May 1, 2012 ... University at Qatar. Student Mobile Computing Practices, 2012: Lessons Learned
from Qatar. May 2012. Research Report. Executive Summary.
BAHRAIN
SAUDI ARABIA
QATAR
Eden Dahlstrom, Senior Research Analyst, EDUCAUSE Khalid Warraich, Chief Information Officer, Texas A&M University at Qatar
N
Research Report
Student Mobile Computing Practices, 2012: Lessons Learned from Qatar M ay 2 0 1 2
Executive Summary Mobile computing is transforming information technology and the student learning environment in higher education. Institutions, faculty, students, and IT departments are all just learning how to meet the challenges of mobile computing and benefit from its opportunities. In order for institutions to evolve teaching practices, accurate profiles of student mobile use are needed. This study was motivated by the need to document the student voice and perspective on mobile computing. The aim was to profile students’ mobile technology adoption, identify the key challenges and opportunities, and enable institutions to devise strategies for mobile learning that fit local needs. Use of mobile devices in the Middle East is among the highest around the world, and young people have adopted this technology faster than any other segment. Education City in the Gulf state of Qatar brings together several U.S. and European institutions of higher education to teach in a variety of disciplines. The vision of Qatar—as pursued by the Qatar Foundation—is to transform the country into a knowledge-based economy and for Education City to lead in this effort. The institutions that operate in Education City are seeing students’ prolific adoption of mobile technology and wondering what strategies will benefit the teaching and learning environment, and these interests are mirrored at higher education institutions around the globe. The Education City institutions collaborated to jointly conduct this study on student mobile computing, and the results are not only relevant to their students’ experiences but also speak to the global revolution of mobile technology in the academic environment.
educause.edu/ecar
©2012 EDUCAUSE. CC by-nc-nd.
1
The students of Education City are a diverse population of more than 2,300 individuals of more than 35 nationalities, pursuing more than 25 programs of study. Mobile device adoption is high among students, and the ways in which they use these devices for academic-related activities are diverse. The results of this study indicate that students want to better utilize their mobile devices as tools to facilitate their learning and as mechanisms to communicate with their teachers and their institutions. Mobile technology has the potential to enhance students’ engagement in learning and the academic environment and to expand the reach of the “classroom” in time and space that is not constrained by the physical campus or traditional operating hours. Students report that they have a lot to learn about mobile technology and that they are interested in their institutions’ creating incentives to support their needs. Educational institutions around the globe are just scratching the surface of the capabilities of mobile computing. The findings of this study suggest that Education City students are eager to move forward into this way of learning, and this is indicative that students in other regions (either now or in the future) are also ready to move forward with mobile computing. Are the institutions here and abroad ready to fully exploit this opportunity?
Key Findings Students are avid mobile device users and are open to expanding the ways in which they use them. Some students have “extreme mobility” traits
and can be utilized as exemplars for how to best serve the mobile IT population in academia. Mobile devices don’t supplant the standard tools—such as laptops—that students use for academic work. Mobile technology plays an equally important role for students in terms of productivity and communication. Mobile device usage is task specific; in the bring-your-own device (BYOD) environment, students choose the device that suits their needs for each specific undertaking. Students find the most value in some of the most basic technologies, such as e-mail access, word processing software, and Google searches.
Students want technology to be integrated into
their academic experiences and look to faculty and campus leaders to meet this expectation.
Students find mobile technology convenient and engaging, and instructors and institutions can better connect to students through the use of mobile technology. Mobile devices are used most frequently to
keep connected with peers, faculty, and the institution—they provide an opportunity to enhance students’ engagement in the learning environment. Students want instructors and institutions to communicate with them more using applications such as e-mail and texting.
Institutions need to invest in mobile support, enabling websites for mobile access, training programs, and integration in curriculum. Institutions are doing well in meeting students’
expectations for services, applications, and websites that are mobile friendly, but there is room to improve in this area as student demand and expectations increase. Students want to better utilize mobile technology in their learning environments, including using their mobile devices as tools to create nontraditional content for course assignments, having access to course-related materials, and pushing the limits of mobile device productivity.
