Investigation of Distance Learning Students' Opinions on Mobile Learning

With today's developing technology, learning applications reach more people within shorter time. This development of technology closely affects mobile technology. These developments in mobile technology are applied to make learning more effective. Mobile learning devices create learning environments for users without any time limit. It will also be important to develop learning environments and activities for mobile devices, such as mobile phones, in internet-supported distance education systems, and to determine the views and uses of students in teaching environments that are widely available in the future. The initial definitions of mobile learning are more technology-centric. In Keegan's technology-centric definition, mobile devices are limited to those portable to users and emphasize mobility (Keegan, 2008). According to Keegan, mobile learning is learning when the user is on the move, from mobile devices where women can carry easily in men's pockets in their bags. Today, mobile learning is expanded and defined as a separate paradigm shift. In general, mobile learning is an educational method that takes place through mobile technologies that enable users to access training content without being bound to a specific place, to utilize dynamically generated services and to communicate with others, to increase productivity and work performance efficiency by responding to individual needs instantly (Traxler & Kukulska 2005; Wexler et al., 2008; O'Malley et al., 2009). Although internet supported distance education has relieved students of time and space dependence the need to provide internet connectivity over wired communications environments, speed constraints in wireless communications environments, and high costs have led to a slower development of mobile education. Mobile education offered opportunities for lifelong learning, unaware learning, instant learning, time and space independent learning, and learning adjusted according to location and conditions (Usal and Albayrak, 2005). In mobile education; mobile phones, handheld computers, laptops and tablet PCs are used as clients (Bulun, Gülnar, Güran, 2004). The purpose of this study is to determine the use of mobile learning by distance education students as a result of the increase of innovations in today's technology and education technology. The survey, developed by Kurnaz (2010), was applied to students who are registered in the distance education programs of Amasya University and participated voluntarily. Findings of the study were analyzed using SPSS program. As a result of this study, students' opinions on mobile learning were analyzed by gender, age and graduated high school type, and the usage cases of mobile devices for learning. The results were discussed with the related literature. And suggestions were made.