Angela Murphy

The relationship between thinking styles and emotional intelligence: an exploratory study

In this study we explore the association between thinking styles and emotional intelligence. Participants (N = 309) completed Sternbergs Thinking Styles Inventory (TSI) and the Schutte Self-Report Inventory (SSRI) for emotional intelligence. Statistical analysis of the scores of the participants on the two instruments indicates that there is an overlap between the TSI and the SSRI, and suggests that they measure similar constructs. The results show that thinking styles are significant predictors of emotional intelligence and that participants who have high emotional intelligence prefer more complex and creative thinking styles.

Open educational practices in higher education: institutional adoption and challenges

Open educational resources and open education practices have the potential to lower costs and increase participation in higher education. One hundred and ten individuals from higher education institutions around the world participated in a survey aimed at identifying the extent to which higher education institutions are currently implementing open educational resources and open educational practices. The study explores the drivers and challenges faced by institutions considering the implementation of collaborative assessment and accreditation services for courses based on open educational resources, such as the Open Educational Resource University concept. Differences between institutions that are participating in the Open Educational Resources University and non-members are examined. Results from the study indicate that although higher education institutions are aware of, and interested in, open educational resources and open educational practices, there are a number of challenges that need to be overcome to achieve their potential.

Providing Simulated Online and Mobile Learning Experiences in a Prison Education Setting: Lessons Learned from the PLEIADES Pilot Project

This article reports on the preliminary findings, design criteria and lessons learned while developing and piloting an alternative to traditional print-based education delivery within a prison environment. PLEIADES Portable Learning Environments for Incarcerated Distance Education Students, was designed to provide incarcerated students with access to internet-independent secure digital and mobile technologies. An internet-independent version of Moodle was developed to complement course readings deployed on eReaders. The aim of the project was to increase access to and participation in higher education courses that are increasingly offered exclusively online. The article begins with an overview of the current provision of education within prison environments and introduces the rationale for commencing the project. The research findings of the project trial are discussed and the paper concludes with the lessons learned and implications for further research, development and implementation.

Moving towards the effective evaluation of mobile learning initiatives in higher education institutions

Mobile learning is viewed by many institutional leaders as the solution for a student cohort that is demanding an increasing flexibility in study options. These students are fitting study around other aspects of their lives including work and caring responsibilities, or they are studying at a geographical location far removed from the university campus. With ubiquitous connectivity available in many parts of the world and with the incremental improvements in design and affordability of mobile devices, many students are using mobile technologies to access course materials and activities. Even so, there are relatively few formal mobile learning initiatives underway and even fewer evaluations of those initiatives. This is significant because without a rigorous evaluation of mobile learning, it is impossible to determine whether it provides a viable and cost-effective way of accessing courses for both the student and the institution. This chapter examines the broad groupings of uses for mobile devices for learning, before considering the evaluation frameworks that are currently in use. The characteristics, affordances, and issues of these Q1 frameworks are briefly discussed. A project to develop a Mobile Learning Evaluation Framework is introduced, which will consider evaluation from four aspects: (1) pedagogical learning, (2) pedagogical teaching, (3) technical, and (4) organizational.

Mobile Learning in Higher Education in the Asia-Pacific Region

If mobile technologies are to be effectively used in education, how do we best implement sustainable mobile solutions for teaching and learning? The aim of this handbook is to support educators and policy makers who are investing in innovations in digital education to develop effective and sustainable mobile learning solutions for higher education environments. Authors from sixteen countries across the Asia-Pacific region have collaborated to share their experiences with developing and implementing mobile learning initiatives. These projects focus on a variety of aspects of mobile learning innovation, from the trial adoption of existing social media platforms on mobile devices and the development of specialised applications or mobile learning systems, to the large-scale, interuniversity implementation of technologies and pedagogies to support mobile learning. Each chapter addresses challenges and solutions at one or more levels of mobile learning innovation within the education system, encompassing the student perspective, the educator perspective, technical processes, policies and organisational strategy, and leadership. The book also offers a unique perspective on the integration of mobile learning innovations within the educational, political and cultural environments of Asia-Pacific countries.

Introduction: Supporting the Sustainable Implementation of Mobile Learning for Higher Education in the Asia-Pacific Region

The Asia-Pacific region has become a growth centre for digital innovation and economic prosperity, with innovations in mobile technologies and applications acting as a vehicle for disparate populations to gain greater access to education and other essential services. The successful integration of innovations that leverage the potential of mobile technologies for learning is therefore high on the agenda for higher education leaders from the Asia-Pacific. This book brings together discussion papers and case studies from authors in 16 countries within the Asia-Pacific region including China, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Malaysia, Indonesia, Laos PDR, Cambodia, Singapore, Vietnam, Pakistan, Russia, Australia (including regional and remote areas), New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Samoa and Fiji. Each chapter highlights the personal experiences or insights obtained from pioneers who are developing and implementing mobile learning initiatives as either pilot projects or as part of a cross-institutional strategy within learning institutions or Asia-Pacific communities. The chapters also address the implications of mobile learning for the four levels of stakeholders within higher education institutions. This introductory chapter provides an overview of each of these levels that form a framework to guide the implementation of sustainable mobile learning solutions for teaching and learning in the Asia-Pacific region.

Virtual Worlds as Restorative Environments

The overpopulation of our planet creates pressures, not only upon natural and human-created environments, but also upon human well-being. Responding to the Australian government’s focus upon education as a means for improved health, well-being and economic competitiveness, schools and universities strive to embed environmental sustainability and creativity in a crowded curriculum. The use of virtual worlds as restorative environments may help to realise this vision, which is shared by other nations with technologically rich, but time-poor and urbanised societies. This chapter draws upon the final stage of a three-stage study into pre-service teachers’ perceptions of personal well-being, sense of belonging, social connectedness and personal creativity and engagement. It considers how these senses were impacted by participants’ immersive experiences in a natural-seeming virtual world environment in Second Life and in their comparative experience in a formal garden setting. Findings suggest that Second Life may serve as a restorative environment if participants are sufficiently familiar with the user interface and virtual world environment.

Taking ebook readers to prisons: a tale of two projects

This paper reports on a project that was first introduced to World Conference on Mobile and Contextual Learning attendees in 2012, the PLEIADES project (Portable Learning Environments for Incarcerated Adult Distance Education Students) and discusses how this project evolved into two separate projects; one each from the two technologies originally trialled. PLEIADES introduced a version of an internet-independent version of the Learning Management System (LMS) called Stand Alone Moodle (SAM) and eBook readers to incarcerated students in a correctional centre in Southern Queensland. The Triple ‘E’ Project (Empowerment, E-Learning and E-Readers) using eBook readers similar to those trialled in the PLEIADES project, were rolled out to a further four correctional centres. This paper explores the issues and challenges involved with deploying eBook readers to incarcerated students through the PLEIADES and Triple ‘E’ projects.

Mobile Learning Trends among Students in Vietnam

Mobile learning has the potential to expand access to education in developing countries. Little is known about the preferences of students in some Asian countries such as Vietnam. Some of these countries have restricted internet access and may be subject to internet censorship. A study was conducted with forty-four Masters students in Vietnam to identify informal mobile learning trends. Results indicate that although rates of ownership of mobile technologies are still low in comparison to many other countries, students do use these devices to support their studies. A third of students had access to a tablet computer, smartphone or MP3 player and many students had access to more than one device. Most students used Wi-Fi and considered internet quality to be moderate or fair. Access to high quality internet and the impact of internet censorship needs to be taken into account when developing mobile learning content for students in Vietnam.