Handheld Learning - learning with mobile and ubiquitous technologies

I was interested in Prof. Tom O'Brien's exchange with Dr Heinrich Bauersfeld where the subject of "Lonely Learning" was raised and I wondered whether the use of mobile devices along the possibilities of using them out of class and within would mean that learning would become a lonely experience?

It seems to me that this is just an extension of the fallacious argument proffered by academics (and the Daily Mail newspaper) that videogaming caused children to lose social skills and interact with others when in reality, even before communication tools such as MSN and Xbox Live, they were busy playing games together and when not playing games using information such as "game cheats" as social ammunition in the playground.

Like Tom O'Brien my experience has been that the use of handheld computers with children has been the complete opposite of a lonely learning experience where the devices actually motivate collaborative learning through beaming, inventive use advice and so forth.

What do you think?

Reading a book is a lonely learning experience.

A learning experience can either be done in isolation (lonely) or with others.

 

Yrjo Engestrom talks about 'pulsating networks of learners' - the idea that by harnessing mobile technologies, learners can commnuicate and interact (that's the nertwork bit) with experts, novices and various social groups (that's the learners part) when they choose to, when they are together and when they are apart (and that's the pulsating bit!!)

Essentially - powerful, portable computers allow new social activities that were not possible without them - these include extending classroom discussions, bringing out-of-school conversations into the classroom and having powerful learning conversations in various places and at various times.  Rather than lonely learning, students have to make the choices when not to commnuicate, rather than when to communicate.

Of course central to this discussion is the fact that these technologies give the power of choice to the learner - not working in pairs when the teacher directs or larger group work because of the school timetable.  By really taking advantage of mobile devices, learners choose the processes that are appropriate to them for the task that they are undertaken.

Having said that, I'm now switching off to be alone to reflect upon my post!

When Graham posted the link I looked at the "exchange" and responded, but for some reason it didn't come up in the right thread - starting a new one...    Having rediscovered this thread, I'm catching up on the comments.

My points then were:
I feel that podcasting has significant potential in the "teaching and learning" context, but with reservations.

First, it is a medium primarily accessible to the "auditory learner", and whilst that comprises a valuable group, it does not necessarily include the majority.  Further, without a proficient structure to the podcast and effective "delivery" by the speaker(s), it will have little more impact on learning, even for auditory learners, than background "musak" - the eyes of the listener have, potentially, too many available distractions, and only if their attention is fully retained will the "message" be absorbed.  However, a podcast does have the advantage that it can be "wound back" and replayed, either to cover those parts missed through distraction, or not fully understood.

Secondly, as a learning tool, it could be useful for instructional material - the content could be step by step instructions which are followed sequentially, with the option to step back and re-run the stages if necessary.  The content is instructor focussed; how it is used is learner focussed.  Appropriate learning is dependent on the learner interpreting the instructions correctly. There is no opportunity for dialogue between the two, so misunderstandings and misperceptions are not correctible. It is therefore critical that the script of the podcast is able to be understood in only a single way.

A further use in learning would be for the podcast to pose questions that provoke investigative thought, so the learner considers alternatives and draws conclusions;  these conclusions may be the basis of further actions or analyses.  However, unless there is later scope (eg: in tutorial) for discussing these conclusions, they will be undirected (possibly misdirected, assuming certain definitions of the "right" view).  As learning is normally associated with assessment of some type (whether formal or informal), it is axiomatic that there will be a perceived view of what is the "right" learning outcome.  So this application of podcasting could either release a new level of thinking, or be simply misleading.  Leaners appreciate feedback, and this is lacking in the podcast medium - but then, so it is in the traditional learning medium - books !

Mark (mvanthoo) responded with some constructive thoughts, including the use of vodcasting, and with student creating the podcasts (he may need to clarify this precis !), and I felt the need to clarify my context:

Prof O'Brien's correspondence resonated with me because I've been thinking about a "library" of auditory reference podcasts that pupils /students can access whenever they need to develop a new technique or revise one they've not used recently (my thinking is coloured by the subject I teach ["Design & Technology"]).  They can then download the appropriate file(s) - if they don't already  have them on their mp3/4 device - and listen to it at whatever pace they chose (using the pause button at each stage, and re-run sections as they need).  So the choice on what is studied, and the pace at which it is studied are entirely pupil/student centred.  In this context the learner could be seen as "lonely".  However, they may be solitary (insofar as following their own study needs of the moment), but within the context of a whole class, each similarly occupied with the opportunity to break from their solitude to discuss issues with others and seek help, whenever they feel the need.

Certainly vodcasting would be an advantage, as they could see the process under instruction as well as hear it.  However, as you say, the development time for this is significant - I have edited instructional VTs, and getting (eg:) 8 minutes run time from 40 minutes raw video is reckoned to be good going - the editing took many hours !

Whilst the concept of pupils/students creating the podcasts is an exciting approach, I have reservations about it being an efficient use of time in the context of the acquisition of techniques in the focussed area of D&T.  My interpretation of the scenario would be that they would discover how to do something and make a podcast to summarise their experiences and their conclusion of the best way to so it - a very sound learning method in some arenas, but could lead to the loss of several fingers if learning how to use machinery !

We are at the dawn of a new era in learning, and (as we are now using the skills we learned in a previous century !) we will undoubtedly discover new (and, hopefully, better) ways of using technological developments to present learning experiences to the pupil/student.  However, that discovery may be (if history is to be any indication) a stumbling affair, with numerous obstacles and false tracks !

- But the more we seek, the more likely we are to find !