Bringing it all Together: Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Incorporating Mobile Technologies in Higher Education

Abstract

In this chapter, we offer a thorough research compendium that bridges together theories and perspectives from various disciplines including adult and higher education, psychology and social psychology, sociology, and women's and gender studies in order to help instructors think about ways to expand on existing activities by incorporating mobile technologies in the learning process. Based on this review of literature, we discuss the importance of motivation, participation, community, voice, and learning in higher education and offer our Interdisciplinary Model for Student-Centered Classrooms as a guide for helping instructors who want to use mobile technologies in their own classes. In the second half of the chapter, we discuss suggestions for achieving this model through the use of mobile technologies, provide several opportunities for critical reflection of this model through problem-based scenarios to stimulate applications of our model, and consider the process of infusing mobile technologies into current pedagogical techniques. Overall, this chapter provides a theoretical basis and mandate for further research and implementation of mobile technologies as useful pedagogical tools in higher education capable of increasing student retention, engagement, and positive learning outcomes in higher education.

Citation

Partin, C.M. and Lauderdale, S. (2013), "Bringing it all Together: Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Incorporating Mobile Technologies in Higher Education", Wankel, L.A. and Blessinger, P. (Ed.) Increasing Student Engagement and Retention Using Mobile Applications: Smartphones, Skype and Texting Technologies (Cutting-Edge Technologies in Higher Education, Vol. 6 Part D), Emerald Group Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 83-114. https://doi.org/10.1108/S2044-9968(2013)000006D006