Abstract-This paper references three of import issues: How engineering does guarantee sustainable distance larning for multicultural group of pupils? ; What is the relevancy of nomadic larning in context of developing states with multicultural societal environment? ; and How does mobile larning confirm improved learning solution for different degrees of pupils? . This paper reports the impact of nomadic larning on distance instruction in multicultural environment. The outgrowth of larning engineerings through Cadmium, cyberspace, and Mobile is progressively adopted by distance institutes for speedy bringing and cost-efficient intents. Their sustainability is conditioned by the construction of scholars every bit good as the instruction community. The experimental survey was conducted among the distant scholars of Vinayaka Missions University located at Salem in India. Students were drawn from multicultural environment based on different linguistic communications, faiths, category and communities. During the nomadic acquisition Sessionss, the pupils, who divided on linguistic communication, faith, category and community, were dominated by drama impulse instead than analyze anxiousness or cultural suppressions. This survey confirmed that Mobile larning improved the public presentation of the pupils despite their division based on part, linguistic communication or civilization. In other words, engineering was able to exceed the comparative want in the multicultural groups. It besides confirms sustainable distance instruction through nomadic acquisition and cost-efficient system of direction. Mobile larning appropriates the self-motivation and drama urge of the immature scholars in supplying sustainable distance instruction to multicultural societal groups of pupils.
Keywords-Distance Education, Mobile Learning, Multiculturalism, Sustainability
I. Introduction
Mobile acquisition is progressively applied in distance instruction. It focuses on larning across contexts. It is concerned with portable engineerings and mobility of the scholar. M-learning is accessible from virtually anyplace, which provides entree to all the different acquisition stuffs available. It is besides collaborative and sharing. It is about instantaneous among everyone utilizing the same content, which leads to the response of instant feedbacks. Surveies have been conducted largely in developed states in this instance [ 1 ] . Right from the 2nd coevals of Mobiles, SMS text messaging became possible ab initio on GSM webs and finally on all digital webs. Mobile rivers are germinating into platforms for coaction, knowledge entree and public presentation support. Mobile phones deliver learning stuffs whenever and wherever the scholars demands arise. Currently, Mobiles have advanced characteristics like electronic mail, Internet and e-book reader capablenesss, and a constitutional full keyboard or external USB keyboard and VGA connection. In other words, it is a computing machine, communicating device and larning device on the manus. However, the chief challenges sing nomadic deployment include screen size, battery life and security. Since the cyberspace becomes both personal and portable, larning will travel more and more outside of the schoolroom and into the scholar ‘s environments, both existent and practical [ 2 ] . The outgrowth of web based direction for nomadic acquisition aids and expands the learning syndrome of distance scholars of developing states every bit good [ 3 ] .
II. MOBILE LEARNING IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
A. Scope and Relevance
The relevancy of nomadic larning in developing states is every bit important as in developed states [ 4 ] . It is believed that nomadic larning in developing states is non different from developed states. The usage of radio engineerings can assist to increase collaborative acquisition and communicating, every bit good as independent acquisition among scholars, because of the mobility and capacity of the devices [ 5 ] . There is an increasing and unprecedented acceptance of radio engineerings in developed every bit good as developing states [ 6 ] . Using wireless engineerings in instruction may lend to battling the digital divide in developing states, as this engineering is by and large cheaper than desktop computing machines, peculiarly nomadic phones and PDAs [ 7 ] . In developed every bit good as developing states of Asia, cell-phone use for acquisition has proved to be good for both teachers and scholars, non merely as a cost-effective method, but as an effectual educational tool [ 8 ] . Surveies have besides been undertaken to uncover the chances and jobs in e-learning enterprises [ 9 ] . These jobs include, deficiency of proper class monitoring ; deficiency of equal feedback to pupils ; hapless instructional design ; hapless preparation for teachers ; deficiency of necessary engineering ; deficiency of Internet handiness ; deficiency of on-line resources ; high costs ; and deficiency of credibleness for online grades [ 10 ] . Mobile acquisition shows the significance of collaborative acquisition as good [ 11 ] .
