Mobile Apps for Innovating and Improving Learning and Teaching: An Example on History

• In Event: Roundtable Session 7
  In Roundtable Session: A Janus Head or the Same Side of the Medallion? Innovating and Improving Historical Reasoning and Understanding

Abstract

In just a few years mobile technology has developed enormously. Smartphones and tablets have become almost essentials for our daily life. Beside the debates about the pros and cons of the proliferation of these devices, it is undeniable that are appealing devices with great potential as learning and teaching tools (e.g. Ally, 2009; Cochrane & Bateman, 2010).
The main aim of this proposal is to provide some empirical data about the efficiency of a mobile app developed for iPad to promote learning about the history of the “Plaza de Oriente” (Orient Square). This is a significant historical site in Madrid city. The app was a game that required users to walk around the main historical buildings and places located in the square. The goal of the game was to solve a problem that only could be solved if preliminary tasks (minigames and quizzes) were passed.
This study is based on the assumption that digital games may be used both in formal and informal settings to contribute to increasing students’ interest and motivation as they learn traditional school contents (Habgood & Ainsworth, 2011). We will present data from a larger research project that studied how individuals from three age groups (secondary school students, college students, and +55 year-old adults attending a senior university program, N=151) learned while they played with the iPad game. To solve the tasks and questions presented in the game it was necessary for participants to infer or look for the information from particular buildings and places of the square, and from 4 short videoclips (about 3-5 min. each).
We explored the role of participants’ prior knowledge (knowledge about the contents taught in the game as well as about using technological devices) and participants’ motivational pattern on learning outcomes. Prior topic and subject-matter knowledge, knowledge and experience using technological devices, topic and subject-matter interest, task interest, perceived difficulty, and self-efficacy expectations were measured before and after gameplay. Pretest and posttest measures were compared to assess learning outcomes.
Results show that all groups learned after playing the game (recall and comprehension measures). A repeated measures ANOVA with one between-subjects factor (group, three levels: secondary school, college students, senior participants) and one within-subjects factor (learning, 2 levels: pretest, posttest) was performed. A significant effect of learning was found: F1,149=336,895; p=.000; and also a significant effect of the interaction: F2,149=10,176; p=.000. A significant effect of group was also found: F2,149=38,941; p=.000. College students were the group that increased more the amount of correct answers.
Task and subject-matter interest was significantly higher in the posttest than in the pretest in the students groups (secondary school and college students).These findings suggest that these games may be useful for promoting both students’ learning and interest. They may also be useful for promoting lifelong learning in informal settings and to avoid the “digital divide” in the case of the +55 participants. Further discussion of results and instructional implications will be developed for the presentation.

Authors

• Margarita Limon, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid

• Sebastian Vidal

• Carlos Garcia Sauri