Meaningful Use and Application of Mobile Computing Devices in ODFL Teacher Education Programs

Abstract

Open, Distant and Flexible Learning (ODFL) in most commonwealth nations provide much needed education to the teeming population of qualified citizenry who are not able to gain admission to full time tertiary education programs. However, this primary objective have not adequately been met as envisioned, attributably partly to non-exploitation of full potential of existing Internet Communication Technologies (ICT) by various agencies implementing various forms of ODFL especially with regards to teacher education programs. What research has shown is that interaction, collaboration and engagement necessary for knowledge transfer in ODFL teacher preparation programs have been mediated by obsolete instructional strategies with very little ICT integration. // Advances in ICT in the last decade have made it possible for many countries to be in position to provide laptops in schools and recently have moved to providing mobile computing devices such as tablet computers in various forms to students. Tablet computers and Smartphones have become common tools for social networking among the very populace who benefit from ODFL education. The synergistic effect of these mobile devices as instructional and learning devices has remained largely unharnessed by ODFL instructional designers and policy makers in most commonwealth countries. The implication is that to large extent graduates of ODFL teacher preparation programs in most commonwealth countries lack basic ICT skills, therefore and are unprepared for the challenges of 21st Century classroom environment that is student and technology centered. // During presentation being proposed, a review of instructional designs principles that employ tablet/smartphone devices for ODFL content delivery and insights from real life implementation experience will be explored. Apps, eBook design, development, publishing and integration tools will be delineated with emphasis on how they can be integrated in ODFL. // Paper ID: 311