4. The Effects of Mobile Natural-science Learning Based on the 5E Learning Cycle: A Case Study.

Case Study:
Annotated 4:
Liu, T.-C., Peng, H., Wu, W.-H.,& Lin, M.-S. (2009). The Effects of Mobile Natural-science Learning Based on the 5E Learning Cycle: A Case Study. Educational Technology & Society, 12 (4), 344–358.

In the article, the authors present the case study of 46 fourth-grade students of a 14-week after-school science club (on aquatic plants) on their use of the ecological-pool website and a tablet personal computer (tabletPC), in an elementary school in Taipei City Taiwan. The study has three major purposes, including designing mobile natural-science learning activities that rest on the 5E Learning Cycle (Engagement, Exploration, Explanation, Elaboration and Evaluation), examining the effects of these learning activities on students’ performances of learning aquatic plants, and exploring students’ perceptions toward these learning activities to indicate that mobile learning activities can enhance students’ scientific performances


One 40-minute technology orientation was offered to familiarize students with the mobile environment before the learning activities took place. And the quantitative data and the qualitative data were collected from six different data sources such as A Knowledge Test before and after their science-club learning; An Understanding Test before and after their science-club learning; A Learning-activity Survey conducted after students finished all of the learning activities; Students’ learning activities were observed and videotaped in various instructional settings; interviews at the end of each club meeting and transcribed for later analysis and Reflective journals by students after each learning activity


The authors applied Blooms levels of cognitive learning behaviours to classify students learning and the effects of mobile learning activities result showed that student’s knowledge test scores (mean scores 26.04)regarding aquatic plants after learning activities were significantly higher than before(mean scores 10.30), and students’ understanding test scores (M=19.4) is also higher than the scores before learning activities (M=15.63), which confirms the mobile learning activities had positive impact.


After collecting the data from the learning activity surveys and the after-project interviews, the authors described that the students’ overall impressions of learning activities were positive: twenty-nine (64%) out of forty five students who completed a Learning-activity Survey expressed that they greatly liked or liked the activities, and sixteen (36%) students expressed that they moderately liked the activities. The analysis results revealed that most students’ perceptions of mobile learning activities were very positive because the students viewed their mobile-learning devices as an integral part of their learning - twenty-four students (56%) preferred the mobile learning activities to lectures, nine students (21%) liked both of the modes, and only ten students (23%) preferred lectures

The study result has shown us that the mobile computing, combined with wireless connections, can overcome problems arising during students’ outdoor activities and can enhance the quality of outdoor, natural-science, inquiry-based learning. The results of the study also suggested that, in general, the mobile learning activities based the 5E Learning Cycle model can effectively increase students’ knowledge and understanding of aquatic plants and improve students’ learning motivation.


The article is very helpful in my research as the authors have noticed the current trend with mobile technology embodied in our lives, which indicate the technical acceptance cited in my other articles and smart phones/mobile device start change the face of education….this study is used as educational collaboration of practitioners and researchers and examed by 5E Learning Cycle phases.


The authors acknowledged limitations in its activity design and in its implementation. First, some specimens were not available for observation during the research period even though these mobile learning activities heavily emphasized it. Next, the mobile learning environment might be with somewhat limited technical stability. Therefore, the authors suggested that students could learn about these categories not only through mobile activities but also combined with multiple resources including face-to-face lecture and the teacher would have to fully prepare for the possible technical problems during the mobile activities.


The authors also indicated the study’s use of a case may also limit the generalizability of the study’s findings. Therefore, the future studies may extend the current study’s findings to other classes or disciplines, or may use alternative research methods (such as field-experiment methods) to present a more thorough picture of effective integration of mobile technology into teaching and learning practices.

The article will be used as one of support point for the promotion of the future learning on Mobile learning technology.