%A Tina Swee Kim Lim 
%A  Zoraini Wati Abas
%A  Mansor Fadzil
%T Helping Distance Learners Stay Connected: The Effectiveness of Mobile Learning via SMS at
Open University Malaysia
%X Distance learners often face what is known as transactional distances in terms of geographical, time,
psychological and communication spaces (Moore, 1997). More often than not, compared to full time
students, these adult learners who mostly hold full time jobs and have family commitments face a
daunting task when it comes to juggling between studies, work and family. They often struggle to find
that extra time and space to fit in their studies and frequently need to exert extra effort to ensure that they
remain connected to the university, their tutors and their peers. This paper describes Open University
Malaysia?s efforts in actively supporting learners in their studies through the use of text messaging
technology, the simplest and most widely used of all mobile technology applications available. Further, it
illustrates how mobile technology enhances the blended approach to instruction and lends more flexibility
and ubiquity to the learning process. It also examines the effectiveness of the initiative in terms of helping
learners to (1) review/locate/remember course facts easily, (2) discuss online, (3) manage their learning,
(4) persevere in their studies, and (5) remember important dates and actions to be taken related to the
course. Both quantitative and qualitative data are presented.(Abstract by authors)
%C Hanoi Open University, Vietnam
%D 2011
%K Mobile learning
%L library_repository722