Handheld Learning - learning with mobile and ubiquitous technologies

At the moment much of the work that I have been doing has revolved around me supplying kit to schools to help run with the interventions that we've planned. However, I am constantly receiving requests from schools now wanting to know where they can buy handheld games devices and the more traditional single console. It seems that schools are more than willing to purchase from anywhere between 10 to 100 DS consoles at present. The PSP is also engendering interest from some schools.

One development that is currently ongoing is in West Lothian where they are working at implementing a wireless system and infrastructure that would allow pupils own wireless devices, be it phone, DS, PSP laptop etc, to hook up to the schools wireless network. This is a real attempt to make the pupils' device work as a learning tool in the school environment. This initiative is most probably going to be one of the presentations for the Scottish strand at Handheld Learning 08.

One of the projects that we have recently initiated up in Aberdeenshire and that is available to view on Handheld Learning's Blip TV channel at present involved the use of Nintendogs for the Nintendo DS. There was some degree of cynicism ans suspicion from parents when they were first told about this project and there was the suggestion of some entrenched concerns that meant that they some parents were not too happy about this at all. However, it does appear that parents were completely turned around in terms of how they perceived this use of a games console in their children's education. Not only was there a general feeling of unexpected contentment and surprise with what turned out to be a wholly positive  experience for the children but one family were so delighted with how their son's attitude to school, to reading , to writing and to his excitement about learning through Nintendogs had so improved that they donated £1000 to the school to buy more of these devices so that other children could benefit from them.

For me, a vindication of how these devices and games contexts resonate with children and how they can make learning relevant and exciting. To get the parents on board in such a way is a really important step in promoting games based learning via devices like the DS or the PSP.

Looking forward to seeing colleagues training their Nintendog at HHL 08 and looking forward to going into bark mode with them.

Up in Scotland we are managing a number of games based learning initiatives in nursery, primary and secondary schools. Learning and Teaching Scotland via its Consoalrium project is responsible for the range and scope of projects that are currently happening.

Last Monday we went to two schools in Aberdeenshire to capture (for video case study on our Consoalrium site) the work that has been happening in two P.2 classes (children aged 6/7) where we have put Nintendogs for the Nintendo DS.

A blogpost that includes a rationale for this project and a summary of what has been happening can be accessesd via this link:

http://ltsblogs.org.uk/consolarium/2008/03/22/fantastic-learning-in-p2-via-nintendogs/

Graham Brown Martin came along on the day to find out about the project and some of the videos he shot can be accessed from the Handheld Learning TV section of this site:

http://handheldlearning.blip.tv#773850

The recent for this post to the forum is to really look for feedback from colleagues interested in how we can enhance teaching and learning. I am completely convinced, from a theoretical and practical perspective,  that this approach that sees the informed, structured and thoughtful application of commercial off the shelf games can have a positive impact on teaching and learning. Am I alone in thinking that many of these commercially available games can provide treachers with rich, challenging and dynamic learning environments that resonate with learners and that can open doors to traditonal learning in such a way that children gleefully and willingly throw their hearts and souls into the learning that comes out of such projects.

Look at the videos that Graham has uploaded and also at the summary of what the children have been doing. It's also interesting to hear what the parents have to say about the project:

http://handheldlearning.blip.tv#773761

The reason that I ask this is that another of our projects made National TV, radio and the press last week. We are putting Dr Kawashima's Brain Training into 16 classes in Scotland to see if it can impact on mental maths attainment. But when I was on the BBC there were two gentleman who were very concerned about what we are doing.

http://hotmilkydrink.typepad.com/my_weblog/2008/03/ive-had-a-bit-o.html

Are we as they suggest pandering to children, undermining the teacher, handing learning over to computers or causing a crisis of confidence in the learning relationship? I struggle to recognise any of these concerns and can only talk about how the projects that we are initiating are having such an impact on teaching and learning in many of our classrooms although I am open to both sides of the debate.

I'd really like to hear what colleagues think about what we are doing and I'd like to hear of any concerns or suggestions that you may have.

Endless Ocean offers endless opportunities for learning. What a resource and what an experience! We are about to put this in a number of schools in Scotland. the teachers that I have shown this to have shared my appreciation of this resource as a tool that could encourage writing and possibly environmental studies. The Panini book style of the silhouettes of the fish/creatures that you discover are a great incentive to explore and learn. Will come back to the forum when the project kicks off.

We have been struck by our experience in putting the Nintedno DS into classrooms in Scotland. We are about to undertake a wider scale research project that will give us a more research credible sample group for our Dr Kawashima work. There has been a lot of interest from Scottish schools as a result of the work we have been doing and a number of schools across Scotland are looking to buy DSs for their classrooms. In fact, I received 3 calls today looking for details of where schools could access DSs and what games they should buy.

Looks good although I am waiting to see if it has the appeal to children that Dr Kawashima's does. I wonder if children will suss out that this really is Maths and that it might not engage those that we want engaged because of this. On the other hand it might just do the trick. I'm going to have a right good look at it to see if I can put it into classrooms.