B. Technology for Sustainable Distance Learning
Sustainable distance acquisition can be bit by bit achieved by spread outing nomadic acquisition. Mobile engineering greatly influences human interaction in general. It facilitates and carries communicating of human voice with thoughts, emotion, feeling and cognition. It binds human existences exceeding topographic point. It gives freedom from inter-subjective suppressions which usually occur during face-to-face in the flesh communicating. It provides an enlargement of two different universes at a clip. An person may immerse into subjective universe through the amusements provided by the nomadic device. Or an person can utilize it for effectual inter-subjective communicating. But the latter occupies more infinite in modern-day civil society. Peoples want to speak or pass on more with fellow existences. The geographical bounds do non adversely affect their aspirations. The engineering for human interaction besides facilitates larning procedure. The pupils of unfastened acquisition and distance instruction are in this context greatly benefited.
C. Multiculturalism in India
India is a state of great cultural diverseness reflecting in different types of societal groups and communities. They are defined by linguistic communication, faith, religious order, race or caste. The Indian nation-state is socially and culturally one of the most diverse states of the universe. It has a population of about 1029 million people, presently the 2nd largest – and shortly to go the largest – national population in the universe. These people speak about 1,632 different linguistic communications and idioms. Among them, 21 linguistic communications have been officially recognized and placed under the 8th Agenda of the Constitution of India [ 12 ] . In footings of faith, approximately 80.5 per centum of the population are Hindus, who in bend are regionally specific, plural in beliefs and patterns, and divided by castes and linguistic communications. About 13.4 per centum are Muslims, which makes India the universe ‘s 3rd largest Muslim state after Indonesia and Pakistan. The other major spiritual communities are Christians ( 2.3 ) , Sikhs ( 1.9 ) , Buddhists ( 0.8 ) and Jains ( 0.4 ) . The Constitution declares the province to be a secular province, but faith, linguistic communication and other such factors are non banished from the populace sphere. In fact these communities have been explicitly recognized by the province. Several surveies illuminate the multicultural facets every bit good as jobs in Indian society [ 13 ] . The job of backward categories and the issue of protective favoritism are besides under critical analysis [ 14 ] .
D. Higher Education and Technology in India
Higher instruction in India is one of the largest in the World. In footings of population, the demand for instruction at primary, secondary and higher degrees is increasing. However, the authorities entirely could non run into the demand. Private establishments do portion the duty. Number of establishments is increased every twelvemonth. But the registration of pupils in higher instruction stands at 6 per centum merely. This figure is far behind in comparing with the developed states.
Programs on experimental footing have been initiated at regional every bit good as national degrees in India. The undermentioned programmes can be mentioned on this line: Headstart, a computing machine assisted instruction programme in Madhya Pradesh ; Rural Relations, a programme to fix kids from rural countries for life and work ; Goa computing machines in Schools Project ( GCSP ) ; countrywide undertaking Shiksha, a computing machine literacy programme with Microsoft ; Community Learning Centres in Karnataka ; nomadic schoolrooms and IT buses in rural Maharashtra. Of class, they were implemented by authorities with the divider of private sector and NGOs. In 2004, India launched the first countrywide sole educational orbiter. Edusat is an synergistic satellite-based distance instruction system for the state that provides a sum of 74 channels. The restrictions of the bing telecom substructure are such that making all communities is hard in the Indian context. The population of India resides mostly in small towns where the digital divide is existent. Nevertheless, ICT can supply effectual tools and techniques for a assortment of applications in rural scenarios [ 15 ] .
Distance instruction in India had its generation in the early sixtiess. It tries to run into the turning demand for higher instruction [ 16 ] . Since so it has expanded quickly and provides higher instruction to over 2.8 million pupils. Each twelvemonth, about 1.5 million pupils registry for assorted classs in distance instruction. The Consortium for Educational Communication ( CEC ) and the National Programme on Technology Enhanced Learning ( NPTEL ) aid in using ICT in higher instruction. Radio, Television, and web-technology are adopted for direction. Mobile acquisition is acquiring impulse in Indian universities. The debut of 3G service is a positive input in this way.
III. STUDY Setting
A. Aims and Aims
This experimental survey has been conducted among the distant scholars of the Vinayaka Missions University located at Salem in India. Distance instruction in the university was started in 2005 with the aim of widening entree to higher instruction for diversified scholars at national degrees. The Directorate of Distance Education has seven Schools of Studies. The School of Social Sciences offers classs through its survey Centres. Self-learning stuffs are delivered to pupils in the signifier of printed books and CDs. An mechanization system has been developed to ease the admittance and scrutinies.
