Copyright Ericsson 2002 Focus on mLearning, Dublin, November 2002 The Future is Wireless: Some trends to watch in the development of online learning by Bronagh McMullen

Copyright Ericsson 2002 Focus on mLearning, Dublin, November 2002 The Past - Ericsson’s historical context online training How we started in eLearning and how Ericsson training has evolved The Present - Today’s blended solution The components of an Ericsson blended solution The Present - How the market has reacted The trends we see emerging The impacts our solution has on our customers and on ourselves The Future - The evolution and path for the future Presentation Structure

Copyright Ericsson 2002 Focus on mLearning, Dublin, November 2002 A history in online training Ericsson Dublin - developing training since the early 1980s We developed our first Computer Based Training (CBT) product in 1985 We have continued to be one of the main production, delivery and co-ordination centres of eLearning in Ericsson Ericsson Education Online We provide customised and blended online learning solutions to Ericsson customers through Ericsson Education Online

Copyright Ericsson 2002 Focus on mLearning, Dublin, November 2002 A history in online training A happy bunch of social and well-rounded individuals

Copyright Ericsson 2002 Focus on mLearning, Dublin, November 2002 A typical online training evolution Media types Through an examination of the development of our content, you will see the evolution of... Duration Structure Delivery Interactivity

Copyright Ericsson 2002 Focus on mLearning, Dublin, November 2002 A typical online training evolution The AXE Survey course: Instructor led Print material 5 days in duration Theory based Limited practical work The AXE O&M course: Multimedia Based 30 days in duration Contains 9 basic courses from the AXE Survey to Emergency Handling in various APZ versions The IP Networking course: Web Based Learning (WBL) 16 hours in duration Split into 6 separate modules which can be taken individually or as part of a training flow The UMTS Service Concepts course: Synchronous Virtual Classroom 3 hours in duration Live online session which can be recorded and revisited as an asynchronous session The Mobile in Action course: Streaming Video 20 minutes in duration A walkthrough of equipment details in GPRS and UMTS The Warriors of the Net module: Streaming Animation 15 minutes in duration An animated explanation of the movement of data packets on the WWW The WAP WAP course: Introduction to the principles of WAP Text based summary of the technology

Copyright Ericsson 2002 Focus on mLearning, Dublin, November 2002 A typical online training evolution Through an examination of the development of our content, you will see the evolution of... Media types Moving towards a mix of slow / fast production and synch / asynch sessions Duration Shorter ‘bytes’ of training. Course duration reduction to one or two hours Structure Modularisation of content to allow for easier customisation of training flows Delivery A greater variety of access possibilities with module arrangement customised Interactivity More interactivity and responsiveness to students. Pertinent content

Copyright Ericsson 2002 Focus on mLearning, Dublin, November 2002 Media Types Duration Structure Delivery Interactivity Implications of these trends on an mLearning solution Ease of production and variety of options may result in a disjointed and low quality result e.g. anyone can hand-i-cam Bytes encourage the surfing instead of selection of content. We need to ensure the overall message of the training is not lost. Even though modules can be simply combined, effective flows or paths need to be recommended to ensure the progression through suitable content and avoid “content hopping” The effectiveness of the media will impact the effectiveness of the message e.g. can I have that 2 hr WBL on a 20 min SV? The context of the content is not as controlled e.g. is this field support or training? Cyclical restart.

Copyright Ericsson 2002 Focus on mLearning, Dublin, November 2002 Media Types Duration Structure Delivery Interactivity Opportunities of these trends on an mLearning solution Using the best medium for the objective. High quality MMedia is not critical e.g SV for walkthroughs of inaccessible equipment. Short “bytes” of information more frequently e.g. Gary’s US Virtual Classroom session on UMTS delta course Smaller modules or training objects making development more manageable e.g mLearning objects can be combined with other types of objects to make a powerful training solution Delivery is not limited to one method and needs to be more flexible e.g. blended of media types to delivery effectively in any situation Interactivity not only between the user and the content but between the content and the moment e.g. just in time training

Copyright Ericsson 2002 Focus on mLearning, Dublin, November 2002 An example of the trends applied to an mLearning solution: WAP on WAP

Copyright Ericsson 2002 Focus on mLearning, Dublin, November 2002 Media Types Duration Structure Delivery Interactivity An example of the trends applied to an mLearning solution: WAP on WAP Text based with simple TOC modular structure. Short chapters of information that can be easily revisited and taken in small modules when required. The use of a TOC to structure the menu of the course created a modular structure within the course which allows easy referencing and browsing Delivery of WAP information via WAP technology and equipment gives the training some very real context While the responsiveness of the course based on user input is limited, the availability, accessibility and context of the material makes this a valuable experience for the user

Copyright Ericsson 2002 Focus on mLearning, Dublin, November 2002 And the future? e.g. mobile gaming Mobile games may do for the wireless Internet what did for the wired one… A recent study by Datacomm Research and Phoenician Ventures concluded that mobile games are the wireless Internet’s killer app, and that 3G handsets with color displays are its killer devices. mCommerceTimes 22 Oct 2002

Copyright Ericsson 2002 Focus on mLearning, Dublin, November 2002 And the future? e.g. mobile gaming How do the trends identified behave when applied to games? Media types Industry which makes the most effective usage of available media Duration Variable. The more you improve, the longer the experience becomes Structure Variable and often controlled by the player. Solitaire vs Tomagatchi Delivery Portable, solitary, wired, networked - many different options Interactivity Create an entire environment based on your reactions e.g. simulations

Copyright Ericsson 2002 Focus on mLearning, Dublin, November 2002 Imagine the potential... The Operator Challenge: Simulation game Duration until you’re bankrupt A simulation game where you run the mobile operations on an island.

Copyright Ericsson 2002 Focus on mLearning, Dublin, November 2002 The new Tomagatchi for Network Managers? Brónagh McMullen eLearning Program Manager

Copyright Ericsson 2002 Focus on mLearning, Dublin, November 2002 A typical online training evolution