Introduction Qatar was recently named the richest country in the world by Forbes magazine, boasting a GDP per capita of about $88,000 (USD).1 Qatar’s Education City hosts branch campuses of eight prestigious universities from the United States and Western Europe, a locally developed Qatar Faculty of Islamic Studies, and the Qatar Academy, which has both primary and secondary educational programs. Education City is demonstrative of Qatar’s strategy to become a knowledge-based economy. The EDUCAUSE Center for Applied Research (ECAR) partnered with Texas A&M University at Qatar to study mobile technology among students enrolled in six of the ten education
educause.edu
2
institutions operating in Education City. This work was part of Technology in Higher Education Conference 2012 which is jointly organized by higher education institutions in Education City.2 Education City students are demographically younger,3 more often male, and more often from households that earn more than $50,000 (USD) annually—characteristics that tend to yield a technophilic, mobile-deviceheavy population. When the results of this study are compared to the 2011 ECAR student technology study,4 the students in Education City demonstrate extreme mobility traits when it comes to mobile device ownership and usage for academics. The findings of this study not only tell the story about technology adoption and perceptions for students in Qatar but also are broadly applicable to institutions with burgeoning mobile proliferation, both in the United States and abroad. Figure 1. 1. Education City Students Own More Mobile Figure EDUCATION CITY STUDENTS OWNDevices MORE MOBILE DEVICES
Education City (Qatar), 2012 Student Study (U.S.), 2011
MOBILE
Smartphone iPad Any mobile phone Other tablet Laptop/netbook Desktop computer Printer 30
20
10
0%
10
20
30
40
Percentage difference between Education City and U.S. students
The collaboration for this research provided an uncommon opportunity to study a microcosm of students with a robust mobile profile in order to provide insight about the gaps in support for mobile learning and the potential of mobile technology for higher education. The findings speak to Rick Oller’s speculation on the future directions of mobile learning in the May 1, 2012, ECAR research bulletin “The Future of Mobile Learning,”5 in that students are ready for technology to do more for them than replicate the traditional classroom experience while on the go. Mobile technology has created new potential for delivering content, promoting student engagement, and introducing efficiencies to campus operations. Changes induced by the technology are characterized by the growing number of mobile devices on the network, expectations of ubiquitous availability of learning resources, and nomadic work and study styles. The models of teaching and learning and its support are under stress,6 and the need to understand the challenges and opportunities related to mobility are a priority across institutions of higher education.
educause.edu
3
Findings Students Are Avid Mobile Device Users and Are Open to Expanding the Ways in Which They Use Them Education City Students Have “Extreme Mobility” Students in Education City own academic-friendly mobile devices (e.g., smartphones and tablets) at higher rates, and stationary devices at lower rates, than students in the United States. U.S. students outpace students in Education City in owning e-readers, USB thumbdrives, and handheld gaming devices, but these devices are not leading the mobile academic revolution. Higher rates of ownership of mobile phones—smartphones in particular—and iPads/other tablets, combined with lower rates of ownership of printers and desktops, is seminal in identifying students in Education City as exemplar learners to embrace these devices as academic tools. In addition, students in Education City are not necessarily reliant on wired or Wi-Fi networks for Internet access. Over half of mobile phone owners (54%) and about two out of five tablet owners (38%) have a wireless data plan. However, when students are on campus, they expect robust, consistent, and user-friendly network access.
