ABSTRACT
In the spring of 2012, the UAE's Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Sheikh Nahayan Bin Mubarak Al Nahayan, announced the launch of the largest mobile learning initiative in the world of higher education to date. The initiative was to include, in a collaborative manner, all three of the UAE's federal tertiary institutions and begin with approximately 13,000 students and faculty. Though remaining a face-to-face classroom learning environment, the initiative involved the allocation of iPads to all participants because of the opportunities provided by these mobile devices. The rationale behind this bold initiative was to help students better achieve 21st-century learning outcomes through the ubiquitous use of mobile learning devices. The North Central Regional Educational Laboratory defines 21st-century skills as digital-age literacy, inventive thinking, effective communication, and high productivity (Burkhardt et al., 2003). This approach is in line with the country's Vision 2021 (UAE Government, n.d.), which states that all Emiratis will be offered a first-rate education, one which allows them to reach their full potential, and one which prepares them to assume leadership roles in an innovative, knowledge-based economy. This chapter chronicles the planning, implementation, and evaluation of the first 18 months of this mobile learning initiative through the lens of Zayed University, one of the three participating institutions.
