Usage of a mobile social learning platform with virtual badges in a primary school

This study presents and examines SamEx, a mobile learning system used by 305 students in formal and informal learning in a primary school in Singapore. Students use SamEx in situ to capture media such as pictures, video clips and audio recordings, comment on them, and share them with their peers. In this paper we report on the experiences of students in using the application throughout a one-year period with a focus on self-directedness, quality of contributions, and answers to contextual question prompts. We examine how the usage of tools such as SamEx predicts students' science examination results, discuss the role of badges as an extrinsic motivational tool, and explore how individual and collaborative learning emerge. Our research shows that the quantity and quality of contributions provided by the students in SamEx predict the end-year assessment score. With respect to specific system features, contextual answers given by the students and the overall likes received by students are also correlated with the end-year assessment score. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.