Figure 2. EDUCATION CITY STUDENTS OWN A DIVERSE
Figure 2. Education City Students a Diverse Array of Technology ARRAY OFOwn TECHNOLOGY Mobile phone
95
Laptop/netbook
86
Smartphone
84
Printer
45
Desktop computer
30
iPad
17
Other tablet
5 0%
20
40
60
80
100
Percentage of students indicating they own each device
Mobile Devices Supplement the Use of Laptops and Desktops in Academic Work Laptops hold the greatest value, with nearly all Education City students (95%) stating they are very or extremely valuable to their academic success. Though portable, laptops are generally not considered mobile devices7 in the context of technology mobility in higher education. Students cited the lack of specially designed applications for mobile devices as a barrier to the use of iPads and smartphones as academic tools. Students also said that the devices they value most are situational (i.e., the task at hand dictates device choice), but the functionality of laptops, according to students, is key to their academic success.
Figure 3. LAPTOPS OUTPACE MOBILE DEVICES Figure 3. Laptops Outpace Mobile DevicesVALUE for Academic Value FOR ACADEMIC
95
Laptops/netbooks iPads
31
Smartphones
23 0%
20
40
Percentage of students indicating device is very or extremely valuable to academic work
60
80
100
“A laptop is suitable for registering classes. I rarely use the mobile phone for registration because it is complex to log in to the website and see all the information. So a laptop is the suitable choice.”
educause.edu
4
Figure DEGREE OFDetermines MOBILITY DETERMINES DEVICES USED Figure 4. 4. Degree of Mobility Devices Used
USED MORE
MORE MOBILITY
MORE CAPABILITY
SMART PHONE
TABLET
LAPTOP
Chat/IM
Web browsing
Office/productivity
Web browsing
Time management
Web browsing
E-mail
E-mail
Search
Time management
Office/productivity
E-mail
Calculator
Games, media, dictionary
Time management
“We have a site for all the resources from [our LMS]. It is all well and good on a laptop, but on smaller devices, a lot of the things do not work. Sometimes you have a video, which is in a format that does not work. That is why I think we get discouraged…we have an online library and it does not work on smaller devices.”
Students Agree That Mobile Technology Is Important
The vast majority of students agreed or strongly agreed that technology facilitates their productivity, helps them be more efficient, and provides a means to stay connected and engaged in their education community. Institutions can support mobile device usage on campus by providing infrastructure elements to get students on the network and keep their devices powered up. Students were passionate in focus groups about the need for more outlets to recharge batteries in their mobile devices. Agree*
Figure 5. Tasks Made Easier with Mobile Devices Makes it easier to get help when I need it
90%
Makes me feel connected to other students
84%
Makes me feel more connected to what’s going on at the college/university
82%
Makes me feel connected to teachers/professors and other school/college/university staff
78%
Makes it easy to track my academic progress
78%
Better prepares me for entering the workforce
78%
Extends learning beyond the classroom
78% 77%
Helps me do my work faster 0%
20
40
60
80
100
Strongly Agree
Strongly Disagree Neutral *Percentage of students indicating they “agree” or “strongly agree”
educause.edu
5
Sourcing Information Accessing library resources Accessing course websites or syllabi
Mobile Device Usage Is Task Specific
Tasks at hand drive the selection of devices for learning; laptops rule as tools students use in their academic work, but smartphones and tablets have both Conducting research for purpose and place. Smartphones have a role in helping students keep connected papers or presentations and manage their time. They are also used to source information quickly. Tablets work well to keep connected via social networks and look up information, but the Collecting data market share is still dwarfed by laptops. for classwork Getting information online during class
Figure 6. STUDENTS USE DEVICES Figure 6. Students UseTHEIR Their Devices in Many Ways IN MANY WAYS Laptop
Tablet
Getting information online outside of class 0% 20
“I would use an iPad for research, taking notes, and looking up notes. I would prefer to use an iPad than a laptop because it is lighter and smaller and easier to carry.” 40
60
80 100
Smartphone
Keeping Connected
Productivity Writing papers or other classwork
Social networking
Making charts or other visual aids
E−mailing other students about coursework
As a timer or time− management device 0% 20
“As a reference tool, a mobile device is good. As a learning tool, it is not as powerful as a laptop of basic old school methods of learning.”
