The document explores the application of Gartner’s hype curve to the educational use of ubiquitous computing, detailing three case studies that highlight the evolution of mobile learning technologies. It emphasizes the need for pedagogically grounded instructional design to effectively integrate emergent technologies in education and examines the current phase of these technologies as being in the plateau of productivity. The findings suggest that while mobile devices have potential, challenges remain in bridging individual and collaborative learning activities.

1. Using Gartner’s Hype Curve as a basis to
analyze research on the educational use of
ubiquitous computing
Jari Laru, Ph.D
Learning & Educational Technology Research Unit, University of Oulu,
Finland
Jari Laru, Ph.D (Educational Sciences). Learning & Educational Technology Research Unit (LET). University of Oulu, Finland. CSCL 2013, University of Wisconsins, Madison, USA

2. Jari Laru, Ph.D (Educational Sciences). Learning & Educational Technology Research Unit (LET). University of Oulu, Finland. CSCL 2013, University of Wisconsins, Madison, USA
Technology trigger
Peak of inflated
Expectations
Trough of
Disillusionment
Slope of
Enlightenment Plateau of productivity
First generation:
PocketPCs
First steps (R&D)
Personal Digital
Assistants
2nd generation:
Wireless Internet
Learning Devices
(Smartphones)
3rd
generation:
Out of the
box tools,
social media
integration
Case study I
Case study II
Case study
III
time
Visibility
Ubiquitous future

3. Jari Laru, Ph.D (Educational Sciences). Learning & Educational Technology Research Unit (LET). University of Oulu, Finland. CSCL 2013, University of Wisconsins, Madison, USA
Technology trigger Peak of inflated Expectations
First generation:
PocketPCs
First steps (R&D)
Personal Digital
Assistants
Case study I
time
Visibility
1. First years of research: mobility &
PDAs
• Beliefs that mobile devices
would revolutionize
education (Trifonova, 2003)
• ”M-learning or mobile
learning” (Keegan, 2005;
Quinn, 2000) as extension
of e-learning (Quinn, 2000).
• Definition of mobile
learning (Sharples, 2000).
• Era of technology
determinism started

4. Case study 1: Designing a new virtual
master’s programme
Collective task
Jari Laru, Ph.D (Educational Sciences). Learning & Educational Technology Research Unit (LET). University of Oulu, Finland. CSCL 2013, University of Wisconsins, Madison, USA
Existing master’s programs
New master’s program
Knowledge building activity
• The participants (n=10) shared a
major problem: to design a new
distance education program in
new domain
• Instructional design was
simplified: a mobile device
equipped with knowledge
building tool was just embedded
into existing practises.
• Dissappointing results
Laru, J., & Järvelä, S. (2008). Social patterns in mobile technology
mediated collaboration among members of the professional distance
education community. Educational Media International, 45(1), 17-32.

5. Jari Laru, Ph.D (Educational Sciences). Learning & Educational Technology Research Unit (LET). University of Oulu, Finland. CSCL 2013, University of Wisconsins, Madison, USA
time
Visibility
2. ”Wireless internet learning devices together
with pedagogically ambitious learning goals”
2nd generation:
Wireless Internet
Learning Devices
(Smartphones)
Case study II
Trough of Disillusionment
• ”tool support of most
projects is not
pedagogically ambitious”
(Frohberget et. al, 2009).
• In order to ensure engaged
learners, a proper design is
needed (Looi et. al, 2009)
• Seminal WILD paper
(Roschelle & Pea, 2002)
[was ahead of the time
when was published]
• Role of teacher, scaffolding
etc.
Slope of Enlightenment

6. Case study 2: Field trip (K12-education)
Jari Laru, Ph.D (Educational Sciences). Learning & Educational Technology Research Unit (LET). University of Oulu, Finland. CSCL 2013, University of Wisconsins, Madison, USA
• The participants’ (n=22,
age=12) participated one-day
field trip to nature park
• Their shared problem was to
explore inanimate and
animate traces
• Smart phones with bluetooth
mobile encounter networks
• Core-activity was aimed at
scaffolding argumentative
discussions in small groups
during inquiry learning (soft
and hard scaffolds)
• Design included also pre- and
post-structuring activities.
• Mixed results
LARU, Jari; JÄRVELÄ, Sanna; CLARIANA, Roy B. Supporting collaborative inquiry
during a biology field trip with mobile peer-to-peer tools for learning: a case study
with K-12 learners. Interactive Learning Environments, 2012, 20.2: 103-117.

