Your+findings

Activity (for seminar facilitators): To summarise salient points from student activities and discussions
Task one produced some sixty seven responses, evidence of lots of lively discussion. The questions for this task where:

1. What is your understanding of mobile learning? What does it mean to you? 2. Do you currently incorporate mobile learning into your own context and if so, how?

All of the course participants contributed to produce a well rounded discussion of their understanding of mobile learning and several core elements were defined. Mobile learning’s key identifiers are its any place, anytime, anywhere characteristics. Alison commented that being able to connect online and interact with others easily and quickly was a fantastic opportunity for not only for learners, but for educators. This struck a common chord in the challenges which face educators as they attempt to keep up to date with technology whilst exploring its value link to the learning experience. Felix suggests that we view the concept of being mobile in the light it was probably anticipated, namely as “an extension of learning”. Course participants were in agreement that mobile learning did not refer to a single device or item, but rather a collection of tools which were available for specific purposes. These would include: “ iPods, MP3 players, RSS feeds, cameras, Respondus, Moodle, WebCT, Blackboard, SMS, MMS, etc.” Nigel indicated that engagement in mobile learning resulted in students who were by the very nature of the technology, more collaborative in their learning and had access to others that they wouldn’t normally do.

Alison summed up a key problem in the integration or lack thereof of mobile learning into the classroom: “Unfortunately in my current teaching situation there is a lot of talk about m-learning and not much action!” Alison went on to suggest that this was a result of a number of key factors such as “accessibility to the technology, lack of professional awareness of how mobile learning can be used effectively and a general sense of being overwhelmed.... by the range of tools and finding time to implement them within the current teaching programme”. Everyone seemed aware of the neck-breaking speed at which technology was developing and the awareness that educators were often technologically paralysed by the weight of the responsibility of the perceived pressure of correct implementation, at the right time, in response to a given need, in environments that often extended beyond the physical boundary of the learning environment.

In a response to learning anything, anytime and anywhere, Melz successfully trialled Mobl21 and promptly developed a module of a mobile learning lesson. Perhaps we just need to be given the vision of the potential of the technology, in order to spark a passion for it!

Our own mobile learning dilemma came in the form of Twitter. Talk about learning curve! In the end, the tweets came through!

Luchen experienced another mobile technology learning curve, which came from her language students. Up until that time she hadn’t been convinced that mlearning could bring a remarkable change in learning. She still considers mobile learning as primarily an “informal learning, or supportive tool for formal learning”. Luchen also weighed up the pros and cons of owning the latest ‘must have’ technological gadgets. We enjoyed some lively debate over the benefits of owning an iPad. This was certainly food for thought in our ‘gadget hungry’ society. Luchen believes that mlearning is best suited to “bite-sized knowledge and learning”.

Suzie reminded us that the disruptive component of mobile technology was not necessarily disruptive in a negative way. She made reference to the Cornelius & Marston article which “mentions context crossing and is likened to reading a book and switching contexts in the mind.” Virtual contexts in conjunction with imagination are catalysts for very engaging and effective means of learning. Jill then had a very personal experience with the need to actually switch roles constantly in response to a crisis situation – the earthquake in Christchurch.

Melz’s extensive reading into the benefits of mobile learner was to reveal "Students said that they preferred using the mobile devices over writing by hand and that using them for writing assignments made the work “easier” and “more fun” (p.107). "Learners are encouraged to be active constructors of knowledge, with mobile devices now embedding them in a realistic context at the same time as offering access to supporting tools" (Naismith, Lonsdale, Vavoula, Sharples, p.4)

The following table illustrates those participants who use/do not use mobile learning in their own context and explains the way that the technology is being implemented:
 * Participants who do not use mobile technology in the classroom at this point in time: || Participants who use mobile technology in the classroom at this point in time: || Ways this participant is currently using this technology: ||
 * Jill ||  || Exploring the use of iPod touches and iPads ||
 * Melz ||  || Personally uses iPod in her capacity as student, posting discussions in Stream. ||
 * Suzie ||  || Wireless whiteboard keyboard ||
 * || Nigel || Googledocs to encourage collaboration from home; school investigating I-pads to replace a few IWBs ||
 * Alison ||  ||   ||
 * || Felix || WebCT – delivery of online weekly tests. ||
 * || Luchen || Immersed into mobile technology by her Chinese speaking students seeking vocabulary ||