40
60
80 100
E−mailing teachers or professors Texting other students about coursework
Sourcing Information
Texting teachers or professors
Accessing library resources
0% 20
Accessing course websites or syllabi
40
60
80 100
Percentage of students indicating they use the device they own for each activity
Conducting research for papers or presentations Collecting data for classwork Getting information online during class Getting information online outside of class 0% 20
40
60
80 100
educause.edu
Keeping Connected
6
Figure 7. STUDENTS CAN’T LIVE WITHOUT... Websites
Students Value the Basics
Maslow’s Law applies to IT when it comes to mobile computing for students— they value mobile resources that allow them to keep connected with others and Google source information. Similar results were found in the 2011 ECAR student study. Students said that when it comes to academic success, they 32% can’t live without access to Google and Wikipedia on their mobile devices (for sourcing information) and e-mail and IM/chatting to keep connected with Other others. As mobile technology 43% becomes more sophisticated and academic resources cater to mobile technology, Wikipedia students will likely move beyond valuing the basics when it comes to the mobile 25% technologies they use forCAN’T academics. Figure 7. STUDENTS
LIVE WITHOUT...
Figure 7. What Students Can’t Live Without
Websites
Mobile-Device Activities
Google 32% Other 43%
Other 55% Wikipedia 25%
E-mail 32% IM/ Chatting 13%
Mobile-Device Activities Students Want Technology to Be Integrated into Their Academic Experiences
Students want more mobile technology integrated into the curriculum and look to faculty to meet this request. Students suggested faculty training and policies to encourage faculty members’ incorporation of mobile technology in teaching. Training could help instructors identify suitable apps for their courses; policies could Other specify mobile E-mail technology use in classes. Students also want more mobile technology integrated into the college 55% 32% experience and look to institutions to meet this request. Students suggested numerous mobile apps to enhance student life: telephone number directory, IM/ schedules, class changes/cancelations/news, and library news and events, bus Chatting databases. Students 13%who attended universities that did not presently offer the service also suggested mobile apps to check grades, register for courses, and other student services. When specifically asked to identify what they would like to be able to do on a mobile device to facilitate academic success, students most often reported the following items: Utilize learning management systems Access recorded lectures, notes, and resources Register for classes and access progress reports/grades Access e-books and e-textbooks Manage time and track homework deadlines Take notes, source material, and cross-reference information in class Search library and databases Interact with professor and TAs
“We are not allowed [to use] laptops or mobile devices in the classrooms. It would be useful to allow mobile devices. I understand it would be a source of distraction; some students would use it for other purposes. It would be beneficial if people knew how to use [these devices] in class.” “A program digitized to campus life on the iPhone instead of e-mail. Mainly we use e-mails for everything. [If] you have free time, [you can] check the calendar to see what is happening…”
educause.edu
7
Students Find Mobile Technology Convenient and Engaging, and Instructors and Institutions Can Better Connect to Students through Use of Mobile Technology
“[We use mobile devices] to figure out what is happening at certain times. There are multiple events and locations. All those events are important and changes happen within minutes: changes with location, time, and the people who we are meeting.”
Keeping Connected Begets Engagement
The vast majority of students agreed that mobile technology helps them feel connected to or more engaged with their academic experience. Figure 8. Students Use Mobile Technology to Engage
Figure 8. STUDENTS USE MOBILE TECHNOLOGY TO ENGAGE
Keep connected with other students Keep connected to what is going on at the university/college Keep connected to teachers/ professors and other staff
“I prefer to check my schedule on my mobile device. I can check when and where I have classes and meetings, and input impromptu meetings from my mobile device and synch it to my Google Calendar, rather than going on your computer and setting it all up.”
84 82
0%
20
40
60
78 80
100
Percentage of students indicating how they use mobile technology to keep connected
Students Say They Wish Instructors and Institutions Used Mobile Devices to Communicate More
“Sometimes we get more than 50 e-mails per day, and it is easier to check them by hour, not by sitting down at the end day. [I may] get an e-mail at 8:00 a.m. and the event is at 12:00. It keeps me connected.”