B. Target Group
This experimental survey has been conducted on the 3rd twelvemonth pupils analyzing HEP ( History, Economics and Political Science ) . The age of group of pupils ranged from 21 to 26. The experiment was conducted among 120 pupils who studied this plan. They have different lingual and cultural background. Among the 120 pupils 12 pupils were selected for the experiment of nomadic acquisition. Among the survey group 10 per cent was used as trying for nomadic acquisition. These 12 pupils were selected from different parts of India stand foring different societal and lingual communities. The continuance of experimental survey continued for four months prior to the term-end scrutinies.
C. Profile of the Study Group
Since the distance manner of direction has no territorial restrictions, pupils were enrolled for this academic plan all over India. They hailed from different lingual and cultural environment. The rural and urban ratio was 36 and 60 severally. 4 pupils were drawn from hill country. The age group from 21 to 26 old ages covered 90 per centum of the group. The following tabular array shows the profile of the survey group.
Table I
Profile OF THE STUDY GROUP
S.No
Particulars
Numbers
1
Students selected for experiment
120
2
Male
60
3
Female
60
4
Rural
36
5
Urban
60
6
Hill Area
4
7
Students who speak Hindi in add-on to their female parent lingua
46
8
Age Group ( Below 21 )
20
9
Age Group ( 21 – 26 )
90
10
Age Group ( Above 26 )
10
11
Mobile holders ( general )
92
12
Mobile holders ( with cyberspace installation )
28
13
SMS sent per twenty-four hours ( norm )
6
14
SMS received per twenty-four hours ( norm )
3
In India, the multicultural individuality of an person is defined by linguistic communication, faith, category and community. Sampling for the survey was based on these standards. The survey group was composed of multi-linguistic background. 10 pupils were drawn from each major lingual group of India. In this manner, 120 pupils were selected from 12 lingual groups. The following tabular array shows the composing.
TABLE II
LINGUISTIC BACKGROUND OF STUDY GROUP
S.No
Language
No of Students
1
Tamil
10
2
Telugu
10
3
Malayalam
10
4
Kannada
10
5
Oriya
10
6
Hindi
10
7
Gujerati
10
8
Mahratti
10
9
Bengali
10
10
Panjabi
10
11
Kashmiri
10
12
Urdu
10
Apart from the lingual background, the spiritual background was besides taken into consideration when choosing the pupils for the survey. The spiritual background of the survey group is as follows:
Table Three
RELIGIOUS BACKGROUND OF STUDY GROUP
S.No
Religion
No of Students
1
Hindoo
72
2
Moslem
18
3
Christian
16
4
Sikh
6
5
Buddhist
4
6
Jain
4
In India, an single individuality is besides based on category and community, besides, linguistic communication and faith. It is more of import to avail the benefits out of the policy of protective favoritism of authorities. The composing of category and community is as follows:
Table Four
CLASS/COMMUNITY BACKGROUND OF STUDY GROUP
S.No
Class/Community
No of Students
1
Scheduled Caste
12
2
Scheduled Tribe
6
3
Backward Class
72
4
Upper Class
30
IV. METHODOLOGY AND ANALYSIS
A. Successive Stairss
Consecutive stairss were initiated in m-Learning. These included content readying, bringing mechanism, response and survey, replying inquiries, treatments, etc.
The alumnus plan of HEP was descriptive and theoretical free from practical classs. The ‘HEP ‘ is the brief signifier of History, Economics and Political Science. The 3rd and concluding twelvemonth plan consists of five classs, viz. , History of Europe, History of China and Japan, Economic Thought, Public Policy, and Local Governments in India.
B. Content Preparation
Among the five classs, one class, viz. , public policy was selected for this experiment. The self-learning stuff of this class was organized in 12 lessons. The undertaking of each scholar was to fix question-answer format of content for one lesson merely. In other words, each scholar had to fix one lesson and received 11 lessons from other scholars. In this manner, all the 12 scholars prepared and sent the contents to their fellow scholars. A instructor facilitated the pupils in fixing the question-answer format. An illustration is as follows:
Plan: HEP – Third Year
Course: Public Policy
Lesson No. 5: Policy Making Process
Question No. 3: Who are the official policy shapers?
Answer: Official policy shapers are those who occupy the formal offices prescribed by the authorities. They include members of the legislative assembly, local councilors, curates, and administrative officials.
Question No. 4: What are the four of import Cabinet commissions for policy devising?
Answer: They are political personal businesss commission, economic personal businesss commission, commission on parliamentary personal businesss, and appointment commission.
