Mobile Learning in Nursing Practice Education: Applying Koole's FRAME Model

We report here on an exploratory formative evaluation of a project to integrate mobile learning into a Western Canadian college nursing program. Third-year students used Hewlett Packard iPAQ mobile devices for five weeks in a practice education course in April-May, 2007. Koole's (2009) "Framework for the Rational Analysis of Mobile Education" (FRAME) model provided our definition of mobile learning and was used to organize our presentation of the results of the study. Participants reported positively on the usability of the mobile devices, finding them easy to learn, readily portable, and the screen size sufficient for mobile specific programs. However, they had difficulty with the wireless connectivity and, despite an initial orientation, did not have time to fully learn the devices in the context of a busy course. As a result, it is not clear if students can effectively use the social technology provided by such devices or if mobile learning can support interaction between instructors and learners in this context. The use of mobile devices in nursing practice education is feasible, but further investigation is needed on the use of m-learning for communication and interactive purposes. (Contains 2 figures, 6 tables and 1 note.)