Short answer

Design educational technologies and support systems that recognize and leverage the 'mobilage' – the seamless integration of mobile devices into students' academic and personal lives – rather than treating technology as an isolated tool.

Field: Human Factors
Source: Lancaster EPrints (Lancaster University) (2019)
Method: Phenomenological research with a qualitative approach.
Sample: 7 participants in the online focus group, 10 'mobilage encounters'.
Evidence: Moderate effect

Students' academic work is increasingly integrated with their personal lives through smartphones, creating a 'mobilage' that presents both challenges and opportunities for learning. This human factors research insight is drawn from a 2019 study published in Lancaster EPrints (Lancaster University). Using Phenomenological research with a qualitative approach. with 7 participants in the online focus group, 10 'mobilage encounters'., researchers explored how this design variable affects real-world outcomes. The key design takeaway: Design educational technologies and support systems that recognize and leverage the 'mobilage' – the seamless integration of mobile devices into students' academic and personal lives – rather than treating technology as an isolated tool.

Study

Human FactorsHigh ImpactModerate effect

Mobile Assemblages: Understanding Student Engagement with Smartphones in Academic Work

Students' academic work is increasingly integrated with their personal lives through smartphones, creating a 'mobilage' that presents both challenges and opportunities for learning.

Lancaster EPrints (Lancaster University) · 2019

Key Findings

01Students experience challenges and demonstrate artfulness in managing academic work on mobile phones.
02The 'mobilage' is a site of struggle due to the complex connectivity between the individual and their environment.
03Technology and pragmatic discourses are increasingly influencing academic work.

Application

Design takeaway

How to apply

When designing mobile learning applications, consider features that support task switching, information consolidation across different platforms, and flexible access to resources that align with students' on-the-go lifestyles.

Project actions

01Consider how users integrate technology into their daily lives when designing a product.
02Explore the emotional and psychological aspects of technology use in your design project.

Method & Evidence

AimWhat is the experience of learning at university for healthcare students within a 'mobilage' (a student-smartphone assemblage)?

MethodPhenomenological research with a qualitative approach.

ProcedureAn online survey was used to gather background information and recruit participants for online focus groups (OFG) and 'mobilage encounters'. Weekly trigger messages were sent via Microsoft Yammer to prompt reflection on mobile phone use for academic work. Data from the OFG, encounters, and autobiographical insights were analyzed thematically to develop phenomenological vignettes.

Sample7 participants in the online focus group, 10 'mobilage encounters'.

ContextHigher education, specifically healthcare students' use of mobile phones for academic purposes.

Variables

IVStudent's use of mobile phones for academic work.

DVStudent's experience of learning, challenges, and artfulness in academic work.

CVStudent's academic discipline (healthcare), use of specific platforms (Yammer).

Strengths & Limitations

Strengths

+Utilizes a holistic 'mobilage' concept to analyze user experience.
+Employs phenomenological methodology to capture rich, lived experiences.

Limitations

It can be difficult to observe or measure the full extent of a student's 'mobilage' without being intrusive.

Reliability & validity

The study's validity is enhanced by using multiple data sources (surveys, OFG, encounters) and a phenomenological approach to capture depth. Reliability could be strengthened by a larger, more diverse sample and potentially by having multiple researchers analyze the data.

Think critically

How might the concept of 'mobilage' evolve as mobile technology becomes even more integrated into our lives, and what are the long-term implications for human cognition and learning?

Design Principles

"Design for integrated learning environments that acknowledge the user's existing technological ecosystem and daily routines."

Recognizing the 'mobilage' concept allows educators and designers to move beyond viewing technology as a separate tool and instead understand its embeddedness in students' daily routines and cognitive processes. This holistic perspective is crucial for developing effective learning environments and digital tools that acknowledge the complex interplay between human, technology, and context.

What This Means for Your Design

Students use their phones for schoolwork in ways that blend their personal and academic lives, creating challenges but also showing clever ways to get things done.

How to use in your project

1.Reference this study when discussing the impact of mobile technology on user behavior and learning in your design project.

Add to My Project

Quick Cite

Paragraph starter

This research highlights the concept of 'mobilage,' where students' academic work is deeply intertwined with their personal lives through mobile devices. This integration presents unique challenges and requires a design approach that acknowledges the user's existing technological ecosystem and daily routines, rather than treating technology as an isolated tool.

Source

Lancaster EPrints (Lancaster University)

Using mobilage thinking to study healthcare students’ experiences of using and learning to use mobile phones for academic work

journal · 2019

View source

Questions About This Research

What does the research say about mobile assemblages: understanding student engagement with smartphones in academic work?: Design educational technologies and support systems that recognize and leverage the 'mobilage' – the seamless integration of mobile devices into students' academic and personal lives – rather than treating technology as an isolated tool. Evidence: Lancaster EPrints (Lancaster University) (2019).
Why does "Mobile Assemblages: Understanding Student Engagement with Smartphones in Academic Work" matter for design?: Recognizing the 'mobilage' concept allows educators and designers to move beyond viewing technology as a separate tool and instead understand its embeddedness in students' daily routines and cognitive processes. This holistic perspective is crucial for developing effective learning environments and digital tools that acknowledge the complex interplay between human, technology, and context.
How can designers apply this research?: Design educational technologies and support systems that recognize and leverage the 'mobilage' – the seamless integration of mobile devices into students' academic and personal lives – rather than treating technology as an isolated tool.
What were the main findings?: Students experience challenges and demonstrate artfulness in managing academic work on mobile phones.. The 'mobilage' is a site of struggle due to the complex connectivity between the individual and their environment.. Technology and pragmatic discourses are increasingly influencing academic work.
What research method was used?: Phenomenological research with a qualitative approach. with 7 participants in the online focus group, 10 'mobilage encounters'..
How strong is the evidence?: Evidence strength is rated Moderate effect, based on a 2019 journal from Lancaster EPrints (Lancaster University).
What should I do differently in my next project?: When designing mobile learning applications, consider features that support task switching, information consolidation across different platforms, and flexible access to resources that align with students' on-the-go lifestyles.
What are the limitations?: The study focuses on healthcare students, and findings may not be generalizable to all disciplines. The 'mobilage' concept is complex and may require further refinement.