Mobile Learning in Teacher Education: Insight From Four Programs That Embraced Change

Access to and use of mobile technologies are growing exponentially. The authors of this study identified four schools of education in the United States that self-identified as having a fully implemented curriculum for teachers on mobile technology use in PK–12 classrooms. In-depth interviews were conducted with a representative from each institution in order to determine the factors that influenced their ability to change their educational technology curriculum to include teaching about mobile devices. The interviews revealed that an institutional commitment to innovation, a belief in the importance of being on the cutting edge, and expectations from local school districts were important motivators for change. Leadership and vision, institutional and administrative support, and the expectation that all faculty members participate in the implementation of the curriculum were important internal characteristics for success. Finally, increasing faculty knowledge about mobile technologies, funding, and finding the correct developmental and instructional approaches were identified as challenges by these institutions. The findings herein are shared with the intention of triggering conversations about adopting mobile technologies in teacher education curriculum and stimulating further research in this area.