mobile learning: south african examples
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Presented at the Mobile Learning Institute Summit, 24-27 June 2009, Lusaka, Zambia By Steve Vosloo, Shuttleworth Foundation and Adele Botha, Meraka InstituteTRANSCRIPT
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Presented at Mobile Learning Institute Summit, 24-27 June 2009 Lusaka, Zambia
Mobile learning
Steve Vosloo, Shuttleworth FoundationAdele Botha, Meraka Institute
South African examples
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Africa is mobile mobile subscribers to fixed lines = 15:1
mobile penetration at 33% in 2008
fastest growing market in the world
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Zambia
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Opera Mini (April 2009) 1) South Africa
2) Nigeria
3) Egypt
4) Kenya
5) Libya
6) Zambia
7) Tanzania
8) Cote d’Ivoire
9) Mozambique
10)Namibia
11)Ghana
12)Gabon
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Merryl Ford (2009) “the cellphone is poised to become the 'PC of Africa'”
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mlearning examples tutoring
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Dr Math on MXit
Started in January, 2007 by Meraka Institute / Mobi LED
Provides tutors to help with mathematics homework
Pupils use Mxit on their cell phones
Tutors are engineering students from University of Pretoria
Over 5,500 pupils have used the service
Tutors help approximately 50 pupils per hour
Service runs from 14:00 – 22:00 Sunday - Thursday
Tutoring mostly done in English, but some Afrikaans cases are occurring
Learners contact Dr Math from their homes, while on buses, taxis and on the sports field. Even from the bath!
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Dr Maths architecture
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dr.math: What grade are you in? what are you covering in math?
Spark plug: 7
dr.math: grade 7?
Spark plug: yes
dr.math: Are you doing "pre algebra" stuff like What is the value of X if x + 3 = 10?
Spark plug: yes
dr.math: Ok, so what is the value of x if x + 3 = 10?
Spark plug: 7
dr.math: Ok. how about (15 x 2 ) + x = 35
Spark plug: 5
dr.math: (I am going to use * for multiply so not to confuse it with x, ok?)
Spark plug: ok
dr.math: (2 * x) + 8 = 18
Spark plug: 5
dr.math: Very good. can you explain to me how you figured that out?
Spark plug: 18 - 8 is 10 so 2* what is 10 and the answer is 5
dr.math: Excellent.
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mlearning examples games
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Dr Math competitions
Addition Subtraction Multiplication Division BODMAS Prime factors of a number Root of a straight line Intersection of two straight lines Factors of a quadratic Real roots of a quadratic
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Dr Math results
Learners would compete for many times a day Learners would regularly come back to defend his or her
title Learners often did hundreds of calculations to maintain
their title as champion Learners often competed until the early hours of the
morning Learners often changed their Mxit alias (or nick name) to
more socially acceptable names after they won
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M4Girls project
Improve maths in grade 10 rural girls (by Mindset / Nokia) Nokia 6300's loaded with:
43 mini videos, 3 “mobisode” animations, 2 games
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mlearning examples quizzes
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“Imfundo Yami/Yethu”
Nokia / MXit Improve high school maths through drill-and-practise
quizzes Support through Dr Maths chat tutoring Teach by day, quiz by night
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Mathematics ExercisesMOODLE
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“Imfundo Yami/Yethu”
2 month pilot with 260 learners: Total visits / Views so far: 49,502 Total questions answered so far: 13,192 Visits per day: 991
Learners really liked the combination of chat and learning maths
Learners were doing much more exercises than normally Learners were studying maths A LOT after school hours
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mlearning examples peer support / advice
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Drug, abuse and debt counseling
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mlearning examples information dissemination
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Angels on MXit: HIV/AIDS info
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mlearning examples literacy development
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Reading/writing cellphone
Using the cellphone as a “book” delivery and authoring tool Othello as an m-novel? Effects of texting on literacy and language development?
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other mlearning examples
location-based / context-aware activities, e.g. museum tours or just-in-time information
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Age of the Prosumer “Teens and Young Adults consider themselves more than just consumers and they want their chance to produce content and involve themselves in the brand more than ever before.”
(Generation Next, 2009)
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But ...
Need to manage risks: Distraction “Cyberbullying” Effects of TXTSPK on spelling/formal writing Too much “screen time” Inappropriate content Privacy/safety
Costs, sustainability, inclusion, scale, equity, etc.
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what is mobile learning?
what is the need?
learners need information at night?
learners need to work in groups?
learners not motivated?
learners don't have textbooks?
teachers are over-worked – need support?
not enough PCs?
no stable electricity?
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what is mobile learning?
learners are connected
learners are mobile
within reach (socially, economically or geographically)
examples: tutoring, games, quizzes, peer-support, information dissemination, literacy development, location awareness
think beyond the computer lab
not either PC or cellphone, use appropriate technology
www.shuttleworthfoundation.org
Thank you
email: [email protected]
twitter: www.twitter.com/stevevosloo
blog: innovatingeducation.wordpress.com
slides: www.slideshare.net/stevevosloo
web: www.vosloo.net
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mLearning AfricaNews, projects and research about mobile learning in Africa
www.mlearningafrica.net
Contact: [email protected]