research participants’ perceptions through the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) research instrument (Davis 1989). Second, the learner aspect of mobile learning explored students’ use of Edmodo for supporting cognitive learning, collaborative learning and deeper learning within post primary Religious Education. Third, the social aspect of mobile learning investigated Edmodo as a virtual learning community and a safe space for the students to disclose and discuss their personal images of God that included agnostic and atheist worldviews. The social aspect also provided an insight into suitable pedagogy stemming from relevant mobile learning theories for supporting smartphone microblogging. This research concluded with recommendations for practising smartphone microblogging for supporting mobile learning within post primary Religious Education.
Metadata
Item Type:Thesis (Doctor of Education)
Date of Award:November 2016
Refereed:No
Supervisor(s):Fitzsimons, Sabrina and Sexton, P.J.
Uncontrolled Keywords:smartphone; mobile learning; microblogging
Subjects:Social Sciences > Education
DCU Faculties and Centres:DCU Faculties and Schools > Faculty of Humanities and Social Science > School of Education Studies
Use License:This item is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License. View License
Funders:Irish Centre for Religious Education
ID Code:21357
Deposited On:21 Nov 2016 09:40 by Sabrina Fitzsimons . Last Modified 14 Sep 2020 13:24
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