April 2012 Volume 15 Number 2 - Educational Technology & Society

Lan, Y.-F., & Huang, S.-M. (2012). Using Mobile Learning to Improve the Reflection: A Case Study of Traffic Violation.
Educational Technology & Society, 15 (2), 179–193.
Using Mobile Learning to Improve the Reflection: A Case Study of Traffic
Violation
Yu-Feng Lan and Shin-Ming Huang
Department of Information Management, National Formosa University, YunLin, Taiwan, R.O.C. //
yflan@nfu.edu.tw
(Submitted August 10, 2010; Revised November 23, 2010; Accepted July 1, 2011)
ABSTRACT
The purpose of this study was to integrate mobile communication technologies and a global positioning system
(GPS) to construct an instant, convenient report of the mobile network service system named the Mobile Traffic
Violation Reporting System (MTVRS), to improve learners’ traffic violation reflection level. Data were
collected using a ‘‘usefulness of mobile learning systems” questionnaire and traffic violation reflection
questions from a sample consisting of 32 learners in Taiwan. Learners voluntarily participated in a four-week
program using mobile devices to transmit photographs of local traffic violations and exchange pictures and
observations. The experimental results revealed by the questionnaire were satisfactory and encouraging in terms
of the effectiveness of the supported mobile learning environment. Moreover, the responses to the questionnaire
showed significant differences in regard to both gender and age. The study also found a positive improvement in
reflection levels toward traffic violations among groups following the experiment.
Keywords
Mobile learning, Reflection, Global positioning system (GPS), Traffic violation, Gender
Introduction
Thanks to advances in wireless and mobile technologies, and through the use of mobile devices, it is possible to
extend the learning environment far beyond classroom walls (Liu, 2007). Educators have begun to consider mobile
learning (ML) with the prospect of extending the realm of computer-mediated education to learning situations
outside of traditional educational settings (Chen et al., 2003; Uzunboylu et al., 2009). These technologies provide the
potential for collaborative interaction and learning opportunities for geographically dispersed persons and groups
(Huang et al., 2009). Moreover, both learners and instructors can have a strong social impact outside the classroom
through using mobile devices.
Learning via mobile devices is widely accepted by the learner community. Learners are interested in using all
available ML resources through mobile phones and PDAs to access information anytime and anywhere (López et al.,
2009). The aim of ML is to provide an educational environment in which learners can learn without any limitation of
time, place, or device, thereby realizing a more creative and learner-centered educational process (Joo & Kim, 2009).
Rogers et al. (2010) showed handhelds can accompany the learner into the field and can at the same time scaffold
exploratory activities, for instance by enabling learners to sense and record aspects of the local environment, while
giving opportunities for taking electronic notes and at the same time drawing on various digital resources and
representations.
Furthermore, according to the findings of prior research, the use of mobile devices to support learning activities
offers several benefits (Huang et al., 2008; Chu et al., 2010; Huang et al., 2010). These include the ability to: (a)
improve communication and collaborative interaction, (b) provide more learning opportunities for geographically
dispersed persons, (c) encourage active learning, (d) enhance the learner’s feedback process, and (e) acquire content
quickly.
Although several studies have reported the benefits, implementation of mobile learning is not totally without
problem. For example, Vavoula et al. (2009) presented an evaluation of a Myartspace website, a service on mobile
phones for inquiry-based learning allowing learners to gather information during a school field trip. Their results
showed the system service was effective in enabling students to gather information in a museum and this provided a
novel application for construction and reflection in the classroom. Though Myartspace allows the user to take a
photo and then record an audio or text comment about the photo, those items were not well linked by the software.
As a result, the inquiry contents could not be successfully integrated and used within the website. Additionally,
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