A ubiquitous learning framework to encourage higher education students full engagement: case study of Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Ubiquitous Learning (U-learning) has attracted a lot of interest because of its availability anywhere and anytime through ubiquitous technology. This research presented a framework of U-learning, that should guide the development of suitable U-learning applications for higher education students in Saudi Arabia. To assess the effectiveness of the proposed U-learning framework, this study used a survey to evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed U-learning framework through student engagement and persistence in continuous learning assessment. In addition, the survey indicates the best methods to create an engageable and effective U-learning framework for higher education. The data collection method, namely questionnaires, was distributed to a randomly selected sample of fifty-four students in the faculty of Computing and Information Technology at King Abdul Aziz University and analyzed using SPSS version 25.0 at the univariate and bivariate levels. The result demonstrated that both Curriculum Integration and Support System and Development have the highest average score of 4.3, meaning that they are the highest components for engaging students effectively. In addition, the results showed that students highlighted Access Points, Hybrid Spaces, and Training for Educators (64–77%) as the most essential components for an effective U-learning environment. On the other hand, Formative Assessments, Gamification, and Collaborative Learning (36–40%) were the least critical for an effective U-learning environment. These interesting findings might result from practical continuous learning outside traditional classrooms. This implies that with improvements in infrastructure and the accommodation of digital support, U-learning will become a powerful tool in higher education.