| Given the ubiquitous use of mobile technologies in today's culture, the incorporation of mobile devices into learning environments seems evident. This use is predicted to be the next significant innovation in post-secondary education. The increased interest in this incorporation has sparked studies of the use of mobile devices in educational environments. Most of these studies have centered on the types of devices, their technological designs, functionality, incorporation and effectiveness, and the cognitive processes of mobile learning. However, students' perceptions of mobile device use in their learning environments and the motivation affordances of those devices are important factors in incorporation. Using the lens of Malone and Lepper's theory of intrinsic motivation for learning, this research examined students' perceptions of their use of mobile devices in the higher education learning environments in order to identify the motivation affordances of those devices. Undergraduate student perceptions were collected through semi-structured, audio-recorded interviews which included 12 undergraduate students from a land grant university in northern Colorado. Thematic analysis was used to compare and contrast common, as well as opposing topics, addressed during the study. This form of data collection allowed the researcher to obtain rich data from each case. Data reveled participants were actively using mobile devices for learning in higher education settings, and intrinsic and extrinsic motivational affordances were identified through participants' acknowledgement of advantages, disadvantages and challenges to using their devices for learning. These findings aligned with Malone and Lepper's (1987) taxonomy, thus indicating that mobile device use stimulates both intrinsic and extrinsic motivations for learning. Recommendations include: (a) investigation by faculty of how their students are using mobile devices, (b) professional development for faculty around the use of mobile devices, and (c) creation of departments within universities specifically for the promotion and support of mobile learning. Future research could include discovering the impact mobile applications have on student learning. |
