1 “Developing the European m-learning Forum” Peter J. Bates Senior Partner, pjb Associates Pearson Meeting Room Suite, London 24 September 2001

2 Focus of the Forum l To encourage new business opportunities and stimulate mobile learning products and services within the overall Learning Business. l To create new opportunities for widening access to learning in order to reduce social exclusion and opportunities for the continuous up-skilling of the workforce in order to maintain competitiveness.

3 Focus of the Forum l To create networking opportunities that would hopefully stimulate new business from creative ideas. It will also explore the issues and opportunities created for the personalisation of learning accessible through a personal handheld device.

4 Focus of the Forum l To assist in helping companies better understand the wide variety of needs of learners in order to develop the most appropriate tools to meet their needs at a cost that can enable widespread usage.

5 Focus of the Forum l To establish a number of face-to-face networking meetings across and to establish an online discussion group for sharing ideas and a web based information database of good practice.

6 Running the Forum l Critical – it should be demand led! l Not supply driven!!

7 Geographical spread? l Country focus l European focus l Global focus

8 Activities and Services? l Face-face-human networking seminars l Online discussion Forum l Regular paper-based newsletter l Regular online/ newsletter l Daily online newsfeeds l Executive Reports l Web site – with Resources database l Advice/support contacts service

9 Structure of Forum membership l Membership - Individual person l Membership – Organisation l Membership - Department/cost centre l No formal membership l Membership – with formal committee structure

10 Membership Fee l All inclusive membership fee l No membership fee but pay per activity l Small membership fee and pay per activity

11 Level of membership fee/cost of services l Company membership - according to size of organisation employees l Company membership - according to size of organisation turnover l University/non profit making Membership lower fee than companies l Fixed membership fee l Pay per activity/service

12 Thank you for listening Peter J. Bates Senior Partner pjb Associates 52 St Andrews Way Ely, Cambs CB6 3DZ United Kingdom