C. Delivery Mechanism
Smartphones and iPhones were used for presenting the content readying. The prepared contents were sent as SMS and word format. Discussion forum was encouraged after directing the content readying. The pupil who prepared the content was besides responsible to prove the other scholars by inquiring inquiries and to measure the replies received from others. It had a dual map. The pupil non merely learned but besides taught and examined the fellow scholars. Official instructions and formal messages were non used in the treatment forum. The treatment and confabs were voluntarily initiated by pupils themselves with an informal manner of attack. Play impulse instead than analyze anxiousness was noticed in the treatment forum.
V. RESULTS AND FINDINGS
A. Impacts on Students
Among the 120 pupils, 12 pupils were experimented with nomadic larning pattern. The staying 108 pupils were trained in conventional instruction methods, that is, reding Sessionss at survey Centres approved by the university. The mean mark of the survey groups in the old scrutiny was 62 per centum. After the experiment of m-Learning, the mark of the experimental group was increased to 72 per centum.
By the clip, the mean mark of control group who followed the conventional guidance Sessionss was increased to 64 per centum. The nomadic scholar scored higher than the conventional scholars. It should be noted that the experimental group of the 12 pupils were drawn from 12 different lingual groups.
The following tabular array shows the survey impact on both conventional scholars and nomadic scholars.
Table Volt
Impact ON MOBILE LEARNERS
S.No
Particulars
Numbers
1
Entire figure of pupils
120
2
Conventional Learners
108
3
Mobile Learners
12
4
Entire lessons
12
5
Contented sent by each nomadic scholar
1
6
Content received by each nomadic scholar
11
7
Average mark of the m-learners before experiment
62
8
Average mark of the m-learners after the experiment
72
9
Average mark of the control group before experiment
62
10
Average mark of the control group after experiment
64
The major advantage for the nomadic scholars was the uninterrupted acquisition attempts adopted by manner of self-motivation and drama impulse. In the instance of conventional scholars, their acquisition was limited to six hebdomads. For the staying period they had to set about place survey. In the instance of nomadic scholars, they had the chance of uninterrupted treatment and chew the fating with their fellow scholars in position of term-end scrutinies.
B. Chemical reactions of Teachers
The support for Mobile acquisition showed a assorted tendency among the instructors. Among the 10 instructors who taught this plan, 4 instructors did non back up the application of nomadic acquisition and 2 instructors straight supported the usage of Mobiles in larning. The staying 4 instructors supported nomadic acquisition as an extra manner of larning. The policy of direction is to cut down the cost and to increase the efficiency in instructional method.
C. Level of Success and Failures
There were failures in the procedure of readying of content, presenting the content, treatment forum and replying the inquiries. The following tabular array explains the scenario.
Table Six
SUCCESS AND FAILURES
S.No.
Exercises
Prepared
Delivered
Failures
1
Contented Preparation
12
12
Nothing
2
SMS presentment
120
102
18 non reached
3
Questions
120
114
6 non reached
4
Answers
104
104
16 non prepared
5
Discussion
3 unit of ammunitions
10 participated
2 non participated
The failures have both human technological dimensions. In the instance of content readying, the scholars to the full prepared and delivered to the several scholars. Out of 120 SMS 18 could non be delivered due to web failures. The inquiries prepared by the scholars sent quickly and received in clip but 6 could non make. In the instance of directing replies for inquiries 2 scholars did non take part due to personal grounds. Discussions were envisaged in 3 unit of ammunitions sing the rating of inquiries and replies. Each clip 2 pupils did non take part due to personal grounds.
VI. Decision
This survey reveals that nomadic scholars scored higher than the conventional scholars. Mobile device proves to be a engineering for sustainable distance acquisition. It is besides a symbol of engineering for human interaction. Enterprises and enthusiasm are higher among nomadic scholars. Divided by topographic point, linguistic communication and civilization, nomadic acquisition is more prompt and convenient than go toing the conventional guidance Sessionss. The consequence of the survey has an impact on the traditional positions of learning. It besides opens a manner to use this technique to other academic plans in wider position. This survey besides confirmed that Mobile acquisition is more suited and suiting for the distance scholars who are divided by linguistic communication and civilization. Uniformity in the use of spelling and grammar is to be resolved. Presently, nomadic scholars are utilizing both American and British spelling inconsistently. The default manner accepts the American spelling. But, in India, pupils were accustomed with British use due to colonial heritage.
