beyond the misperceptions - towards new trends in · pdf filebeyond the misperceptions -...

Beyond the misperceptions -

towards new trends

in mobile learning

Prof Tom Brown

Institute for Open & Distance Learning

• The dedicated distance education institution of SA

• 13,793 staff (total head count)

o 6,009 academic staff (43.6%)

o 58.2% female

• Currently 351,357 students (total head count)

UNISA: some info & figures

towards new trends in mobile learning

• Currently 351,357 students (total head count)

UNISA: some info & figures

47.6% in the age group 20-29 72.2% African

62.8% female

33.6% in the age group 30-39

• Emerged towards the end of the previous millennium

Or maybe earlier…?

Some history around mobile learning:

towards new trends

in mobile learning

Or maybe earlier…?

The Dynabook by Alan Kay in 1972…

• drawings and technical specs of a mobile learning device

• contexts of use

• wireless-linked collaborative simulations

Kay, A. C. (1972). A personal computer for children of all ages. In Proceedings of ACM National Conference. Boston: Association of Computing Machinery. http://www.mprove.de/diplom/gui/Kay72a.pdf

Kay, A.C. (1972)

http://www.mprove.de/diplom/gui/Kay72a.pdf

Kay, A.C. (1972)

• A few pilot projects in the early 2000s, in developed as well

as developing countries

• Early research and academic discourse focused on defining

mobile learning

• First international "mLearn conference" in 2002 in

Birmingham, England

• IAmLearn founded in 2008

So… what is mobile learning?

• Mobile learning is learning while mobile (what about a book

and pen / or while being static)

• Mobile learning refers to learning with mobile phones (what

about other devices)

• Mobile learning is all about the mobile device

(technology remains the enabler)

• mLearning is merely eLearning accessed through mobile

devices (not unique)

• Mobile learning is not possible in rural settings in developing

countries (e.g. rural Africa)

Misperceptions about mobile learning:

• Mobile learning is only applicable to DE and not to F2F class

activities

• If I go mobile learning it means all my course material and

coursework needs to be accessed and completed on a

mobile device

• You can use your existing learning materials, learning

environment design and teaching/learning methodologies

• Mobile learning is only applicable to DE and not to F2F class

activities

• If I go mobile learning it means all my course material and

coursework needs to be accessed and completed on a

mobile device

• You can use your existing learning materials, learning

environment design and teaching/learning methodologies •

• Let us move past these misperceptions…!!

David Parsons (2014):

"To ensure that future mLearning systems meet their full

potential, it is necessary that our understanding of mLearning

encompasses all of its unique characteristics, and that we

recognise that any form of learning that takes place using a

mobile device is mLearning, whether on the move or static,

whether in formal or informal settings, whether working

collaboratively or alone."

Towards defining mLearning:

• Admin support and motivational messages through SMS

• Quizzes and exercises on basic phones (SMS and WAP)

Opportunities that mobile learning provides:

Nokia MoMaths: • Nokia, SA Presidency, DHET, DST, Meraka), NBA, MML (Pearson),

MXit, SPs and some experts (started in 2008)

• First pilot in 2009/2010 was on basic phones for 260 grade 10

learners in Gauteng, the North West and the Western Cape

• Nokia MoMaths has reached 150 schools with around 14,000

students actively using the service.

• Nokia and DST took it forward in 2011/2012: browser-based and

works on any phone, tablet or PC.

• 10,000 exercises: practice problems in categories like finance,

trigonometry, calculus and statistics. Background theory, examples

of solved problems, engage with others.

Nokia MoMaths 2:10

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iOdMOovXxbM

Nokia MoMaths:

https://momaths.nokia.com/za/m

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v

=iOdMOovXxbM

Opportunities that mobile

learning provides:

• Audio-rich language learning (record & playback,

pronunciation guidance)

• Audio-visual affordances (audio, video, imaging, etc.)

• Contextual and situated learning (e.g. fieldwork)

Fieldwork 3:45 http://vimeo.com/uwmli

• Location awareness and GPS (e.g. museums, cities, travel)

• Quizzes on very basic phones (SMS and WAP based)

• Location awareness and GPS (e.g. museums, cities, travel)

• Simulations and gaming (serious games / edu-gaming)

• Augmented reality and immersive presence (digital objects

are related to physical objects)

Augmented reality 1:38

http://daqri.com/project/anatomy-4d/

• Collaborative learning and interactivity

• Social constructivism e.g. class-sourcing (crowd-sourcing)

(Gleb Tsipursky, 2013)

• Integrating formal and informal learning

• Social media affordances

• Personalised learning and personal learning environments

• Personal publishing and sharing

• "Measure, analyse, capture, publish, organise, evaluate,

communicate"

Alan Livingston (2004):

"Smartphones and other mobile devices are the Swiss Army

Knives of the 21st Century"

• Resource-rich mobile learning for rural students

• Connectivity costs and data costs

• Smart device ownership (smartphones and tablets)

• Digital literacy (and digital fluency)

• Inertia of academics/educators for "small screens"

• Technical support

• BYOD

• Software enabling seamless ubiquitous learning

• The content-driven paradigm…

Some challenges:

Seymour Papert (2013):

"You can't teach people everything they need to know. The

best you can do is position them where they can find what they

need to know when they need to know it."

Brown (2006):

"We should move away from providing content per se to

learners. We should focus on coaching learners to find,

identify, manipulate and evaluate information and knowledge,

to integrate this knowledge in their world of work and life, to

solve problems and to communicate this knowledge to others."