Figure 9. Students Wish... Figure 9. STUDENTS
“[Mobile devices are] a faster way to communicate with our peers rather than opening up your laptop. I can set up quick meetings with my peers.”
Students want to utilize their mobile devices to feel connected and informed. When asked about technologies they wished their instructors or institutions used more often, e-mail, texting, instant messaging, and Facebook were among the highest on students’ wish lists when asked about 37 different types of technologies.
WISH...
…instructors used more often 53
E-mail
51
42 38
Web-based videos Online article recommendations
48 46
45
Instant messaging
43
E-books
36
40
25
Text messaging
43
50
…institutions used more often
32
29
Facebook
28
28
Wikis
25 20 30
30
20
10 0%
0% 10
40
50
Percentage of students who indicated they wish their instructors or institutions utilized mobile-friendly technology more often
educause.edu
8
Institutions Need to Invest in Mobile Support, Enabling Websites for Mobile Access, Training Programs, and Integration in Curriculum Room to Improve Student-Facing Services on Mobile Devices
Though the majority of students say institutions have met or exceeded expectations for accessing services on their mobile devices, there is room to improve. The ECAR study Mobile IT in Higher Education, 2011 Report8 told us that the mobile enablement of student-facing services were given priority over faculty and stafffacing services, and that the demand for such services was being met at higher rates than that for faculty/staff services. Student demand and student expectations are not going to decrease, and so it will be an ongoing challenge for institutions to satisfy student demand in this arena.
“Often when you are waiting for grades, you are out of the house and you don’t have your laptop and you are really anxious. [A mobile app] would be very handy.”
Figure 10. Services Accessible by Mobile Devices Met or Exceeded Expectations* Grades
64%
Library resources
61%
Transcripts
57%
Course registration
53%
Financial aid information
38%
Textbooks
43% 0%
20
40
60
Below expectations
80
100 Exceeded expectations
Neutral *Percentage of students indicating that their expectations were met or exceeded
educause.edu
9
Students Want to Better Utilize Mobile Technology in Academics
When specifically asked to identify a new mobile computing skill they were interested in learning, students most often reported the following items: Create videos or other visual presentations Use office and productivity applications Use the learning management system
“Faculty discourage the use of mobile devices in class. And that is disappointing because it can be easier to take notes on mobile devices.”
Take notes Program (create apps and other program-related activities for mobile devices)
Students offered advice about what institutions must do in order to better take advantage of mobile technology to facilitate student success. The most frequent responses are summarized as follows: Enable access to learning management systems Provide access to e-books/e-textbooks Format web pages for mobile devices Provide tablets/iPads Provide better Wi-Fi access Make access to grades/registration available Provide library and databases access Permit use of mobile technology in class
educause.edu
10
Conclusions and Recommendations Educators recognize the potential of mobile technology to positively impact students’ educational experiences. Students are avid mobile device users and are open to expanding the ways in which they use them. They still very much rely on standard devices (e.g., laptops) and basic software applications (e.g., office software), but acknowledge that mobile technology is important to help them keep connected, be productive students, and access/source information. They use technology to communicate with others and engage in their academic experiences, and they expect faculty and institutions to communicate with them in ways that can be accessed through mobile technology. They have ideas about how mobile technology could be better used in academics, but they look to instructors and institutions to take the lead to bring the mobile technology opportunities to them. As higher education institutions prepare to meet the mobile technology demands of students, ECAR offers the following recommendations to help strategically guide the process. Optimize interfaces for mobile screens. Many existing applications and websites are still best viewed on devices with larger screens. Invest in transitioning existing web content to mobile-device-friendly formats. Invest in developing application portfolios that cover student life and academic services, especially making course/learning management systems functional from mobile devices. “It was easier and more accessible because you tap on an icon. It was a much faster way to access [the LMS] than on my computer. The mobile [LMS] app is so convenient. I could download all my reading on my iPad, and it wasn’t too hard to read, even on the iPhone. Using [the LMS] mobile app in the colleges would be very, very helpful.”
