Handheld Learning - learning with mobile and ubiquitous technologies

KnowledgeWorks out of Cincinnati, OH created a Map of Future Forces Affecting Education last year. I got my hands on a paper copy during a keynote presentation of a National Science Foundation meeting in Washington DC this week. An electronic version and a link to download a paper version can be found here: http://www.kwfdn.org/map/index.aspx.

It's an interesting map in that it lists half a dozen external forces that will affect education in the next decade in the areas of family and community, markets, institutions, educators and learning, and tools and practics. With regards to digital tools, it is noteworthy that the focus seems to be on mobile and connected devices, in an environment that favors personalization/customization AND networking/connectedness at the same time.

Another item worth noting is "the end of cyberspace" being one of the drivers of change, meaning that


This is more along the lines of the concept of ubiquitous computing I've written about on this forum before (http://www.handheldlearning.co.uk/content/view/27/2/), but one in which mobile technologies definitely worth a role.

Even though the map was created from a US perspective, I'm sure at least parts of it apply to other contexts. It is interesting to navigate through and investigate, both in digital and paper formats.

I'm glad to report that the special issue of Educational Technology Magazine on highly mobile computing is now online in its entirety. Thanks to ETP for making this available for free  .

And here is the sequel: NECC 2007. Just like many other sequels, nothing new

I was just perusing the list of vendors that will be at the National Educational Computing Conference (NECC; http://center.uoregon.edu/ISTE/NECC2007/) in Atlanta next week, and noticed that Palm will not have a booth there!! This is a little surprising, but may be a sign of things to come. Is Palm giving up on education??

Hi Lily,
After carefully reading your post I noticed the survey at the bottom of it. If you'd like to get more responses, I would recommend that you seriously consider putting the survey on the web so that it is easier for people to fill out and submit. Having to download and unzip the excel file, fill it out, save it, then send it back is a hassle for many, believe it or not. You may want to think about a tool like surveymonkey (http://www.surveymonkey.com), or check with your employer/university to see if they have a surveytool that you can use.

Don't give up. We need the research.

Mark

You may want to rethink this one as Dell is dropping its line of handheld devices completely (http://news.com.com/2100-1041_3-6174546.html?part=rss&tag=2547-1_3-0-20&subj=news).

Also don't forget to visit the sessions sponsored by ISTE's SIGHC (handheld computing), as well as its business meeting. For more information see the SIGHC wiki at http://sighc.iste.wikispaces.net/. Registration for the wiki is free.

Monday, June 25, 2007

1st Annual International Leadership Summit for Learning Technology Research, Development, and Dissemination (SIILT, SICHC, SIGDE, SIGTC, and ISTE’s International Committee (Monday, June 25, 2007, 7:30 am – 1 pm; GWCC B203). Registration is $20, seats are still available.
Link to registration page

Mobile, Digital, Ubiquitous: Solutions for Learning with Handhelds
[Session: Panel]
Julie Lindsay, International School Dhaka, Bangladesh with Judy Breck, Graham Brown-Martin, Michael Curtis, Janice Kelly and Tony Vincent
Monday, 6/25/2007, 8:30am–9:30am; (GWCC B213)
Panel members present solutions for curriculum integration, multimedia inclusion, and best practice of mobile technologies for learning at any age. Sponsored by ISTE's SIGHC.

Anywhere, Anytime: Using Mobile Phones for Learning
[Session: Lecture]
Thomas McNeal, Kent State University with Mark van't Hooft
Monday, 6/25/2007, 11:00am–12:00pm; (GWCC B301)
The Desktop Videoconferencing (DVC) Project at Kent State University has been investigating new and unique ways of using video-conferencing for learning with mobile phones. Sponsored by SIGHC. (Commercial Content)



Tuesday, June 26, 2007

SIGHC (Handheld Computing) Business Meeting
[Other Program Events: Meeting/Focused Gathering]
Tuesday, 6/26/2007, 4:45pm–6:15pm; (GWCC B301)
Gather with fellow SIG subscribers and leaders, plan yearly activities, exchange best practices, and recognize innovators and leaders who are committed to advancing educational technology. If you are at NECC, please plan to attend. There will be food!!!



