A Charles Sturt University (CSU) research consortium has received a $224 000 federal government grant to examine how to enhance workplace learning through effective use of mobile technology.

Associate Professor Franziska Trede from the CSU Education for Practice Institute will lead a team of five researchers from CSU, the University of Sydney, Deakin University, and the University of Western Sydney for the two-year project.

"Workplace learning and technology-mediated learning have become major priorities for Australian universities," Associate Professor Trede said.

"Both are quickly changing practices that provide new possibilities and challenges to conceptualising higher education programmes.

"The project, titled 'Enhancing workplace learning through mobile technology', will develop and test a set of resources which will be integrated into a mobile technology capacity-building framework in workplace learning.

"This project will explore how students can make better use of personal digital devices in workplace learning situations to bridge different learning spaces (classroom, workplace and virtual), connect learning and work, and strengthen networked, collaborative, integrative communication processes between students, academics and workplace educators.

"This will help all participants clarify their understandings of the main issues and opportunities, and improve their technology-mediated learning, practice and teaching skills."

The project will start in February 2015 and the researchers include Professor Peter Goodyear (University of Sydney), Ms Susie MacFarlane (Deakin University), Ms Freny Tayebjee (University of Western Sydney), and Dr Lina Markauskaite (University of Sydney).

The research methodology will use collaborative approaches including interactive workshops, in-depth interviews, and surveys.

The grant is one of several announced by the federal Minister for Education and Training, Mr Christopher Pyne, in December 2014.