Presentation of the findings around the Hajj Mobile application launched in early 2012 as part of the schools offer for the Hajj: Journey to the Heart of Islam exhibition at the British Museum. This presentation was shared at the Computers and the History of Art conference in November 2012. Thanks to my collaborators Nick Badcott, William Robinson and Alessandra von Aesch.

1. New models for
mobile learning
in museums
Nicholas Badcott and Shelley Mannion, British Museum
William Robinson, Artist and technologist
Alessandra von Aesch, University of Lugano
Images benedictjohnson.com

3. Primary and secondary programmes

4. From audio tours to mobile
experiences

5. Cultures in Contact 2011
600 secondary school students
7” Galaxy Tablets
Augmented Reality
Game-like experience

6. Learning objectives
Experience-focused, supported by
objects
Simulate reflections and insights of
pilgrimage
Convey personal and communal
experience
Game-like, but not silly or
disrespectful
Accommodate different types of
learners.

7. Constraints
Sensitive and potentially
controversial subject matter
Linear exhibition narrative, design
Concerns about improper use of
social media
Small budget, limited time
No network connectivity

8. App design and development

11. 1 2 3

12. Simulating rituals using unique
features of phones

13. Two types of video content

14. Facilitated

15. Audience
18 sessions
12 schools
270 students
Age 12-17 (Average 14)
60% girls, 40% boys
Both Muslim and non-
Muslim, majority Christian

16. What do you use your phone for?
64
54
38
27
24
8
Texting Phone calls Internet Apps Games Schoolwork

17. Research model
Gallery observations
Post-session surveys (33% of total)
• 88 students
• 8 teachers
Content analysis

18. Outcomes and
insights

19. Learning outcomes
Name something you learned today.
Other
General 1%
27%
Factual
Functional 37%
8%
Emotional
27%

20. General
Learning outcomes
Factual
I learnt that 99,000 people went from Nigeria. 61
Functional
People throw stones at a wall to release their selfishness and anger. 26
Emotional
That Hajj can increase Muslim’s love for the prophet Muhammed (Pbuh). 64
That some people didn’t really feel connected to Allah, but after the Hajj they did. 67

21. Where did the learning come from?
Mobile app ( plus
Factual and
objects, text
functional Teacher
20%
panels, maps)
supported mainly
functional, factual
outcomes
Mobile app
49%
Videos of pilgrims
First-hand accounts 31%
supported emotional
outcomes

22. Types of activities
Circle your favourite task. Say why you liked it.
45
41 Creative, enjoyable, ea
40 sy, entertaining, engagi
ng, artistic, skill
35
Emotions,
29 experience,
30
insight
25
20 [Reflective, perform
ative, social, perso Interesting,
15 nal] knowledge,
11 information
10 9
5
0
Drawing the Mahmal Watching videos Voice recording Answering questions

24. Creative drawing
Very creative and you can
remember it more if you do
something yourself. 65

25. Performative voice recordings
So I could tell people what
is important to me. 44

26. Social interaction

28. Which ritual did you like the most?
Done by
pilgrims, [realistic, a Explore, find,
uthentic] Tawaf - Finger see objects in person
circles
10
Sa'i - Hunt for
objects
30
Stoning pillars -
Flick pebbles
23
Feeling, meaningful, exper
ience,
made me
think, satisfying, realistic,
connection, emotions, [refl
ect]

29. Experience of Hajj
I enjoyed circling [Tawaf] as it is
something the pilgrims actually do. 52
Stoning the pillars
It felt like I was actually throwing those
sins away. 41
I found qualities of myself which I would
like to lose. 84
Made me feel pure and took my anger
away. 53

30. Model for mobile learning
Voice recording,
Only 11 of 102 drawing
mobile learning
apps used this
approach
Frohberg, et al 2009
Adapted by Doll 2012: 31

31. Strong
Guided reflection, content
construction
Emotional, experiential learning
objectives met
Improvements
Less teacher control, more free
exploration
More app driven social
interaction, communication

32. Questions
Role of objects with mobile apps
Self-directed, teacher-led
New styles of interaction
Improve research model
An invitation…