Wednesday, June 27, 2007

Handhelds: Empower Students to Increase Academic and Behavioral Achievement
[Poster: Traditional]
Daniel Gulchak, Arizona State University
Wednesday, 6/27/2007, 9:00am–11:00am; (GWCC Level 5, Galleria)
Learn how students can use handhelds to monitor their performance in school with results of an empirical study and ideas for replication in your class. Sponsored by ISTE's SIGHC. (Commercial Content)

mLearning with Cell Phones: Just the Beginning
[Poster: Traditional]
Lucianne Sweder, Governors State University/Capella University
Wednesday, 6/27/2007, 12:00pm–2:00pm; (GWCC Level 5, Galleria)
Can mobile phone learning be designed to advance the adolescent reader so maybe “Johnny” can read? Sponsored by ISTE's SIGHC.

Using Student Response Systems Across Environments: See It in Action
[Session: Lecture]
Margie Johnson, Metro Nashville Public Schools with Patrick Artz and Daniel Gulchak
Wednesday, 6/27/2007, 1:30pm–2:30pm; (GWCC B405)
Engage students in your classroom discussions like never before. See how three educators use student response systems and learn to use them yourself. Sponsored by ISTE's SIGHC. (Commercial Content)

Nice,
I wonder though how much of this learning happens OUTSIDE of class. The website doesn't mention it. I bet if students are doing it outside of class, they're spending much more than 10 min. at a time though.

Reposted from my blog Ubiquitous Thoughts:

Phil Vahey (SRI International) and I co-edited a special issue of Educational Technology Magazine on highly mobile computing. I’m very happy with the way the issue came out, as it has a number of quality articles from well-known researchers in the field of mobile computing. The issue contains the following articles (note that I’ve posted three of the articles online, if you want the entire issue you’ll need to order it from the publisher. There is some rumor though that the entire issue may be posted online this summer. I’ll keep you posted on that one. In the meantime, enjoy!


Introduction to Special Issue
Mark van ‘t Hooft and Philip Vahey (link to article)

Educational Technology for the Mainstream: A call for Designing for Simplicity and Reliability
Cathleen Norris, Namsoo Shin, & Elliot Soloway

Highly Mobile Devices, Pedagogical Possibilities, and How Teaching Needs to Be Reconceptualized to Realize Them
Karen Swan, Annette Kratcoski, & Mark van ‘t Hooft (link to article)

Using Handhelds to Link Private Cognition and Public Interaction
Philip Vahey, Jeremy Roschelle, & Deborah Tatar

Teacher Uses of Highly Mobile Technologies: Probes and Podcasts
Robert Tinker, Paul Horwitz, Stephen Bannasch, Carolyn Staudt, & Tony Vincent
Classroom Connectivity: Increasing Participation and Understanding Inside the Classroom
Stephen Hegedus

What Happens to “Writing Across the Curriculum” with Handheld Devices?
Louise Yarnall, Sara Carriere, Tina Stanford, Carmen Manning, & Bob Melton

Can Handhelds Make a Difference? Lessons Learned from Large and Small Scale Implementations
Christine Tomasino, Kellie Doubek, &Meg Ormiston

Learning Bridges: A Role for Mobile Technologies in Education
Giasemi Vavoula, Mike Sharples, Peter Lonsdale, Paul Rudman, & Julia Meek

In and Beyond the Classroom: Making Informal Learning Truly Ubiquitous with Highly Mobile Devices
Yimei Lin

Handheld Computers in Education: An Industry Perspective
Mark van ’t Hooft and Philip Vahey (link to article)
(Graham is in this one!!  )

Blurring Lines with Mobile Learning Games
Eric Klopfer

Creating a Powerful Learning Environment with Networked Mobile Learning Devices
Valerie M. Crawford

Education’s Intertwingled Future
Judy Breck

Reposted from my blog Ubiquitous Thoughts:

Phil Vahey (SRI International) and I co-edited a special issue of Educational Technology Magazine on highly mobile computing. I’m very happy with the way the issue came out, as it has a number of quality articles from well-known researchers in the field of mobile computing. The issue contains the following articles (note that I’ve posted three of the articles online, if you want the entire issue you’ll need to order it from the publisher. There is some rumor though that the entire issue may be posted online this summer. I’ll keep you posted on that one. In the meantime, enjoy!


