Technological innovation in mobile devices has upgraded the potential uses of the devices for living and learning. Mobile learning provides opportunities for mobile users to learn at any time in any location. A certification that confirms computing and Internet technology skills and knowledge provides more opportunities to students in higher education for their future careers. Students can attend a training course to better prepare for a certification exam. However, most students spend their time preparing for and reviewing their regular courses and have less time for the training course. The problems of time limitation and space restriction cause students' insufficient learning toward the preparation for the certification exams. Mobile learning may augment the face-to-face training course to solve these problems. The purpose of this study was to investigate undergraduate students' perceptions and the effectiveness of instruction using mobile devices to prepare for a standard certification exam in a blended certification-training course. Participants were randomly assigned to two groups: the experimental group received the treatment and the control group was treated as usual in a face-to-face class. Using a mixed-method research design, a pretest and a posttest collected data from all the participants and a survey and interviews gathered information from the students of the experimental group. The results showed a significant difference between the experimental and control groups in the posttest scores. In the pretest, the experimental and control groups did not differ significantly, which means that they were at the same level before the intervention. Then in the posttest, the experimental and control groups were significantly different, meaning that the treatment was instrumental in the difference. Further, the results revealed that learning via mobile devices provided the students more learning opportunities and improved interaction with other students; though using short message service for learning had positive effectiveness, multimedia messaging service may supplement it to demonstrate manipulation. Suggestions of experts familiar with the field and review of literature can assist development of using short message service messages for preparation of various certification examinations. Using mobile learning in an institute with integrated planning may decrease cost by sharing of resources.

Although previous studies have considered the factors affecting other certification exam outcomes, they have not examined those that are related to performance on the Professional in Human Resources (PHR) exam. In response to that need, this study specifically investigates technology and training factors that affect self-efficacy and self-set goals, and through them, influence PHR certification exam results. The target population for the study consisted of recent examinees who had taken a formal PHR examination preparation class or used another form of exam preparation training. The survey results were analyzed using partial least squares modeling techniques, and mediation effects were then tested. The results demonstrated that PHR training self-efficacy affected PHR exam self-efficacy and self-set goals. These factors then had an impact on PHR exam scores. Also, the results of task-technology fit were indirectly related to PHR training self-efficacy through a multiple mediation model that included the instructional factor of time on task and the technology factor of perceived usefulness. Surprisingly, time spent on practice exam questions was found to be negatively related to PHR certification exam scores. Finally, instructional feedback indirectly affected outcomes through its positive relationship to self-set goals. The results of the research should help training professionals and examinees in structuring PHR exam training and preparation activities. They also suggest avenues for improving outcomes in other similar types of training.

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Varannan revisorsassistent blir underkänd på auktorisationsprovet och det finns ett godkännandegap mellan stora och små revisionsbyråer. På grund av att varannan tentand blir underkänd på auktorisationsprovet syftar denna uppsats till att identifiera vilka förutsättningar som revisionsbyråer ger revisorsassistenter under utbildningsprocessen upp till auktorisationsprovet. Frågeställningen är huruvida dessa förutsättningar skiljer sig mellan stora och små revisionsbyråer, och i så fall hur. Studien har antagit ett abduktivt tillvägagångssätt med en kvalitativ metod och en positivistisk forskningsfilosofi. Resultatet har tagits fram genom en innehållsanalys av godkända utbildningsplaner och semi-strukturerade intervjuer av fyra stora respektive fyra små revisionsbyråer. Uppsatsen följer Revisorsinspektionens struktur vid bedömande av utbildningsplan, nämligen att använda områdena Kompetens, Individuell anpassning, Resurser samt Utbildningsmiljö. Genom analysen läggs även området Förberedelse inför prov till. Genom en tvåstegsanalys identifieras 24 förutsättningar. Skillnader i förutsättningar mellan stora och små revisionsbyråer är att större revisionsbyråer generellt har mer resurser och intern kompetens samt har en strukturerad och styrd utbildningsplan, medan mindre revisionsbyråer är mer flexibla och anpassar utbildningen mer efter individen. Slutsatsen i denna studie är således att förutsättningar i sig är inte det som bidrar till en bättre utbildning inför auktorisationsprovet, utan det är hur de implementeras. Begränsningar i studien är huruvida tre av fyra intervjuade kontor verkligen representerar en stor revisionsbyrå väl och att det finns risker att intervjua individer för ett byråperspektiv. Förslag för framtida forskning är att studera nyligen auktoriserade revisorer för att kontrollera att de upplever att förutsättningarna identifierade i denna studie har bidragit till deras kompetensutveckling. / Every other audit assistant fails the audit exam and there is a gap in the passing percentage between big and small firms. Because every other audit assistant fails the audit exam, this paper aims to identify which prerequisites an audit firm can present to their audit assistants up until the audit exam. This paper seeks to answer if these prerequisites differ between big and small audit firms and how. This study has adopted an abductive approach with a qualitative method and a positivistic philosophy. The results were produced by analyzing text documents of approved education plans and semi structured interviews with four big and four small audit firms. The paper follows the structure Revisorsinspektionen uses when approving education plans, that is by using the areas Competence, Individual adaptation, Resources and Educational environment. From the analysis another area is added, Preparation for the Exam. A two-step analysis was used to identify 24 prerequisites. The difference in prerequisites between big and small audit firms is that big audit firms generally have more resources, internal competence and implements a more structured and controlled education plan, while smaller audit firms are more flexible and adapt the education plan after the individual. The conclusion in this paper is that prerequisites alone are not what adds to a better education for the audit exam, but rather how they are implemented. Limitations in this study are about whether three out of four interviewed offices really represent a big audit firm well, and there are risks about interviewing individuals from an audit firm's perspective. Proposal for future research is to study newly certified auditors to control whether they experience that the prerequisites identified in this study have contributed to the development of their skills.