A Cognitive Knowledge-based Framework for Social and Metacognitive Support in Mobile Learning

INTRODUCTION Mobile technology has grown significantly in recent years; developers agree with the term mobile first. Most work nowadays is done using smartphones. Cell phones are excellent communication and social tools which have become a source of unlimited entertainment. Mobile technology also impacts the way people do business and marketing, through knowledge creation and an infinite amount of information exchange. Mobile devices extend the capability of cell phones beyond just verbal communication, accomplishing a variety of different communicative tasks (Ishii, 2006). The popularity of mobile devices and social networking sites which affect various aspects of daily life is unlikely to diminish. Mobile technology has a potential to disrupt most traditional models of doing business, and education is one industry that will most notably be impacted. Thus, focusing on the effects of these devices and services on student learning is of importance. The rapid development of mobile learning has a significant impact on education (KlaCen, Eibrink-Lunzenauer, & Gloggler, 2013). Mobile learning potentially places educational institutions at the forefront of pedagogical practice and addresses students' requirements for flexibility and ubiquity. This urges researchers to re-conceptualize the role of teachers in the learning process and to investigate the impact of using m-learning to support student learning and to help educators to adopt the mobile learning environment. As we move into the knowledge society, new interactive technologies are providing us with both challenges and opportunities. The challenge is to find out how to construct environments that provide and support different kinds of learning. The opportunity is to drastically change the existing learning process to give students a much higher degree of individual support and a flexible approach to managing their learning experiences. Thus, many researchers, as well as academic and industrial practitioners, are currently exploring the potential of mobile devices in supporting the learning process. Mobile learning (M-learning) is an educational interaction delivered through mobile technology and accessed by students from any location (Traxler, 2009). M-learning is also viewed as the use of mobile devices with an Internet connection for educational purpose (Kinash, Brand, & Mathew, 2012). Most literature indicates that m-learning has offered considerable benefits to building and supporting creative, collaborative, interactive capacities within the learning environments, helping in the creation of knowledge. Several authors referred to mobile learning ability to enhance collaborative learning (A. Barker, Krull, & Mallinson, 2005; Cheon, Lee, Crooks, & Song, 2012; Picek & Grcic, 2013). Moreover, some of the m-learning benefits include allowing data and information collection, enhancing and building knowledge and providing necessary support by integrating work activities and students' experiences in learning (Alhazmi, Rahman, & Zafar, 2014; Sharpies, 2006). As m-learning uses a variety of devices, it is agreed that m-learning introduces a globally flexible learning approach. Some studies have highlighted some advantages of m-learning such as extending learning and teaching beyond traditional teacher-centered classroom (Ktoridou, Gregoriou, & Eteokleous, 2007); providing flexible learning environments anytime anywhere, generating new technology-enhanced learning; allowing new modes of teaching; and encouraging students' active participation and collaboration (Guy, 2010; Ktoridou et al., 2007; Picek & Grcic, 2013). Additional benefits of m-learning are cost effectiveness (Pollara, 2011), and game learning (Kadirire & Guy, 2009). The unique advantages of an m-learning platform are mobility (Sharples, Sanchez, Milrad & Vavoula, 2008), access (Parsons & Ryu, 2006), and ubiquity (Kukulska-Hulme, Sharples, Milrad, Arnedillo-Sanchez, & Vavoula, 2009). …