Introduction to Special Issue
Mark van ‘t Hooft and Philip Vahey (link to article)

Educational Technology for the Mainstream: A call for Designing for Simplicity and Reliability
Cathleen Norris, Namsoo Shin, & Elliot Soloway

Highly Mobile Devices, Pedagogical Possibilities, and How Teaching Needs to Be Reconceptualized to Realize Them
Karen Swan, Annette Kratcoski, & Mark van ‘t Hooft (link to article)

Using Handhelds to Link Private Cognition and Public Interaction
Philip Vahey, Jeremy Roschelle, & Deborah Tatar

Teacher Uses of Highly Mobile Technologies: Probes and Podcasts
Robert Tinker, Paul Horwitz, Stephen Bannasch, Carolyn Staudt, & Tony Vincent
Classroom Connectivity: Increasing Participation and Understanding Inside the Classroom
Stephen Hegedus

What Happens to “Writing Across the Curriculum” with Handheld Devices?
Louise Yarnall, Sara Carriere, Tina Stanford, Carmen Manning, & Bob Melton

Can Handhelds Make a Difference? Lessons Learned from Large and Small Scale Implementations
Christine Tomasino, Kellie Doubek, &Meg Ormiston

Learning Bridges: A Role for Mobile Technologies in Education
Giasemi Vavoula, Mike Sharples, Peter Lonsdale, Paul Rudman, & Julia Meek

In and Beyond the Classroom: Making Informal Learning Truly Ubiquitous with Highly Mobile Devices
Yimei Lin

Handheld Computers in Education: An Industry Perspective
Mark van ’t Hooft and Philip Vahey (link to article)
(Graham is in this one!!  )

Blurring Lines with Mobile Learning Games
Eric Klopfer

Creating a Powerful Learning Environment with Networked Mobile Learning Devices
Valerie M. Crawford

Education’s Intertwingled Future
Judy Breck

Right on Graham. My response to the teachers would be, "the box gets in the way of what?"

All,
I know this has been discussed in bits and pieces elsewhere, but we are facing this as a reality and would like some feedback from the community, so here it goes.

We (the Research Center for Educational Technology at Kent State University is looking at investing in some wireless mobile devices to be used by students from local districts while they spend six weeks in a lab type setting with us. The point of the mobile devices is that they have them in the lab as well as outside (on the bus, at school, at home, etc.). Parents sign a consent form for their kids to come to our labs (video/picture release, AUP (we run unfiltered internet) etc.)

What we envision that could potentially happen is this:
*School administrators will ban the devices at their schools ("it's wireless so it must be bad")
*Parents won't let their kids participate if they are going to have access to these devices (same reason).
*Wireless will be unavailable or inaccessible in schools (not as much of a problem, because it would actually give us a justification for letting the kids have them, because we can say that they won't be able to access trouble while in their home schools  ).

....

Anyway, I think we've figured out what the major issues are going to be that we might run into. However, I'd love to hear from all of you what your experiences have been with implementing wireless mobile devices, e.g. the new EDA.

To end on a positive note, pushing forward with what we want to do will give us some really good opportunities to do research in the area of teaching kids how to use technology in responsible, ethical, and safe ways (and I don't mean block if it seems bad). It's in many curriculum standards but probably one of the least taught aspects of technology use for teaching and learning.

I'm looking forward to your responses...

All,
There have been a substantial number of videos on teaching, learning, and (mobile) technology done in the US recently. Most of them are done for staff development purposes, but the content is very interesting. While most of them are fairly general and done from a US perspective, I think you'll find them interesting just the same, and most of the information would apply in Europe as well (maybe with different stats, but still). My two favorites so far are:

Did you know?/Shift happens
Pay Attention

They are each about 8 minutes long, but they are worth the time to watch. They'll make you think....

In case you haven't seen it, there is an alternative to YouTube that is more education friendly, called TeacherTube. Not as much content, but what's there is pretty decent.

I've taken a look at the entry as well, and agree that it could use some work. I made some small changes (i.e. I removed what Mike asked to be removed), and made some cosmetic changes as well. I agree that this entry shouldn't become a platform for commercial entities, but I don't see why it would be a problem to link to academic research and/or development projects.

Wikipedia, as well as academic research, is meant to be shared, so that we can build on what's already out there. In the long run, all of us will benefit from that.

Mark
aka dutchboyinohio