The changing online learning environment requires that instructors depend less on the standard tools built into most educational learning platforms and turn their focus to use of Open Educational Resources (OERs) and free or low-cost commercial applications. These applications permit new and more efficient ways to build online learning communities…

Many recent studies have shown that mobile learning can provide potential possibilities for foreign language learners to practice language skills on their smart mobile phones and tablet PCs (e.g. Chang & Hsu, 2011; Egbert, Akasha, Huff, & Lee, 2011; Hoven & Palalas, 2011; Stockwell, 2010). A number of apps have been created and used…

This study examined the efficacy of using different types of mobile media apps to increase the receptive and expressive vocabulary development of 3-, 4-, and 5-year-old preschool children living in economically disadvantaged communities. Children and teachers in four Head Start classrooms participated in the quasi-experimental study, which…

Higher education has long been viewed as a social elevator. The path to a higher education credential, however, is complicated for students from low-income and/or minoritized communities. This report provides a snapshot of digital tools designed to help students with college exploration, college admissions, and financial planning. To set the…

On many campuses, iPads have taken over the hearts and minds of everyone. Everyone, that is, except the IT department. These sexy tablets might be the apple of faculty and students' eyes, but for IT directors and their staffs, working with iPads in an enterprise network environment is not the stuff of a love affair. To state the problem…

This study conducted a systematic sample of every 70th reference transaction from over a three-year period and analyzed 1,852 reference transactions asked at an academic library system's fifteen face-to-face (f2f) service points as well as via telephone, e-mail, and chat. Findings indicate two-thirds of the total questions asked were…

If one asks educators about online resources that make their lives easier or make a difference with instruction, they will likely all respond passionately with some site, tool or app and a story about how it works. This year, the authors set out to include 13 tech resources they find valuable in their work or in work with others. They feel these…

Increasingly iPads™ are being used in schools and prior-to-school settings, with a plethora of Apps available for mathematics learning. Despite the growing number of Apps available in the iTunes App Store, there has been limited systematic analysis of the pedagogic design of Apps designed for mathematics learning. This paper describes a content…

The best Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) design challenges are student centered, with students themselves making the key decisions. But with young children who are still learning basic academic and social skills, implementing projects where they truly take the lead can be quite challenging. To give students at one…

This article addresses the question of what app or website is appropriate for teachers to use for classroom instruction. While most school districts have safety policies related to the Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA) and the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) implemented by means of software and district firewalls, this…

To investigate student difficulties in solving word problems in algebra, we carried out a teaching experiment involving 51 Indonesian students (12/13 year-old) who used a digital mathematics environment. The findings were backed up by an interview study, in which eighteen students (13/14 year-old) were involved. The perspective of mathematization,…

Although the motivating role of feedback and progress indicators is understood in formal learning, their role in supporting incidental mobile learning is less well understood. In this paper we argue that well-designed feedback and progress indicators (FPIs) offer guidance and structure that may encourage mobile app users to move from fragmented…

As part of the student success agenda, the nation's community colleges have been asked to rethink their approach to education on every level. From the explosion of smartphones and mobile devices on campus to the demand for more robust data analytics and tracking to the increasingly technical nature of global work, technology has evolved from a…

This paper reports on the development of the "MobLearn@Work" App, which emerged from a study of informal learning among five employees at different companies in China. The purpose of the study was to develop a strategy for the design of mobile learning support tools that would enhance informal learning in the workplace. The App was…

The concept of smart phone apps forms a mnemonic device and checklist for students who are learning critical thinking and reading skills. "Use your apps" reminds students to consider the importance of Author, Audience, Assumptions, Point of View, Perspective, and Scale when reading any text. "APPS" also lends itself to class…