Handheld Learning - learning with mobile and ubiquitous technologies

Not just yet - the deadline for submitting abstracts is over but the conference is in October (although I'm sure there will be a flurry of writing early November).

I'd be really interested in some of the creative scenarios - both that have happened and those that are planned.

http://www.mlearn.org.za/

Is anyone from this forum planning to go to the mLearn 2005 conference.  I'm sure South Africa in October will be a hardship  but this conference has an excellent reputation and could be a great place to hear and contribute to some really exciting ideas.

http://www.technewsworld.com/story/40471.html

The new PDA will be more of a wireless communicating device than a computer. It will have a built-in peer-to-peer network that will not require the Internet for users to stay connected. However, it will also have full Internet browsing capabilities. Mark Menarik, CEO of Chicago-based TanCher, said the device will focus on maximizing the wireless capabilities for the educational market.

So in a school environment, would you expect the students to sync the information back to a computer in the classroom for sharing and manipulation or would they continue to work on the PDAs. I'm thinking that we need to explicitly build in the seemless movement of data between PDA and computer for the students to use these devices. As PDAs don't suit multitasking, and the manipulation of data onscreen.


The transfer from location-based learning to classroom-based learning using PDAs has not been really investigated as far as I'm aware.  I've seen some projects where location-based use of PDAs have linked to using other technologies inside the classroom - the transfer between technologies and the creation of a 'reflective space' were highlighted as important. Also, linking to the suggestions in the PDA toolset thread: the ability to seamlessly/easily sink into private/shared/published areas to continue working is really important - both to extend the tools available to the learner but also to encourage activities where this location/classroom transfer can occur.

I'm wondering now about what activities would benefit from using 'just' the PDA in location and in the classroom - to take advantage of other affordances of the PDA - mobility inside the classroom?  Personal/private etc

The affordance that really inspires me is mobility.    Being able to record data as in Andy's scenario and then going to another location - even outside - to continue an experiment and to compare data.

So the scenario that really excites me is the ability to collect location-sensative information and continue using it in another situation.  Collecting data that is GPRS located and bringing it back into the classroom (think future geography lessons); collecting scientific data from the local community (mini-beasts data, sensor readings etc) and then collating this with peers' findings in the class for greater data sets etc.

The notion that the teacher will become superfluous is completely wrong.  However, there is an opportunity for the role of teachers to change - for the better.


I don't agree that suggesting a changing role for teachers leads to a conclusion of teachers as hostesses, in fact, teachers who adapt to new situations are those who are in more demand than ever.

A Victorian classroom, with a didactic and authoritarian teacher, is very different from a classroom where students are working collaboratively, taking different roles as researcher, presenter, discussant etc.  But there are still qualities that remain the same throughout teaching, for example,


and also creating a safe learning environment, motivating and enthusing students etc etc.  But the way in which this is done can be different from lesson to lesson - and if there is a dramatic shift in learning context, then the role played by the teacher to attain those qualities will change.

Presumably there is a difference between how you enable equal access to resources/experts when you have 15 text books to share to the situation where every student has access to the internet, virtual resources, ebooks etc

It is not about the displacement or demise of teachers - but the changing role required to make the most of the opportunities that can be presented through good use of technologies.  In fact, with access to huge amounts of information, opportunities to communicate with wide and distant audiences, the ability to be mobile etc, the role of the teacher will need to change  in order to embody the qualities required.

The questions seems to have been posed in order to provoke discussion (tut tut Graham), but the question of in what ways can teachers best support mobile learners is an interesting one.  Yes by embodying the qualities of current teachers - but how do the classroom relationships change when students have constant, easy access to experts outside of the classroom - what is the benefit of accessing an expert in the classroom over and above accessing experts remotely?

This is a really interesting list Christine - not least because it highlights some of the really important features needed for consistent classroom use.
A few comments that I'd be interested to develop within this forum:

There are many input devices for PDAs - from data sensors and image catpure to keyboards and styluses.  Considering an affordance of handhelds is that they allow mobility (which includes working on your lap) - is the keyboard necessary?  I ask as, although I use an attachable keyboard for my PDA, younger users (who aren't used to keyboard writing) may prefer other input methods.


