The design and implementation of a meaningful learning-based evaluation method for ubiquitous learning

If ubiquitous learning (u-learning) is to be effectively developed and feasibly applied to education, it is necessary to evaluate its effectiveness. Yet to achieve a sound evaluation, a particular paradigm must be employed to fit the problem domain. Toward this end, the authors of this study have adopted a meaningful learning paradigm. Meaningful learning is often regarded as the ultimate learning status for a learner, regardless of the learning environment. Interestingly, several characteristics of u-learning are also linked to attributes of meaningful learning. For example, both u-learning and meaningful learning emphasize the authentic and active of the learning activity. Therefore, it is important to investigate the applicability of a meaningful learning paradigm for evaluating the efficacy of u-learning. The method proposed here evaluates u-learning along both macro and micro aspects, and in an effort to make u-learning more sustainable. By employing a case study, we demonstrate the feasibility of our approach by showing the advantages and disadvantages that are common to both u-learning and meaningful learning. Moreover, we also provide suggestions for instructors and designers so that they can promote the quality of u-learning. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.