Learning on the Move! Coming to a small screen near youEdwin curran

eLearning Conference 2008

Learning on the Move ! Coming to a small screen near you.

Dr Edwin P CurranSchool of Computing and Mathematics

University of Ulster

[email protected]


Where do our students learn?

• Lectures?

• Tutorials?

• Practicals?

• Revision classes?

• Cramming in last week before exam?


Is mobile learning the answer?

• “It's elearning through mobile computational devices: Palms, WindowsCE machines, even your digital cell phone.” (Quinn 2000)

• “how the mobility of learners augmented by personal and public technology can contribute to the process of gaining new knowledge, skills and experience. “( Sharples et al 2007)


An age of personal and technical mobility

• http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/mobile/

• http://www.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7178670.stm#2


Mobile internet devices

• “A mobile internet device is something that you carry around in your pocket, and can deliver the full internet, with no compromises,”

• “Eventually we will blanket the globe in wireless broadband connectivity”

( Paul Otellini , Intel, 2008)


Mobile learning activities

• “Ten years of research into mobile learning has revealed no single ‘killer application’ for mobile technology in learning, but instead has offered a set of promising scenarios such as … …handheld response systems in classrooms”

( Sharples et al 2007)


Mobile learning activities

• Should be driven by specific learning objectives• create quick and simple interactions;• prepare flexible materials that can be accessed across contexts;• consider special devices that might add to the learner

experience (for features of mobile example, the use of audio);• use mobile technology not only to ‘deliver’ learning but to

facilitate it,• make use of the facilities in current mobile devices for voice

communication, note-taking, …

(Naismith and Corlett, 2006)


Challenge

• Let’s explore how we can harness existing technology to make our classes more fun, more engaging and enrich the learning experience for more of our students.


What is teaching?

The purposeful creation of situations from which motivated learners should not be able to escape without learning or developing. ( Cowan 1998)


Do I have to use all these?Sony PSP

Apple iPod


Do I have to use all these?

VLE

small screen

devices

Tools to create questions

and learning activities

Audience participation

system


Audience participation systems

• InterWrite PRS– www.interwitelearning.com– IR and RF– Latest version 4.41– Talk to WebCT/Blackboard


Audience participation systems

• TurningPoint– http://www.turningtechnologies.co.uk– IR and RF– Latest version 4.0– Talk to WebCT/Blackboard– sits as a toolbar in PowerPoint – allows competition


Creating learning activities

• StudyMate– Authoring tool– Create Flash-based activities– www.respondus.com/products/demos-

sm.sthml


Better stop now!

• Will this guarantee– better engagement of students?– higher level of satisfaction?– enhanced level of continuing enrolment?

• Implementation in semester 2

Education

Learning on the Move! Coming to a small screen near youEdwin curran