Mobile learning for undergraduate course through interactive apps and a novel mobile remote shake table laboratory

Abstract

Learning style changes from generation to generation. With the advancement of technologies, the current and incoming tech-savvy learners grow up with the digital world. Such technology advancement makes learning more accessible. As one of the examples, mobile learning has become a commonly accepted and embraced concept among the younger generations. Effective learning occurs when the teaching styles align well with the learning styles. To better serve the need of the next-generation learners in a more accessible way, a standalone mobile learning module was developed for an undergraduate upper division class, Mechanical and Structural Vibration, at San Francisco State University (SFSU). The developed mobile learning module consisted of three interconnected components, namely Analysis, Simulation and Experiment, representing the three important elements in a good engineering learning environment - theory, practical example and physical experimentation. Besides delivering the theoretical knowledge and important concepts, the learning module also allows students further examine the gained knowledge through animated simulations in the interactive Apps. In addition, the module includes a mobile remote shake table laboratory (RSTLab) which provides students the opportunity to remotely participate and conduct physical shake table experiments in real-time through smart mobile devices (e.g. smartphones and tablets). Through these physical experiments, students may easily use scaled physical models to test theories and implement their own innovations to observe how structures behave under different ground excitations. A telepresence robot is innovatively adopted and integrated with the mobile RSTLab to actively engage students and provide them a real sense of in-person participation without the need of being physically present in the laboratory. The learning module was implemented in Fall 2016 at SFSU as a "flipped laboratory". Pre- and post-surveys were conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of the mobile learning module to fulfil course learning outcomes. Survey results demonstrated the readiness of the mobile learning and improvement in participants' knowledge competence after using the module. The obtained information will be utilized to guide the future refinement of the learning module and understand what strategies could be used to better fit the need of the new generation learners.