1. Preparing Mobile Learning
Strategy for Your Institution
Agnieszka Palalas, Ed.D.
mLearn2013, Doha
October 2013

2. Objective
¤ How to design and implement a mobile learning strategy
to guide the adaptation of mobile learning
¤ How to manage the organized efforts toward a
comprehensive m-strategy that would align with the
organization-wide academic macro-strategy
¤ How to prepare the foundations for change
management

3. Mobile Learning Strategy
¤ Clear path to how mobile learning can be implemented
¤ Strong business case:
¤ targeted educational problems and potential solutions
¤ scope and context
¤ current state
¤ deliverables (outcomes)
¤ projected benefits
¤ key stakeholders and areas impacted
¤ roadmap with required activities, schedules, supports,
resources, and costs
¤ controls and metrics to monitor the success

4. Background
¤ Plans to implement mobile learning
¤ Isolated m-learning projects
¤ Grassroots movement
¤ Community of practice
¤ Documented success of m-projects
¤ Need for centralized mobile learning strategy
¤ Increased interest amongst some faculty and administrators
>> Institution-wide mobile learning strategy

5. Limitations
¤ Fragmentation
¤ Limited resources
¤ Lack of buy-in
¤ Limited understanding of mobile learning
¤ Inadequate wireless infrastructure

6. Incremental Process
¤ Identify existing expertise, peer champions, and propagate
examples of m-learning implementation and success
¤ Connect fragmented m-learning efforts
¤ Construct groundwork: short-term m-learning tasks and projects
- immediate measurable observable results
¤ Gradually win support of faculty and management
¤ Systematically raise awareness and understanding of m-learning
¤ Optimize scarce resources, time and feedback (agile)concurrent activities

7. rrent
oncu
C
M-strategy Development Phases
1. Needs assessment
2. Feedback and evidence gathering
3. Feedback exchange and communication
4. Infrastructure and enterprise systems
5. Training and professional development
6. M-learning strategy document

8. Needs Assessment
¤ Explore gap between current and desired state
¤ Establish need and preparedness, m-learning habits (analytics )
¤ Project benefits
¤ Examine
¤ expected enablers, challenges and risks
¤ resource requirements (physical/logistic, technological, human, &
monetary)
¤ current state of the IT infrastructure
¤ existing learning content and mobile applications
¤ Involve all stakeholder, including the IT department

9. Feedback and Evidence Gathering
¤ Collect empirical evidence
¤ Conduct m-learning pilots - who, when, how and why
¤ not too lengthy
¤ across programs
¤ well-planned, rigorous, following established pilot selection and
completion procedures
¤ prompt dissemination of findings
¤ adjustments of the strategy
¤ diverse contexts and needs
¤ students and faculty

10. Feedback and Evidence Gathering –
Pilot Studies Focus
¤ Evaluation of existing mobile tools, materials and artifacts
¤ Creation and curation of such resources
¤ Delivery/content distribution/app provision mechanisms
¤ Maintenance and governance strategies
¤ Content strategy and pedagogy
¤ Changing roles of all actors

11. Feedback Exchange and
Communication
¤ To maintain interest and learning, to answer “what’s in it for
me?” & “what are the benefits for students?”
¤ Cross divisional information-reflection-documentation-sharing
¤ Mobile @ GBC website, email, Facebook page
¤ m-learning ambassadors (self-selected)
¤ ad-hoc meetings
¤ regular meetings of Mobile Learning Reference Group (faculty,
students, IT professionals, innovation in teaching and learning representatives, senior
executives, chairs, legal/copyright experts, accessibility specialists, marketing)

12. Infrastructure and Enterprise Systems
¤ Appraisal of existing infrastructure
¤ Possible restructuring or updating of the current framework
¤ Technological readiness and an m-learning ecosystem that
incorporates:
¤ system that provides access to m-content, helps create and maintain
the content
¤ performance and technical support
¤ mechanism of device procurement and provision (BYOD)
¤ related procedures, policies and licenses
¤ ~ mobile app management (MAM)
¤ ~ mobile device management (MDM)

13. Training and Professional
Development
¤ Training in m-learning pedagogy, instructional design,
tools and application
¤ f2f tutorials
¤ webinars
¤ materials on the m-learning website
¤ emails pointing to links and resources
¤ presentations at college-wide events
¤ two-day mobile app boot camp

14. M-learning Strategy Document
¤ Solid vision to communicate to executives, faculty, the IT
department, ID and development teams or vendors
¤ Essence of learnings from research and evidence
gathering activities + processes, timelines, and funding
options for institution-wide implementation
¤ Highlight benefits supported by concrete evidence
¤ Collaborate with ed institutions and industry partners
¤ Decision-makers involved early-on in strategy creation

15. Key Pitfalls
1. No dedicated m-learning resources and infrastructure
2. No commitment to the m-learning objectives (merely
following a mobility trend)
3. Not prepared to take risk

16. Q&A
Thank you
aga@epluslearning.com
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/apalalas
Presentations: http://www.slideshare.net/agaiza
Publications: http://athabascau.academia.edu/apalalas