Educational mobile apps for negotiation: Evaluation and design criteria for curriculum designers and developers

Abstract

Mobile learning (m-learning) through smartphones is gaining in popularity. Nascent Vietnamese entrepreneurs tend to generate new entrepreneurial knowledge and skills through m-learning due to its characteristics. Acquiring negotiation skills and strategies through m-learning is a practical route for nascent Vietnam entrepreneurs. This study describes and applies a set of criteria, covering both pedagogical and technical aspects, to evaluate negotiation education applications (apps) on mobile Android operating system.The results showed that no app related to negotiation education in the Vietnamese language was found on Google Play Store. In the English language, there are 6 distinct free apps appropriate to English speakers who are nascent Vietnamese entrepreneurs. Learning contents were limited to 2 goals of negotiation, which were reaching a business agreement and increasing profits. Target users were not clearly defined. Materials used were not diverse when all apps heavily included text in the learning contents. The virtual environment was not interactive since all the apps did not offer a feedback feature. The customisation, including the levels of difficulties of the educational apps was absent. The authors posit that curriculum designers and developers have opportunities to improve the negotiation training apps used on smartphones by filling the aforementioned gaps.