This took a while to get established but Nad did a wonderful job at getting problems ironed out and it works now. A great way to get instructions out to a larger group, but they must be following and have the phone icon switched on!! Some findings:
 * Activity 1b: Set up a twitter account**

the short text allowance can be limiting, with even less when group tweeting as they include the sender's address - being available 24/7 is mildly annoying - have to give time for responses so feedback is not necessarily always instant - taking quizzes or surveys is a great activity if stuck in a traffic jam - responsible adult Massey students do indeed cheat.

Thank you for reflecting and giving your views -
 * End of course personal celebration survey results** (Twitter was very effective for this activity) :

62% of the twitter group want to go for a long walk 62% want to indulge in good coffee or food of some kind 37.5% want to celebrate freedom with friends and loved ones 100% want 'me' time - spent reading, painting, photography, gardening, playing on the computer or watching rubbish TV Lois wants her feet tickled

Task 2a: Is mlearning better learning?
The quesestions for this task were: 1 What course content, if any, do you think would be enhanced through delivery by a mobile computing/communication device? 2 In what ways do you believe that mobile learning could facilitate students to influence more control over their own learning environments? (If you don't believe that this is possible, please provide a reason). 3 What collaborative learning opportunities exist for mobile learners that might not necessarily exist for learners using desk top computers?

**What course content, if any, do you think would be enhanced through delivery by a mobile computing/communication device?** **Luchen -** knowledge could be easily broken down to bite-sized components, such as language course. The bite-sized knowledge could be perfect for the small screen of a mobile phone and the short concentration of moving learners … ** Nigel ** - … I think lessons can be given a more real life feel by the fact students can be somewhere that relates directly to the topic and cross referencing with what they are experiencing/seeing on screen and in front of them… ** Jill ** - //… I// feel that any content has the potential to be enhanced by Mlearning... More specifically… in areas where practical learning is a large component … spend more time in the practical environment related to their teaching and learning and less time in classrooms… ** Alison **// - // …I think features such as monitoring and contributing to group discussions could be enhanced by using mobile devices … ** Melz ** - … through the social interactive nature that can be attributable to mobile learning systems, …discussions create deeper thinking leading to a deeper understanding of the course content – as long as the interactions are course related…  **Chris** - According to what I have read there is a significant body of support that all course content would be enhanced through delivery by a mobile/communication device. I am not so sure. I would have struggled with our current course content using a mobile/communication device. There is significant hype but there is no significant body of research evidence to back up all the claims. As John-Harmen Valk, Ahmed T. Rashid, and Laurent Elder found "The findings thus indicate that rural children who have a stronger academic foundation are better able to take advantage of the benefits afforded by mobile phone-based learning.This observation, the authors of the project indicate, is consistent with the findings of He, Linden, and MacLeod (2008) whose study with rural and urban low-income children in India showed that weaker students gained more from teacher-directed pedagogical intervention, while stronger students were able to benefit more from a self-paced, machine-based approach to English learning" I have also found that this and other research based on pilot studies do not continue over time but are presented as "one offs" I wonder if the results would be consistent over time.

**In what ways do you believe that mobile learning could facilitate students to influence more control over their own learning environments? (If you don't believe that this is possible, please provide a reason).** **Nad ** - … I think that once students have a greater understanding of what mobile learning can bring into their learning they will then be able to adapt new learning styles into their learning environment – this can be at home, in the classroom on the bus or train… **Luchen** - … after I set up the wireless modem, I could shift my laptop to the sitting room and enjoy the whole day sun, of course if it’s not a rainy day like today! … to choose the physical environment freely is the first advantage mlearning bring in. Also the learners could find their own paces to learn, right time and right mood… **Melz** -
 * Access to formal and situational learning.
 * Learning in various contexts across time.
 * Allowing learners to repeat or practice content for example through exercises available on the system.
 * Flexible learning
 * Collaborative/social construction of knowledge the learner can choose to engage in this feature and actively control how much socially constructed knowledge they want to participate in.
 * Catch up on missed lectures/classes through the mobile devices (as long as the mlearning system allows this)