Encourage faculty acceptance and adoption of mobile computing. Provide professional development opportunities and offer incentives for faculty to incorporate mobile technology into the classroom and extend learning beyond the classroom. Encourage faculty not only to allow but to integrate the use of mobile technology in the classroom. “[There is an] age gap between faculty and students. They don’t see the value in technology. Encourage faculty to use the devices and apps and encourage students to create a community.”
Provide robust, consistent, and user-friendly network access. Confirm that Wi-Fi coverage is as broadly available and as strong as the institution intends. Strike a balance between security and convenience when it comes to authorization of Wi-Fi connections. “[Why must we] re-login every day when it is so pointless? Is there a real security purpose behind it?”
educause.edu
11
Don’t assume all students and faculty are proficient technology users. Provide training opportunities for faculty to learn about established ways—and to conceptualize new ways—in which to better feature mobile technology in their curriculum. Offer support to help them implement their ideas. Assess student proficiency of technology use and offer training programs, classes, or other resources to elevate their knowledge to a minimum level that will allow them to use technology to enhance their academic experience. “Don’t throw technology [at] us without preparation—both students and faculty. There is a difference between availability and usage.”
Explore students’ interests in mobile technology. Meet student expectations to lead the way in mobile technology integration in academics by providing the technologies students say they want and need now and by anticipating what the next level of wants/needs will be. Students want to use their mobile devices to stay connected with others, to source information, and to be productive with their academic work. They want interactive, rich experiences, and they want to access information in digital formats. They also want to be able to access institutional services, applications, and websites from their mobile devices. “You need an interactive solution, like an iPad. It is attractive, dynamic experience, if they can adapt the same thing within engineering, it could be good for the students.”
Support student use of mobile devices by providing infrastructure that keeps them charged. Provide outlets or charging stations that allow students to maintain power in their mobile devices. Students use their mobile devices frequently, and as they come to depend on the digital resources these electronic devices provide, they look for opportunities to keep the devices charged. “When the battery dies...you cannot do anything. This is a practical and the biggest problem that I face.”
educause.edu
12
Methodology The 2012 Student Mobile Computing Practices survey gathered quantitative and qualitative data from students attending educational institutions in Education City, Qatar. The quantitative data were collected in mid-January and early February of 2012 via an online survey. The survey was made available to all students in the higher education institutions in Table 1 and to juniors and seniors attending the Qatar Academy. ECAR partnered with the Texas A&M University in Qatar to liaise with local contacts at each institution and to secure institutional review board approval for conducting the study. Parental permission was also secured for minors attending the Qatar Academy. Survey invitations were sent via e-mail by a representative at each institution. Students completing the survey were given the option to register for a drawing to win an iPad 2. A total of 369 students responded to the survey, yielding an overall response rate of 16%. Sample proportions may be used to estimate the corresponding population proportion with a margin of error of approximately 5%. For example, if 84% of students reported owning a smartphone, we may estimate that 84% (+/- 5%) of the target population owns a smartphone. Response rates and margins of error vary widely from institution to institution, but all data in this report speak to responses from all participants. Table 1. Summary of Respondents Student Population
Survey Responses
Survey Response Rate
Focus Group Participants
Carnegie Mellon University Qatar Campus*
350
5
1%
2
Cornell University in Qatar
300
24
8%
3
Georgetown University in Qatar
250
48
19%
3
Northwestern University in Qatar
100
14
14%
1
Qatar Academy**
400
32
8%
6
Texas A&M University at Qatar
500
204
41%
8
Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar
400
42
11%
3
2,300
369
16%
26
Institution
Total
* The survey link was not formally distributed to CMU students by the site administrator. The five students that responded to the survey gained access to the survey link from their peers attending one of the other institutions.
