An M-Learning Model in the Context of the Blended Synchronous Learning Environment: A Pilot Study

Introduction

Along with the development of communication technology, mobile devices (e.g., laptops, tablets, cell phones) make it easier to access diverse e-resources anytime and anywhere. As a support to online learning, they provide more personalized learning, which is regarded as effective to increase student engagement and improve the learning experience (Elfeky & Yakoub, 2016; Jagušt & Botički, 2019). Many researchers are devoted to exploring their use in pedagogical fields with the emergence of mobile learning, which has gained popularity due to its convenience, flexibility, and low cost. Further, learning materials delivered by mobile devices are more appealing to students than paper-based learning materials (Gürkan, 2018). One meta-analysis conducted by Wu et al. (2012) confirmed the positive outcomes in mobile learning studies and found that mobile learning is most prevalent in higher education.

Generally, mobile technology can serve for spontaneous learning in formal learning scenarios (Suartama et al., 2019), but is commonly situated in the asynchronous learning environment, and learners may feel isolated and lonely, resulting in quitting learning, or getting distracted by lacking interaction with peers and teachers, additionally making it difficult for teachers to capture the real learning performance of students, thus limiting students continuing learning. Blended synchronous learning environments (BSLE), which allow for synchronous interaction, and consider both face-to-face students and remote students, may be a good solution to this matter. Some researchers, therefore, steered toward implementing mobile learning in synchronous blended learning environments, for example, Sun et al. (2017) created a mobile blended learning environment, using WeChat as a synchronous communication tool and modular object-oriented dynamic learning environment (Moodle) as a mobile and online collaborative learning platform. The result revealed a deeper level of knowledge building in collaboration and interaction through such a mobile learning model.

As previous studies have suggested, student satisfaction and engagement are two factors directly associated with online learning (Yousaf et al., 2022), which are identified as key indicators of assessing learning effectiveness (Akram et al., 2021), as the former reflects on students’ experience with the technology, the instructor, the interaction process, and so forth, while the latter can further reveal the psychological and behavioral efforts that students make in the learning process. When examining the relationship between engagement and satisfaction, most studies hace focused on how engagement influenced student satisfaction (e.g., Elfeky et al., 2016; Fisher et al., 2018; Yousaf et al., 2022). However, in the blended synchronous learning environment, student satisfaction may differ based on various factors, such as the users’ attitudes towards related technology, the interaction, and so forth. The high level of satisfaction supported by mobile devices would enhance their engagement. This is because that student will devote more time and effort when they are more satisfied with the ‘communication and usability’, ‘teaching process’, and ‘instructional content’ (Karaoğlan Yılmaz, 2021). In this regard, it is of significance to further investigate the structural relations between student satisfaction and engagement in mobile learning based BLSE.

This study aimed at constructing a mobile learning model in BLSE, followed by exploring student satisfaction and engagement based on classroom practices.