• Personalised and contextual learning in pervasive settings

• "Class"-sourced and expert/lecturer reviewed learning

resources

• Resource-rich learning environments

• Wearable technologies and bio-technology

Future trends for mobile learning:

Future mobile devices 2:39

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BsvaFbc9_i4

• Personalised and contextual learning in pervasive settings

• Class-sourced and expert/lecturer reviewed learning

resources

• Resource-rich learning environments

• Wearable technologies and bio-technology

• Seamless integration of technologies for true ubiquitous

learning

• Free Wi-Fi (public areas, public transport - soon even in rural

areas in developing countries)

• More simulations and augmented reality

• Comprehensive/complex mobile learning apps

• Edu-gaming (beyond simulations and serious gaming)

Jay Cross (2013):

"As much as I love my laptop, that is not the way world is going

to learn. They are going to learn on tablets and phones. Better

be on board or miss the train."

• Navigationism and connectivism (beyond constructivism and

social constructivism) [see Brown (2006) & Siemens (2004)]

• Sage-on-the-stage > guide-on-the-side > coach-in-touch

Future learning paradigms:

Brown (2006):

"Teachers and educators should become the source of how to

navigate in the ocean of available technology, information and

knowledge. We should become coaches and mentors within

the knowledge and digital era."

Ray Kurzweil (2013):

"Mobile phones are misnamed. They should be called

gateways to knowledge."

Thank You

Prof Tom Brown

Institute for Open & Distance Learning

Brown, T.H. (2006) Beyond constructivism: Navigationism in the knowledge era. On the Horizon, Volume 14 No 3, 2006, Emerald Group Publishing limited, Bradford, United Kingdom.

Cross, J. (2013) Quote blogged by Garg, A. (2013) 21 Inspiring Quotes & Thoughts On Mobile Learning. http://www.upsidelearning.com/blog/index.php/2013/08/20/21-inspiring-quotes-thoughts-on-mobile-learning/

Kurzweil, R. (2013) Quote blogged by Garg, A. (2013) 21 Inspiring Quotes & Thoughts On Mobile Learning. http://www.upsidelearning.com/blog/index.php/2013/08/20/21-inspiring-quotes-thoughts-on-mobile-learning/

References:

Kay, A. C. (1972). A personal computer for children of all ages. In Proceedings of ACM National Conference. Boston: Association of Computing Machinery. http://www.mprove.de/diplom/gui/Kay72a.pdf

Livingston, A.K. (2004). Smartphones and other mobile devices: the Swiss Army Knives of the 21st Century. Educause Quarterly, 27(2):46-52, 2004, Educause, USA.

Papert, S.A. (2013) Quote blogged by Garg, A. (2013) 21 Inspiring Quotes & Thoughts On Mobile Learning. http://www.upsidelearning.com/blog/index.php/2013/08/20/21-inspiring-quotes-thoughts-on-mobile-learning/

Parsons, D. (2014). The Future of Mobile Learning and Implications for Education and Training. In Ally, M. & Tsinakos, A., Editors (2014). Perspectives on Open and Distance Learning: Increasing access through mobile learning. Published by the Commonwealth of Learning and Athabasca University, Vancouver, Canada.

Siemens, G. (2004). Connectivism: A Learning Theory for the Digital Age. Paper available online at eLearnspace: http://www.elearnspace.org/Articles/connectivism.htm

DAQRI Anatomy 4D: http://daqri.com/project/anatomy-4d/#.U-2_MPmSwnI

Future mobile devices – Must have future gadgets 2015: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BsvaFbc9_i4

Nokia MoMaths:

https://momaths.nokia.com/za/m

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iOdMOovXxbM

University of Wisconsin, Mobile Learning Incubator (UWMLI): https://github.com/UWMLI

UWMLI Fieldwork-gaming, birding:

http://vimeo.com/uwmli

Video clips:

Role Changes in education

Past Present Future

Role Player Knowledge Adoption Era

Knowledge Production Era

Knowledge Navigation Era

Learner knowledge

adoption knowledge

production knowledge

navigation

Teacher instruction learning

facilitation coaching and

mentoring

Instructional Designer

design of instruction

reduction of content

design of learning facilitation and learning activities

re-/configuration of knowledge

design of coaching and navigation activities

configuration of navigation tools

Information Specialist

information gathering and provision

knowledge provision

information configuration

knowledge management

information facilitation

sense making

Brown (2006)

Mobile learning as we approach the middle of the 21st century is just part of life. The old model of

educational institutions has withered away, with learning now a lifelong, pervasive experience, delivered via

the practically invisible devices that I have with me day and night, the personal network that delivers

information to my eyes, ears and other senses, the e-glasses, the flexible smart-touch screen that folds into

a small case but expands to poster size and will stick to or project onto any surface. These devices

seamlessly connect and collaborate with ambient technologies in the environment. For example, in my

informal learning activities related to photography, my camera will scan for nearby 3D printers to create

models from my 3D photos. For my interest in literature, scenes from books play out in front of me if I

happen to enter a location used by one of my favoured authors. For somewhat more formal learning, I

attend immersive virtual reality classes whenever I want, mixing my avatar with those of other virtual

students and both real and robot instructors.

I learn when I need to, where I want to. When I am at work, I have professional learning support with me at

all times, guiding me in new situations, online Artificial Intelligence systems reacting to my ever-changing

contexts and giving me expert task and problem-solving support. I have all the knowledge ever gathered

available in an instant, tailored to my own learning profiles and preferences, quality controlled by the world’s

best minds. Not that I am just bombarded with data. The mobile learning systems that I use are able to help

me filter the huge amount of data in the computer cloud, assisting me in making meaning out of a mass of

information, working with my own goals, learning styles and changing moods and activities to ensure that

the material I am exposed to will help me learn rather than overwhelm me. As a mid 21st-century learner, I

am never lost, never alone, never unsupported,

never not learning.

David Parsons (2014) - the future of mLearning

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