** Qatar Academy is a high school located in Education City, and 11th and 12th graders were invited to participate in the survey and focus groups.
Students were asked in the online survey if they would be willing to be interviewed in a group to answer additional questions about their experiences about mobile technology. Four separate hour-long focus groups were held in early February, with a total of 26 students participating. The facilitator was remote (offsite), whereas the students were gathered in a Texas A&M lecture hall and hosted by ECAR’s Texas A&M liaison. Each participant was given a gift certificate of 100 QAR (~$28 USD). Supplemental qualitative data gathered in the focus groups were used to contextualize or further explain the findings from the survey. All of the quotes in the report represent the student voices from the focus group sessions.
educause.edu
13
Acknowledgments This research was made possible by the contributions of many, but five individuals deserve special acknowledgement for their efforts in this project. Ghalia Farzat, Texas A&M University at Qatar, our partner in this endeavor and the driving force behind this study. She played an instrumental role and provided guidance starting with the inception the study idea to setting research objectives, development of the survey tool, data analysis, and distillation of outcomes. This work would not have been possible without her initiative. Judy Pirani, EDUCAUSE consultant, for development and facilitation of the focus groups. Pam Arroway, EDUCAUSE Senior Statistician, for leadership in data analysis. Virginia Jones, Georgetown University in Qatar, for guidance in the development of the survey tool, support during the focus group sessions, and preliminary review of the findings. Karawan Alsaleh, Texas A&M University at Qatar, for her broad and enthusiastic support throughout the project. We are also grateful to each of the site contacts who enabled student participation in this study and to the EDUCAUSE operations staff who facilitated development of the finalized products that resulted from this project.
Endnotes 1. See http://www.forbes.com/sites/bethgreenfield/2012/02/22/the-worlds-richest-countries/. 2. Technology in Higher Education Conference is an annual event for educators, IT professionals, and students and aims to encourage the usage of technology in teaching, learning, and research in higher education. More information is available at http://technology.qatar.tamu.edu/THE. 3. The mean age of students in the 2011 ECAR student technology study was 26, 47% were from households that earned less than $50,000 (USD) annually, and 43% were male. Among the students in the Education City study, less than 10% of respondents were age 26 or older, about 15% were from households that earned less than 15,000 QAR monthly (roughly equivalent to $50,000 USD annually), and 53% were male. 4. Eden Dahlstrom, Tom de Boor, Peter Grunwald, and Martha Vockley, with a foreword by Diana Oblinger, The ECAR National Study of Undergraduate Students and Information Technology, 2011 (Research Report), Boulder, CO: EDUCAUSE Center for Applied Research, October 2011, available from http://www.educause.edu/ecar. 5. Rick Oller, “The Future of Mobile Learning,” (Research Bulletin), Louisville, CO: EDUCAUSE Center for Applied Research, available from http://www.educause.edu/ecar. 6. Teaching and learning models are under stress for many reasons, including global economic and local institutional financial restraints that impact things like class size and course availability, the evolution of students as learners as they embrace technology at higher rates than their professors, and the availability of technology (and mobile technology in particular) to use as academic productivity and support tools. 7. Sam S. Adkins, “The Worldwide Market for Mobile Learning Products and Services: 2010–2015 Forecast and Analysis,” in Ambient Insight’s 2010–2015 Worldwide Market Forecast for Mobile Learning Products and Services, September 2011, 5–21. 8. Gregory Dobbin, with Pam Arroway, Eden Dahlstrom, and Mark C. Sheehan, Mobile IT in Higher Education, 2011 Report (Research Report), Boulder, CO: EDUCAUSE Center for Applied Research, December 2011, available from http://www.educause.edu/ecar.
Citation for This Work: Dahlstrom, Eden, and Khalid Warraich. Student Mobile Computing Practices, 2012: Lessons Learned from Qatar (Research Report). Louisville, CO: EDUCAUSE Center for Applied Research, May 2012, available from http://www.educause.edu/ecar.
educause.edu
14
