Handheld Learning - learning with mobile and ubiquitous technologies

Several forum members are involved in this work.

Apologies for Cross Posting

The interim report commissioned by Becta and undertaken by Professor Angela McFarlane and her team from  Bristol University is now live on the Becta website http://partners.becta.org.uk/index.php?section=rh&catcode=_re_rp_02&rid=14204
The Researchers from the University of Bristol are investigating the educational impact of personal access to mobile learning devices at Key Stage 2 and Key Stage 4 in five schools.
This development and research project is using mixed methods to evaluate the impact of using personal digital assistants (PDAs) on learners' learning skills, attendance, behaviour and attainment. It will also review the success of the implementation and sustainability of the schools' PDA initiatives and provide examples of emerging good pedagogic practice.

Copies of the interim and executive summary are available for download.

Kind regards

Andy Black
Technology Research Manager
Becta

Hi fellow forum members in case you haven't picked this up elsewhere. Several forum members i know have contributed to this work. Posted on behalf of my colleague David Ley . current publication is well worth reading and the previous editions are also useful to reflect on how technology has emerged.

Emerging technologies for learning volume 3 (2008)
Becta is pleased to announce that ‘Emerging technologies for learning- volume 3’ has just been published. This follow-up edition complements the first two ‘Emerging technologies for learning’ publications from 2006 and 2007.

The 'Emerging technologies for learning' series aims to help readers consider how emerging technologies may impact on education and learners in the medium term. The publications are not intended to be a comprehensive review of educational technologies, but offer some highlights across the broad spectrum of developments and trends. It should open readers up to some of the possibilities that are developing and the potential for technology to transform our ways of working, learning and interacting over the next three to five years.

Copies can be downloaded from
http://www.becta.org.uk/research/reports/emergingtechnologies

This latest publication includes the following articles:
•   Growing up with Google - what it means to education (Diane Oblinger, EDUCAUSE)
•   Mobile, wireless, connected - information clouds and learning (Mark van’t Hooft, Kent  State University)
•   Location-based and context-aware education - prospects and perils (Adam Greenfield, NYU)
•   Emerging trends in serious games and virtual words (Sara de Freitas, SGI)
•   ‘If it quacks like a duck…’ - developments in search technologies (Emma Tonkin, UKOLN)
•   Interactive displays and next generation interfaces (Michael Haller, Upper Austria University of Applied Sciences)


David Ley
Strategic Analyst
Technology Research Delivery

First post to the forum of 2008 and its a request for help.

I want forum members to let me know schools thats allows Learners to bring in their own devices and give them access to internet or even full network access. Iam device agnostic so PC's,Umpc's, gaming consoles Nintendo's PSP Smart phones, Phones what ever .

But i want named schools the phase (Primary secondary).

The timescale is asap. So go on forum members reward my faith and confidence in you coming up with loads of examples English examples would be great or UK ones or intesting projects globally  .

So go on forum members help us out and maybe catch up at BETT next week.

Mick Mullane of Yorkshire Coast college showing casing his work on Pod and vodcasting supported by SMS in a session called "From Podcast to VLE to Phone to mLearning Device" at Mlearn in Melbourne this week.
read more at http://andysblackhole.blogspot.com/2007/10/mlearn2007-australia-with-its-own-uk-fe.html

Mick not content of just presenting is also podcasting as well he has interviewed a range of People including  Jill Attewell of the English based MoleNet project . get to the site to register from my blog posting.

http://andysblackhole.blogspot.com/2007/10/mlearn2007.html

Guardian has woken up and made the link live I gave them a prod !! http://education.guardian.co.uk/link/story/0,,2170987,00.html


They've got me down as a dissenting voice graham will you ever forgive me will I be barred from the forum !!!!

I quote
But of course there are one or two dissenting voices. Andy Black, mobile technologies adviser for the government ICT in education agency, Becta, warns: "We are seeing a divide between schools and further and higher education in the use of mobile technology. Schools follow the Stevens report for the Department of Health in 2005 - Mobile Phones and Health - that recommends use of mobiles for children should be minimised." But he says FE and HE take a more pragmatic view: "They realise the penetration of mobiles among young people is enormous. There is an emerging body of evidence that mobile learning technology is highly motivational."

regards Andy Black !!!!!

Projecting phone a well connected source told me they will be around commonly in the UK by this time next year. Seeing peoples holiday snaps down the pub. Welcome to my nightmare !!!!! 

As supplemental comment look at declining price of devices http://andysblackhole.blogspot.com/2007/09/motorola-dynatac-8000x-t-1983-to-iphone.html 

Hi all

A project run by the Learning and Skills Network http://www.lsneducation.org.uk/


This main interest mobile enthusiasts in the Further Education & Skills sector in England, similar to technical schools in Europe and community colleges in the states  I believe).

£6 million pounds and project bids requested for sums of minimum of £100K to Maximum £500k. So serious money with colleges required to provide some of there own funding. exciting opportunity

Worth a look links can be found on me blog at .

http://andysblackhole.blogspot.com/2007/06/major-opportunity-for-mobile-going.html

Andyb

A lot of debate at events and in forums on the educational benefits or not of youtube . Well I was lucky enough to see Tim Berners Lee deliver the Lovelace medal lecture at the TUC coutersy of BSC well some bright soul video transcribed it and posted it on youtube url and other stuff link can be found on me blog at 
http://andysblackhole.blogspot.com/2007/03/tim-berners-lee-magic-is-stuff-we-dont.html


Enjoy I did 

Hi all

A fellow Colleague of Mine at Becta www.becta.org.uk Is updating our information on mobile platform based projects (phones, pdas Mp3 players  etc) and are particularly looking for any projects that we may not know about where post-16 learners in the UK  (at any kind of institution except HE but including HE in FE) are taking part.

Could you let her have some detail on projects you are aware of . Contact terri.kinnison@becta.org.uk by email not through the forum !!

Thanks in advance for your help  I know the great work many of your are doing lets gets the information out a bit more !!! Timescale is ASAP if not sooner !!
 

Cheers mates

Andy Black

Just found this worth a read http://economist.com/science/displayStory.cfm?Story_ID=8312260

does anyone know of standalone download site to update from windows media player 9 to 10.

help

Andy