7. Jari Laru, Ph.D (Educational Sciences). Learning & Educational Technology Research Unit (LET). University of Oulu, Finland. CSCL 2013, University of Wisconsins, Madison, USA
time
3. Combining affordances of social software and
mobile learning
Case study III
• Personal and wirelessly networked
technologies and social software
tools are (currently) becoming more
prevalent in the live of learners
(Lewis et. Al, 2010; Lewis, Pea &
Rosen, 2009)
• Mobile social media (Multisilta &
Milrad, 2009) in education is stitching
formal and informal learning contexts
together and briding individual and
social learning, which leads to
seamless learning
• However, very few papers discuss the
mechanisms of bridging the
individual and collaborative activities
(Wong & Looi, 2011). Slope of Enlightenment
3rd generation:
Out of the box tools,
social media
integration

8. Case study III: a course in the context
of higher education
Jari Laru, Ph.D (Educational Sciences). Learning & Educational Technology Research Unit (LET). University of Oulu, Finland. CSCL 2013, University of Wisconsins, Madison, USA
• The participants (n=21)
undergraduate teacher
education students.
• Learners’ core task was to
integrate selected individual
blog reflections and visual
representations into coherent
and comprehensive wiki
• Multiple individual and
collective phases before the
wiki activity where content
was elaborated multiple times
• Role of the mobile device was
smaller than earlier studies
• Positive resultsLaru, J., Näykki, P., & Järvelä, S. (2012). Supporting small-group learning using
multiple Web 2.0 tools: A case study in the higher education context. The Internet
and Higher Education, 15(1), 29-38.

9. Jari Laru, Ph.D (Educational Sciences). Learning & Educational Technology Research Unit (LET). University of Oulu, Finland. CSCL 2013, University of Wisconsins, Madison, USA
time
4. Ubiquitous tomorrow: learning environment
consisting of an amalgam of tools around the corner
• Research and educational use is
currently in the phase of the plateau
of the productivity
• World is entering the age of mobilism
(Norris & Soloway, 2011)
• Mobile phones are nowaday
connected computing devices that
offer multitude services (Pea &
Maldonado, 2006)
• Contemporary human interaction
paradigms (RFID, QR-Codes etc. Are
becoming regarded as mainstrea, in
current mobile devices
• Multiple device-student ratios (e.g.
1:1 or 1:all) set new challenges for
instructional designers (Wong & Looi,
2011)
Plateau of productivity

10. Jari Laru, Ph.D (Educational Sciences). Learning & Educational Technology Research Unit (LET). University of Oulu, Finland. CSCL 2013, University of Wisconsins, Madison, USA
Technology trigger Peak of inflated Expectations
time
Visibility
Conclusion
Trough of
Disillusionment
Slope of
Enlightenment Plateau of productivity

11. Why hype cycle? (conclusive thoughts)
• hypes thrive in rich environments, where research, business, and wider
social activities contribute to the creation, sharing, and refinement of
expectations (Lente, Spitters & peine, 2013).
• This study follows studies by Järvenpää & Mäkinen and Van lente et. Al
(2013) which have bridged empirical measures to the Hype Cycle
• This paper represents an exploratory and empirically driven study seeking
indicators in the three case study designs for the Hype Cycle in relation to
the evolution of educational use of ubiquitous computing
• The Hype Cycle and case studies described here emphasize that
pedagogically grounded instructional design is needed in order to put
emergent technologies into effective use
• Since we are currently living between the stages of mobile social learning
and ubiquitous future, the role of mobile technologies in different learning
contexts is still a challenge for researchers and practitioners (do educators
live in different hype phase than researchers?)
Jari Laru, Ph.D (Educational Sciences). Learning & Educational Technology Research Unit (LET). University of Oulu, Finland. CSCL 2013, University of Wisconsins, Madison, USA

12. Thank you
• http://www.mendeley.com/profiles/jari-laru/
• http://www.linkedin.com/in/jarilaru
Jari Laru, Ph.D (Educational Sciences). Learning & Educational Technology Research Unit (LET). University of Oulu, Finland. CSCL 2013, University of Wisconsins, Madison, USA