Go Mobile! Advantages, Issues, and Examples of Mobile Technologies in Distance Education Marguerite Koole Instructional Media Analyst & Program Administrator (EdD) Athabasca University
Go Mobile Introductions Your experience with mobile learning Go mobile: first steps Advantages & Challenges Theory Development recommendations Evaluating mobile sites MobiGlam Conclusions References & Resources
Introductions Your expertise Your interest in mobile learning
Demographics Who uses SMS regularly? Who has never used SMS? Who has used a cell phone to check: the weather? movie listings? browse the Internet? Who is currently involved with delivering learning materials by mobile?
First Steps . . . Setting the baseline Familiarize yourself with your device Navigation Input/output Send me an SMS Visit this website on your device: http://cdenews.mofuse.mobi/ If you are on a computer: http://mtld.mobi/emulator.php http://www.opera.com/mini/demo/
Query What are some potential uses of mobile devices in learning? Advantages? Challenges? What kinds of systems & tools can be used for m-Learning?
Theory: The FRAME Model (DL) Usability - How the learner interacts with the device (L) Mental, emotional & physiological characteristics (D) Technical Characteristics Specifications: physical, electronic (LS) Constructivism - How learner interacts with others within his/her socio-cultural environment (DS) Information transfer - How data & information is transferred between people & systems Context: The learning system rests within a context of data or information waiting to be transformed into meaning (S) Social & cultural Characteristics
Theory DLS: Mobile Learning
Practical Issues Limitations Transparency Chunking Flexibility Information access Cognitive & social
Evaluate Mobile Sites Using the chart provided, access these mobile sites with a mobile device & evaluate the experience. http://library.athabascau.ca/drr/index2_m.php http://www.eslau.ca/ http://library.athabascau.ca/
Mobile Moodle MobiGlam Moodle site Register your device Navigation Video: http://cde.athabascau.ca/umlautm/videos/Intro_mobi.ram Moodle site Register your device Video: http://cde.athabascau.ca/umlautm/videos/screen2_mobi.ram Navigation Video: http://cde.athabascau.ca/umlautm/videos/cell_phone.ram Administration interface Emulator
Conclusion Query: additional comments?
References & Resources Ally, M. (2005). Multimedia information design for mobile devices. In M. Pagani (Ed.), Encyclopedia of multimedia technology and networking. (). Hershey, PA: Idea Group Inc. Elsayed Meawad, F., & G. Stubbs. (2007). A service oriented approach towards large scale deployment of mobile learning. Unpublished manuscript. Koole, M. (2006). The framework for the rational analysis of mobile education (frame) model: An evaluation of mobile devices for distance education. Unpublished Athabasca University, Athabasca. Koole, M. (2009). Chapter 2: A model for framing mobile learning. In M. Ally (Ed.), Mobile learning: Transforming the delivery of education and training (1st ed., pp. 25-47). Edmonton, Alberta: AU Press. (http://www.aupress.ca/index.php/books/120155) Sharples, M. (2005). Towards a theory of mobile learning. Retrieved August 3, 2007, from http://www.mlearn.org.za/CD/papers/Sharples-%20Theory%20of%20Mobile.pdf
More Resources MOMO: Mobile Moodle http://www.mobilemoodle.org/momo18/ SMS Gateway http://smsgateway.ca/default.aspx AU Digital Reading Room (Mobile) http://library.athabascau.ca/drr/index2_m.php AU Digital Library http://library.athabascau.ca/ AU Mobile ESL Project http://www.eslau.ca/ AU School of Computing Mobile Learning Project http://scis.athabascau.ca/research/enhanced_mobile.jsp mLearning Consortium (McGraw-Hill Ryerson Ltd.) http://www.mcgrawhill.ca/college/mlearning/