According to Alexander (2004) mobile learning is a kind of disruptive innovation in the sphere of higher education and it follows all the stages and procedures of innovation dissemination. Moreover, the process of mobile learning intervention resembles “nomadic army arriving in an imperial city”, because the scale, mobile learning affects learning environment in the fields of the content of learning, teaching methods, campus life, is huge. The learning environment is influenced by its actors, “cell-phone-equipped urbanities” who forms new paradigm of learning. Teaching methods changed due to “augmented reality” due to the application of e.g. at the classes of archeology GPS-equipped Tablet PCs to perform archeological walk. Campus life changed, wireless labs shifted the classical libraries, and cheating policy can even indicate the process, where some schools develop policies to stop cheating by sms.
According to Sapargaliyev (2012) the formation of new paradigm did not leave Kazakhstani education behind. All levels of education has been applying the new modes of learning with the use of ICT. Sapargaliyev (2012) points out the clash between the objectives the western world apply ICT technologies for and Kazakhstani way of application. The western world introduced e-learning to increase the access to learning, whereas Kazakhstani State Program for Development od Education in Kazakhstan for 2011-2020 is aimed to increase quality through the proper application of IC Technologies.
The main strengths of online learning is that it inevitably provides wider access of learning for more significant layers of population. MOOCs, which are becoming more and more popular nowadays, provides solution of educational mission itself: to educate people at large and establish social coherence as a result.
The main drawbacks of this mode of learning is that online learning environment needs gargets and Internet access, so online learning depends on financial status and online learning does not exist for poor people as a result. So, it doesn’t significantly contribute to solve the problem of education access.
References
Sapargaliyev, D. (2012). E-Learning in Kazakhstan: Stages of Formation and Prospects for Development. International Journal of Advanced Corporate Learning (iJAC), 5(4), 42-45.
Alexander, B. (2004). Going nomadic: Mobile learning in higher education.Educause review, 39(5), 29-35.
NUWG 
Dear Oxana,
I really liked your work in terms of task completion, specificity and concreteness. It seemed to me that you had considered online learning differently in comparison to other posts. You attempted to show us the difficulties of implementing online learning. I also want to mention the Kazakshtani context you put here. This is true that this new mode of paradigm did not leave our system of education. E-learning can serve as an example, not very good, unfortunately. Thank you very much for sharing, I am going to find both articles and read them thoroughly.
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Oxana, this post is straightforward and concise and overall, does a fine job of summarizing two articles. It is nice to see you bring in Kazakhstani papers.
I have one major question about the content regarding this second article. I am having trouble finding this “clash between the objectives” of the West and Kazakhstan. The article discusses Kazakhstan’s growing need for ICT and the struggles of meeting it. As for your distinction between access and quality, again I don’t think the author makes that argument. As he writes about the State Program 2011-2020, “The purpose of this direction is to ensure equal access for all participants in the educational process to the best educational resources and technologies.”
It is important to be careful not to overgeneralize any ideas from the text. Support your claims with specific evidence.
A couple grammar points, mostly dealing with S-V agreement:
1) “The learning environment is influenced by its actors, “cell-phone-equipped urbanities” who forms new paradigm of learning.” Actors are plural: “who form”
2) “The main strengths of online learning is…” Strengths…are.
3) “MOOCs, which are becoming more and more popular nowadays, provides solution…” MOOCs…provide a solution.
4/5
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