Ethical issues surrounding the adoption of mobile learning in the Asia-pacific region

Abstract

Mobile technologies are increasingly part of the everyday life of people in the Asia-Pacific Region and are used to support a range of work, life and learning activities. In spite of the high penetration of mobile phones into all socio-economic groups, many educational organisations, from primary school to higher education, have been slow to adopt mobile learning. In large part, this is due to concerns about ethics and possible misuse of these devices. Examples include fears of students being distracted if they bring their mobile phones to the classroom, concerns over cheating and worries about the use of personal information. Mobile devices tend to be associated with play, not work, leading to misperceptions by others that students are not on task when seen using their mobile device in an educational setting. In addition, there are equity issues if not all students have access to the technology. However, vignettes presented in this chapter also demonstrate how mobile learning is being used to overcome major educational inequities in the region. The authors propose strategies for fostering a proactive approach, taking into account local contexts and cultures. These include student education regarding responsible behaviour, professional workshops for teachers based on ethical scenario development and the development of institutional and national guidelines.