The Impact of Mobile Learning on Academic Achievement and Learning Experience Using a Tailor-made Mobile App

With the rapid growth of mobile technologies, mobile learning becomes more and more popular where students can learn at any time and any place using their own mobile devices. A lot of researches have proven that mobile learning is feasible with various advantages such as diversifying learning activities and synchronizing learning experience. However, its impact on academic achievement is still controversy where contradictory conclusions were made in the literature. In this study, the effectiveness of mobile learning is further investigated. According to the teaching materials and schedule of a technical subject, a tailor-made mobile app was developed to assist students’ learning along with regular lecture and tutorial classes. By deploying the mobile app at different stages of teaching, a 4-year experiment was conducted where 3 cohorts of students were involved. Students’ subject results and mobile learning experience were statistically analyzed. Results showed that the use of mobile app has immediate effect on improving academic performance, but the effect becomes minimal when the mobile app is used for a longer period of time. Nevertheless, positive mobile learning experience was demonstrated, such as enhanced engagement and higher motivation of learning. These significant observations provide further information on how mobile learning could be effectively incorporated with pedagogical strategies.