A really important point - and I think one that can be developed to incorporate sharing work with other students, groups and agencies outside of school as appropriate.  Giving the learner control over access of their work and easy opportunity to share and work collaboratively is really important.  Interesting to think about the best way to work collaboratively with PDAs (for instance bluechat & blueboard on the Palm) - what software/connectivity issues this raises.

A great list that I hope we can add to through this forum. 

Incidentally, I looked at some of the lesson plans on your site (hyperlink in "introduce yourself") -  you are working with some really exciting teachers!

I've seen some really good projects looking at PDAs outside of the classroom - has anyone got any good examples of work in the classroom or work that links mobile, out-of-school learners with classroom activities?

Lots of examples of Interesting PDA projects can be found here: http://www.mobilebristol.com/flash.html

Two cool Futurelab projects for you to investigate that can be found at: http://www.nestafuturelab.org/showcase/show.htm

"Savannah" and "Mudlarking in Deptford" are the two concerned with the use of PDAs - Savannah has a video of the activities and more will be posted about Mudlarking as it is in trials now - more to read nearer March.

I think that FireStarter has mentioned some important points: it is true that we can't presuppose that PDAs will be useful, but this is why we need to discuss the possibilities offered by the tool before putting them into schools, as opposed to a hardware fix that then needs re-negotiating (without thinking of any white technologies in particular! ).  Also the  PDA may be the wrong term (due to its instant connection with the businessman's tool), but a personal device that enables mobile, connected, active learners is an exciting opportunity that merits investigation.

The notion of an educational toolset' is posed purposefully to look beyond the current curriculum.  Having a mobile, interoperable, connected device perhaps gives opportunities that the current schooling system does not (easily) support and perhaps provides a tool that allows for a renegotiation of what the curriculum should be.  I’m not entirely convinced that looking at short term benefits of enriching the current curriculum leads to thinking about how this tool could enable a more dynamic change in schooling – although I do appreciate the shorter term needs – perhaps we have two threads: one investigating a tool for current areas for enrichment and another for considering a tool that changes the power of the learner within a wider change.

Final point: there is an interesting dynamic between creating an environment in which learners are encouraged to bring personal devices into the classroom and the content on the device that is validated by their non-school culture.  These devices almost certainly will have photo, video, music and game-playing capabilities – so the wiping out of aliens may well be a consistent classroom activity.  Role of the teacher to control this or a role of the technology?

The personal aspect of the PDA is absolutely right so perhaps it is better to look at the device as needing an ability to share with selected partners (rather than teachers having an over-riding authority).  Having the choice to keep something private is important but also to have the choice of sharing with a wide variety of partners - that could be a teacher, a peer, an adult, a group - up to choosing to publish to the web.

This has implications for where resources are stored (locally, server etc) and also for the applications used on the PDA.  JonT mentioned about the applications being personal - but also, my favourite authoring tool needs to be compatable with your favourite tool if we are to share process and product easily.

Other areas for the educational toolset for me are having the option of different input devices (stylus, keyboard, camera etc) and different presentations available to suit my needs.  Being able to view information in forms appropriate to me - visual representations, text based, image based etc - having content delievered that can be altered to my personal settings.

Key words for me when thinking about handheld learning are: personal, mobile, connected, anytime, sharing - all of which come from the choices made by the learners - when to share, when to access resources, when to connect and when not to connect.  The choice of anytime, anywhere learners should be vast - so the role of the teacher and the school needs to be re-evaluated also.  What sh/could be done when you have access to an expert teacher when students have (almost) unlimited access to other resources and information?  And what is the role of the expert - and what skills do they need?

Really looking forward to some interesting discussions on this site.  Nice to meet you all.

Dan

Hi all,

Looking forward to getting involved in some really good discussion about the pros and cons of handheld learning and beginning to see if we can begin to seek out the principles that underpin good activities, environments and opportunities of connected, mobile learning.

I am a Learning Researcher at NESTA Futurelab (www.nestafuturelab.org), a not-for-profit organisation that is investigating ways of transforming learning experiences through the use of digital technologies.  I have a particular interest in investigating how handheld technologies can provide new learning experiences and what changes to current practice are needed to best support mobile connected learners.

Looking forward to some interesting discussions.

Dan