Nel, L.Khomokhoana, Pakiso Joseph2015-08-312015-08-312011-052011-052011-05http://hdl.handle.net/11660/1082English: Higher education institutions are experiencing burgeoning growth in student enrolment. The subsequent increase in undergraduate class sizes means that the needs of individual students are no longer effectively addressed. Students are also less likely to actively participate in these large classes. There is a high probability that such students are less likely to be successful in their studies. In order to support the learning needs of the student population, there are various strategies and tools that can be used to encourage active classroom participation. This study investigated how mobile learning applications can be used to encourage active participation in large undergraduate Computer Science classes. The study identified the four main teaching and learning challenges that are experienced by lecturers and students in large undergraduate courses. They are lack of resources, facilitation of student assessment and feedback, pressure to increase student throughput and the academic under preparedness of students. In this study, the researcher established that it is not easy to address these challenges if a traditional teacher-centred approach is used. The main reason is that this approach is ineffective to support the construction of conceptual understanding by students. Upon consideration of various teaching and learning issues, a student-centred approach was identified as being a more promising approach for quality teaching and successful learning in the 21st century. In a teaching and learning environment where a student-centred approach is practiced, active classroom participation was identified as one viable solution that has the potential to lower the intensity of the four stated challenges. The researcher demonstrated how active classroom participation could mitigate the effects of these challenges. Some of the active participation strategies identified from contemporary literature were also implemented by the lecturer in her classes. On realisation that it is not easy to implement active classroom participation strategies, especially in large classes, the researcher opted for applications that could automate some of these strategies. He specifically decided to use mobile learning applications because in this era, most of the students own cellular phones. The researcher believed that the existing applications could not help him to address the research questions and objectives of this study. He opted for a custom developed application, called MobiLearn. Technical and pedagogical usability of this application were then evaluated in terms of the metrics established from literature. Technical usability was evaluated in terms of 12 metrics and pedagogical usability was evaluated in terms of nine metrics. The study employed the mixed methods design, and the approach was mainly qualitative with some quantitative enhancements. Data was collected through focus group discussions held with voluntary participants from the selected population; questionnaire survey; extracting it from the application (usage data); a face-to-face interview with the lecturer who used the MobiLearn application in her classes as well as class attendance records. Qualitative data was analysed according to qualitative content analysis principles, while quantitative data was analysed by means of statistical analysis. The application was evaluated as both technically and pedagogically usable. It was also evident to have potential to encourage active classroom participation for students who use it. Some students indicated that they experienced some technical problems to access the MobiLearn application. They indicated that they were not motivated to use the application. To address the last (third) objective of this study to mitigate problems such as these experienced by MobiLearn users, the study compiled a set of technical and pedagogical guidelines for best practices in the use of mobile learning applications to encourage active participation in similar contexts.Afrikaans: Hoër onderwys instansies ondervind ontluikende groei in studente registrasies. Die gevolglike toename in voorgraadse klasgroottes beteken dat die behoeftes van individuele studente nie langer meer effektief aangespreek word nie. Studente is ook minder geneig om aktief in hierdie groot klasse deel te neem. Daarom is daar ’n laer waarskynlikheid vir hulle om suksesvol te wees. Om die studente se leerbehoeftes te ondersteun, kan verskeie strategieë en hulpmiddels gebruik word om aktiewe klasdeelname te bevorder. Die studie ondersoek hoe mobiele leer toepassings gebruik kan word om aktiewe klasdeelname in groot, voorgraadse Rekenaarwetenskap klasse te bevorder. Hierdie studie het vier leer en onderrig hindernisse geïdentifiseer wat deur studente en dosente in groot, voorgraadse klasse ervaar word. Hierdie hindernisse is ’n gebrek aan hulpbronne, die fasilitering van studente assessering en terugvoer, druk om studente se deurvloeikoers te verhoog en akademiese onvoorbereidheid van studente. In die studie het die navorser vasgestel dat dit nie maklik is om die hindernisse aan te spreek met ’n tradisionele dosentgesentreerde benadering nie. Die hoofrede is dat die benadering oneffektief is om die konstruksie van konsepsuele begrip van studente te ondersteun. Na oorweging van verskeie onderrig en leergegewe is ’n studentgesentreerde benadering geïdentifiseer as die mees belowende vir kwaliteit-onderrig en leer in die 21ste eeu. In ’n onderrig en leer omgewing, waar ’n studentgesentreerde benadering gevolg word, is aktiewe klasdeelname geïdentifiseer as die een werkbare oplossing wat die potensiaal het om die intensiteit van die vier genoemde hindernisste, te verlaag. Die navorser demonstreer hoe aktiewe klasdeelname die effek van die hindernisse kan versag. Sekere van die aktiewe klasdeelname strategieë wat uit kontemporêre literatuur geïdentifiseer is, is ook deur die dosent in haar klas geïmplementeer. Met die besef dat dit nie maklik is om aktiewe klasdeelname strategieë te implementeer nie, veral in groot klasse, het die navorser toepassings gekies wat sekere van die strategieë kon outomatiseer. Hy het spesifiek op mobiele leertoepassings besluit omdat die meeste studente in die era selfone gebruik. Die navorser is van mening dat die huidige toepassings nie kan help om die navorsingsvrae en doelwitte van die studie aan te spreek nie. Daarom is ’n doelgerigte toepassing, genaamd MobiLearn ontwikkel. Tegniese en pedagogiese bruikbaarheid van die toepassing is geëvalueer in terme van maatstawwe wat uit die literatuur geïdentifiseer is. Tegniese bruikbaarheid is geëvalueer in terme van 12 maatstawwe terwyl pedagogiese bruikbaarheid 9 maatstawwe in ag geneem het. Die studie gebruik ’n gemengde metode ontwerp en die benadering wat gevolg word, is hoofsaaklik kwalitatief met kwantitatiewe verbeteringe. Data is ingesamel deur fokusgroep besprekings wat gehou is met vrywillige deelnemers van die geselekteerde populasie; vraelyste, uittreksels uit die toepassing (gebruikersdata); ’n aangesig-tot-aangesig onderhoud met ’n dosent wat die MobiLearn toepassing in haar klasse gebruik en klasbywoningsrekords. Kwalitatiewe data is geanaliseer volgens kwalitatiewe inhoudsanalise beginsels. Die toepassing is geëvalueer as tegnies en pedagogies bruikbaar. Dit is ook duidelik dat die toepassing wel aktiewe klasdeelname bevorder. Sekere studente het aangedui dat hulle tegniese probleme ervaar het om toegang tot die MobiLearn toepassing te verky. Hulle het aangedui dat hulle nie gemotiveerd was om die toepassing te gebruik nie. Om die laaste (derde) doel van die studie aan te spreek en die problem wat deur MobiLearn gebruikers ervaar word, te versag, is ’n stel tegniese en pedagogiese riglyne vir beste praktyk saamgestel vir die gebruik van mobiele leertoepassings om aktiewe deelname in soortgelyke situasies te bevorder.enMobile communication systems in educationComputer-assisted instructionComputer science -- Study and teaching (Higher)Pedagogical usabilityTechnical usabilityUsability metricsActive classroom participationMobile learningLarge class teachingDissertation (M.Sc. (Computer Science and Informatics))--University of the Free State, 2011DissertationUniversity of the Free State