Putting Learning into Context with Mobile Devices

Putting Learning into Context with Mobile Devices Keynote at ‘Aprenentatge 3.0: nous avençostecnològicsaplicats a l'educació’, 30 June, Barcelona June 2011
John Cook
with help of Carl Smith, Claire Bradley
Learning Technology Research Institute
London Metropolitan University

Johnnigelcook
or Jonni Gel Cook!
Email: john.cook@londonmet.ac.uk
Home page: http://staffweb.londonmet.ac.uk/~cookj1/Twitter: http://twitter.com/johnnigelcookSlideshare: http://www.slideshare.net/johnnigelcook
Music wiki: http://johnnigelcook.wetpaint.com/page/Music
Academia.edu: http://londonmet.academia.edu/JohnCook/About
Blip.fm: http://blip.fm/johnnigelcook

Structure
Jargon buster
Look at two EC projects
Discussion

Jargon Buster
MOBILE LEARNING. “Mobile learning … is not about delivering content to mobiledevices but, instead, about the processes of coming to know and being able to operatesuccessfully in, and across, new and ever changing contexts and learning spaces.” (Pachler, Bachmair and Cook, 2010, p. 6)
LOCATION BASED LEARNING.“Location-based learning takes advantage of the ability of mobile devices to know where they are located and deliver information that is time-and-place-relevant.” (Horizon, 2009)

Jargon Buster
VISUALISATIONS. Formats can include images, maps, 2-D or 3-D animation, 3D models, timelines and Augmented Reality (AR) environments.
AUGMENTED REALITY (AR). “Technology that extends the picture of the world you can see through your phone.” (Guardian, 2010).

Augmented Reality
Example: Street Museum: Augmented Reality on the streets of London

Visualisations
Allow people to study objects that are too fragile to be physically handled, to reconstruct past events and landscapes, or to see behind the scene ‘on location’

Look at two EC projects

European Projects - CONTSENS

Context Sensitive Mobile Learning
Completed 2 year project.
Involved a European-wide consortium headed by Ericsson Education, Ireland.
Using outcomes of two of LTRI’s workpackages in mLeMan:
Cistercian Abbeys
Urban Planning Tour
European Projects - CONTSENS

European Projects - MLeMan
MLeMan will play a central role in introducing European wide accreditation for m-learning managers with the intention of raising standards across the sector.
These managers are charged with evaluating, sourcing or implementing m-learning solutions.
Example: Define a high level skill set for the effective development of Mobile Augmented Reality (MAR) in vocational and educational settings.
This work is by Carl Smith

Initial Skill Set: The Digital Intervention
1) The Digital Intervention must Justify its Existence: Has the designer provided evidence that the intervention allows the user to engage with the situation on many levels that were not previously possible?

Initial Skill Set: Build in Adaptability
2) Has the MAR designer created an appropriate level of challenge neither too easy nor too difficult which will keep the learner within their zone of proximal development? Can the user themselves decide on the level of difficulty involved within the system?

The gap between the physical space (Cistercian ruins) and the 3D mobile space is inhabited by the shared cognition of the students (Cook, 2010)
<PLAY CLIP>

“The ability to be in a particular position but get a variety of views/different visual perspective was a very useful opportunity. The whole thing also got everyone talking in a way I hadn't experienced on field trips to Fountains before.”

Evaluation
“As an archaeologist I am typically also interested in architecture and related art history - so the idea of a multifaceted package which could allow the user to easily transform content between subjects interests me … intelligent learning packages which respond to people with needs within a particular subject area but then allow them to push these boundaries and develop their activity beyond this really ensures the technology provides opportunities way beyond the usual paper-based handout.”

Initial Skill Set: Participatory Design
3) Is there scope in the intervention for users to adapt the content elements of the MAR system?

Initial Skill Set: Multiple Ways of Seeing:
4) Has the MAR environment incorporated multiple ways of seeing? Whether utilising microscopic, xray or macroscopic all these augmented ways of seeing are available within MAR systems and should be taken advantage of if appropriate.

Macroscopic Learning
A map of Manhattan named “Here & There.” places the viewer simultaneously above the city and in it and allows them to plot a path between them.
http://berglondon.com/projects/hat/
The projection connects the viewer's local environment to remote destinations normally out of sight.
“A macroscope is something that helps us see what the aggregation of many small actions looks like when added together.” John Thackera
http://clubneko.net/matt-webb-on-design/
(Slide by Carl Smith)

Initial Skill Set: Technology Narrative
5) What is the ratio of push vs pull within the system? Does the intervention allow the user to remain active in their learning process? Does the intervention allow for a technology narrative to be built?

Work Package 4:The Training of Urban Education Professionals

Evaluation
Students took part in the first trial in 3 distinct groups
Quantative feedback:
CONTSENS questionnaire
informal group interviews afterwards
Tutor feedback:
interview

Enhancement of the learning experience
91% thought the mobile device enhanced the learning experience
The information was easy to assimilate allowing more time to concentrate on tasks.
Allowed instant reflection in situ.
The mobile tour promoted “active learning”
they were less passive than they would have been on a tutor-led tour
they were not “merely taking in information”
the mobile tour triggered their own thoughts and encouraged them to think more about the area

“The information given was underlined by the 'experience' of the area and therefore given context in both past and present.”

“it was triggering my own thoughts and I was getting to think for myself about the area and the buildings.”

I just ended on the student voiceThank YouDiscussion

References & Web links
Cook, J. (2010). Mobile Phones as Mediating Tools Within Augmented Contexts for Development. International Journal of Mobile and Blended Learning, 2(3), 1-12. (see http://bit.ly/czg9k6&nbsp or email for pre-print)
CONTSENS: http://www.ericsson.com/ericsson/corpinfo/programs/using_wireless_technologies_for_context_sensitive_education_and_training/index.shtml
mLeMan: http://mleman.dipseil.net/
Pachler, N., Bachmair, B. and Cook, J. (2010). Mobile Learning: Structures, Agency, Practices. New York: Springer.

Putting Learning into Context with Mobile Devices

by London Metropolitan University on Jun 30, 2011

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