**Nigel** - As Jones and Isroff point out " they have more control over their own goals." What can be more empowering then defining what you want to achieve and being able to work on topics that you select and within hours that suit your lifestyle... A bit like us all now!!! **Jill** - ...It is interesting to see when children are accessing these pages (often quite late at night)… enables students to take more control over their learning due to increased flexibility in content and context. This way, learners are able to tailor their learning more specifically to their individual needs. **Alison** - … it would give them fast, easy access to the world of print and other technologies and allow them to carry out learning as and when it suits them… would also enable students to use familiar devices to explore tasks that are relevant to them and give them control over their level of engagement when collaborating or communicating… have to make decisions about the quality of information being accessed and shared without relying on being ‘taught’ or told by others. **Chris** - I believe that it is possible that mobile learning could facilitate students to have influence over their own learning environment but whether once interest fades in new learning a new way and bureaucracy launches assessment controls remains to be seen.John-Harmen Valk, Ahmed T. Rashid, and Laurent Elder indicate that the project was not conclusive in determining whether the program was more effective with the use of mobile phones than had it been carried out as a traditional distance-learning course without the technology.

**What collaborative learning opportunities exist for mobile learners that might not necessarily exist for learners using desk top computers?** **Chris -** Mobiles, therefore, should impact educational outcomes by altering the character of education and learning because the nature of mobile technology converges with and facilitates new learning. The new learning is personalized, learner-centered, situated, collaborative, ubiquitous, and lifelong. Likewise, mobile technology is increasingly personal, user-centred, mobile, networked, ubiquitous, and durable (Sharples et al., 2007, p. 224). I think that the predominant collaborative opportunity is the anytime anywhere facet and the use of instant visual and audio sharing and discussion.


 * Luchen -** Yes, the best learning is “we-learning”, not “e-learning”. “The mobile technologies “afford” the instant interaction among the students and among students and the teachers. Through the interface of mobile technologies the student could share their notes taking in the fieldtrip and conduct the coordination, communication, negotiation and interactivity.”( by Pei-Ping Luo 2009)


 * Nigel -** Anywhere,anytime!! The fact people don't have to be at home or work on the computer at a given time, that they can be out and about in a range of situations. Easier to all be online at one given time. Plus access to experts through live feed.


 * Jill -** The fact that mobile devices primarily originated as communication tools means they are effective tools to enhance communication between learners allowing for greater collaboration between a wider range of people in a variety of situations. Simply stated in the Jones & Issroff article … “...//many mobile devices also allow users to communicate, thus enabling and supporting collaborative learning//.”


 * Alison -** As a collaborative learning tool mobile devices could enable more timely discussion by users about their learning and the value of information being shared which although possible using desk top computers is perhaps not as readily convenient for those on the move. Having access to other features such as texting and accessing online social networks to facilitate collaboration might also increase the quality and quantity of interactions compared to those using desk top computers, again because of portability and the anywhere, anytime potential of mobile learning.

I have mentioned some of these above in the previous question, however to summarise they are;
 * Melz -**
 * Discussion more often, or the option to socially construct knowledge using these tools when it suits the learner
 * Collaborative learning can be achieved through particular features of a mobile learning system/design, therefore the collaborative learning opportunities depend upon certain features of the learning design such as the following;
 * Discussion forums
 * Texting features – mobile phones (satellite coverage dependent)
 * Live online chat
 * Email – could be used anyhow with an internet connection
 * Wiki pages – dependent on an internet connection
 * Social networking – again dependent on access to an internet connection

It is obvious that many forms of collaborative learning can occur outside of a learning design such as STREAM for example. Access to the internet allows many collaborative features such as the wiki pages, Writeboards, email, social networks (twitter, facebook) etc. As long as the mobile device can connect to the internet, collaborative learning can occur in real time. If we look at learning systems such as STREAM and MOODLE, we then see many of these features which support and enhance collaborative learning embedded in the designs, and with good reason – however, collaborative learning can occur outside of these systems, or alongside these learning designs as we have experienced throughout is and the previous seminar. Access to the web obviously offers an extraordinary amount of educational potential that only requires a device with internet connection to tap into them.