The document discusses the disconnect between learner engagement in digital cultures and traditional classroom methods, advocating for integrating mobile learning and gaming into education. It highlights the benefits of cellphones and games as tools for learning, emphasizing their potential for fostering interactive, engaging, and participatory learning experiences. Additionally, it presents examples such as the Dr. Math tutoring service and various projects aimed at improving educational outcomes through technology while addressing the challenges associated with screen time and distraction.

1. Beyond the computer lab: Rethinking ICT for education Steve Vosloo Fellow, 21 st century learning Presented at 3rd Annual Education Conference Johannesburg, 4 March 2009

2. The growing disconnect Digital lives of learners Bridging the disconnect: Mobile learning / Games

3. “ There is now an extraordinary contrast between the high levels of activity that characterise children's consumer cultures and the passivity that increasingly suffuses their schooling.” (Buckingham, 2003 )

4. Classroom vs the world Formal & structured Top-down Passive Disengaged Un-networked & disconnected CAMI & Powerpoint MCQs & simple creations 30 mins/week Informal & fluid Bottom-up Active Engaged Networked & plugged-in MXit/Facebook, games, web Communication, play & exploration Up to 2 hours/day

5. Classroom vs the world

6. “ ICT in schools is predicated on the ‘top-down’ understanding that we know how children should be learning from technology rather than seeking to learn from their existing practices.” ( Their Space , 2007)

7. Cellphones

8. Media access and use

9. Cellphone ownership and use

10. Rural access Computer at home: 2% Have a cellphone: 62% (Kaiser Family Foundation & SABC, 2007)

11. Cellular South Africa BratTrax (2005/06) study: ages 7-15: High increase in cell phone ownership among all age groups from 2003 – 2005 All age groups recorded a high usage of SMS, with voice services and game playing increasing Children of all ages aspire to the have the newest model of handset Children mostly download ringtones, logos, games Large difference in cell phone ownership among income groups

12. MXit Claim 10 million subscribers 250m messages/day Subscribers profile: 0-11 years: 2% 11-14 years: 8% 15-18 years: 26% School-age youth on MXit: 3.6m

13. Gaming

14. “ ... even the harshest critics agree that we learn something from playing video games. The question is: how can we use the power of video games as a constructive force in schools, homes, and at work?” Shaffer, Squire, Halverson, Gee (2005)

15. Play Earliest forms of learning (Vygotsky) Try, fail, experiment / “die and do over” Experiential & immersive Highly engaging Motivating Theory of situated learning – “learning to be”

16. Learning through games? Ecology of games: Strategy, dialogue, mentoring Communities of practice: News, FAQs, discussion forums Develop community social practices

17. “ We don’t learn from games, we learn through them.” “ In SA, gaming can be used as a learning tool when it is conceived and designed as the vehicle that provides the opportunity for social dialogue in a learning activity.” Alan Amory (2008)

18. Learning through games? Experiment with identities The harder the better Gee's 36 learning principles of good games (2004) Form of problem solving

19. “ In some sense, a game is nothing but a set of problems. We're actually selling people problems for 40 bucks a pop ...” Will Wright (Jenkins 2005)

20. Digital lives: social networks, pop culture Participatory culture Cellphones and gaming What to do?

21. Engage (don't have to embrace) Use the ICT in their hands Enable participation Use pop culture to achieve educational goals

22. Dr Math on MXit Dr Math is a maths tutoring service to school learners that uses MXit 2-8pm, Sunday-Thursday, with some 20 tutors 3,200 learners have used service (from grade 3 up) One tutor can help up to 100 learners per hour Tutoring mostly done in English, but some Afrikaans cases are occurring Learners contact Dr Math from their homes, while on buses, taxis and on the sports field. Even from the bath! LATEST: Text-adventure game (interactive fiction)

23. dr.math: What grade are you in? what are you covering in math? Spark plug: 7 dr.math: grade 7? Spark plug: yes dr.math: are u doing "pre algebra" stuff like What is the value of X if x + 3 = 10? Spark plug: yes dr.math: ok, so what is the value of x if x + 3 = 10? Spark plug: 7 dr.math: ok. how about (15 x 2 ) + x = 35 Spark plug: 5 dr.math: (I am going to use * for multiply so not to confuse it with x, ok?) Spark plug: ok dr.math: (2 * x) + 8 = 18 Spark plug: 5 dr.math: very good. can you explain to me how you figured that out? Spark plug: 18 - 8 is 10 so 2* what is 10 and the answer is 5 dr.math: Excellent.

24. M4Girls Project Improve maths in grade 10 rural girls (by Mindset) 43 mini videos, 3 “mobisode” animations, 2 games

25. Reading/writing cellphone Using the cellphone as a “book” delivery and authoring tool Serialised m-novels: e.g. 28 chapters, 900 characters (Novel Idea) Othello as an m-novel? Effects of texting on literacy and language development?

26. Serious games “ Developed for a primary purpose other than pure entertainment” (Wikipedia 2007) Education, training (military / commercial), health, public policy ... Social change, content or language learning, raising awareness, cross-cultural sensitivity ...

27. Alternate reality game Think Sunday Times “Finders Keepers” but played collectively using web, email, SMS, voice, video, etc. Collaborative problem-solving Skills: collective intelligence, judgement, transmedia navigation (Jenkins et al, 2006)

28. But ... Need to manage risks: Distraction “Cyberbullying” Effects of TXTSPK on spelling/formal writing Too much “screen time” Inappropriate content Privacy/safety Costs

29. What do these things have in common? Printing press Film Comics Rock 'n roll

30. So ... We must move beyond the lab ICT for education must include the full gamut of ICT and media

31. Challenge To be open to new possibilities Consider ways to exploit cellphone and gaming affordances to support teaching and learning, while limiting the distraction and risk factors Only we can do this ...

32. Questions Thoughts on texting? Do you see it in formal writing? Gaming: prevalence amongst learners? How can youth ICTs be used for teaching and learning?

33. Thank you Email [email_address] Twitter www.twitter.com/stevevosloo Blog innovatingeducation.wordpress.com Slides www.slideshare.net/stevevosloo