The document discusses using mobile devices to enhance collaboration in K-12 science classrooms. It notes that over half of children have access to mobile devices and many teachers are using devices for things like audience response systems, cameras, and educational apps. Mobile learning is defined as learning that occurs anywhere and anytime using mobile technologies. The benefits of mobile learning include personalization, social interaction, and learning anywhere. Constructivism, behaviorism, situated learning, and social-cultural learning theories support collaborative mobile learning. Effective strategies include establishing group goals and roles, managing data amounts, and using real-world problems.

1. Mobile Learning: Enhanced
Collaboration through Mobile
Devices in K-12 Science
Classrooms
Sylvia Suh-Ngounou
Idaho State University
WyTECC Conference
Rock Springs, April 26th
, 2014

2. Raise your hand if….
• Live with aor K-12 learner(s)?
• Teach or know someone who teaches science classes?
• If you own a mobile device?
• Had more than 5 mobile gadgets (mobile phones,
laptops, iPads, iPods, ...) in your house last night ?
• Have ever used a mobile device in teaching or
learning?

3. Common Sense Media
•52% of children from 0-8 years have access to mobile devices at home.
• 41% smartphones
• 21% video iPods,
• 8% iPad/tablet
•29% of parents have downloaded “apps” for their children to use.
•38% of children have used mobile devices.
•75% of teenagers own a mobile device.
According to the Horizon report in 2012,
•61% of Americans age 12 and up own a mobile device,
•44% own smartphone
•2000 school districts in the US have integrated mobile devices

4. What is Mobile Learning?
Any sort of learning that happens when the learner is
not at a fixed predetermined location, or learning that
happens when the learner takes advantage of the
learning opportunities offered by mobile technologies.
O'Malley et al (2003)

5. Why do I want to take advantage of
mobile learning to teach science?
Possible reasons:
You like (=LOVE) technology
You want to try out something new with your learners
You have seen your learners all have smart phones or
iPods/iTouches/ iPads already. Why not get them to use these for
learning?
A few of your learners have asked you to recommend apps, games
and other mobile-friendly content they can use out of class.
You’ve read/heard about the benefits of informal learning

6. Why Use a Mobile Device?
• It personalizes the learning process
• It enhances social interactions
• Independence
• Anytime and Anywhere learning,
• For easy communication (peers, teachers, other devices).
• Instant notification
• Learning takes place “at” and “around” the mobile device.

7. Why Enhance Collaboration?
Collaboration happens when students work in groups
toward a common academic goal (Dooly, 2008).
•Collaborative learning teams are said to attain higher level
thinking and preserve information for longer times than
students working individually. Why is this so?
•Students are actively exchanging, debating and negotiating
ideas within their groups increases students’ interest in
learning.
•There is an age old proverb that says “two heads are better
than one”.

8. K-12 Science Teachers andK-12 Science Teachers and
Mobile DevicesMobile Devices
K-12 science teachers are finding out that mobile devices offer
many exciting options for their professional lives (Lucking,
Christmann, & Wighting, 2010).
•Being used in education for
1. Audience Response Systems
2. Camera: Stills/Videos
3. Voice Recorders: Podcasts, etc.
4. Applications
5. Research via the internet (Google, Wiki’s, blogs, discussion
boards etc.)
6. Emergency warning systems
7. Enroll in courses

9. Pedagogical Paradigms
Lets consider many of the current pedagogical
paradigms that support learning and in particular
collaborative learning, and give some clues to
help understand the potential of using mobile
devices in this context.

10. Constructivism
Constructivist’s central idea is that human learning is
constructed rather than received, that learners build
new knowledge upon the foundation of previous
learning (Bruner,1996).
•Discover
•Build new knowledge
•Using appropriate tools
Mobile devices provide this unique opportunity.

11. Considering a Collaborative
Science Project?
 Have students use their Smartphones/iPad/tablets to
access discussion boards and wikis to elaborate the
activity being performed.
 Exchange of ideas
 Justify and refine own contributions
 Acquire new knowledge
 iPads for simulations where the learners play an
active role in the simulation of a dynamic system or
process.
 Apps

12. Behaviorism
Within the behaviorism paradigm, learning is thought to be
best facilitated through the reinforcement of an association
between a particular stimulus and a response (Caballé,
Xhafa,& Barolli, 2010).
• Use it to reward or punish student behaviors
• Stimulate students with the presentation of engaging
teaching materials and tasks, obtaining responses
from learners, and providing appropriate feedback
(reinforcement)

13. Considering a Collaborative
Science Project?
• Use a smartphone to provide real time
feedback to your students through
Poll Everywhere (www.polleverywhere.com).

14. Situated Learning
Learning takes place through the relationships between
people and connecting prior knowledge with authentic,
informal, and often unintended contextual learning.
•It encourages cognitive apprenticeship where teachers
(the experts) work alongside students (the apprentices) to
create situations where the students can begin to work on
problems even before they fully understand them.

15. Considering a Collaborative
Science Project?
• Use a smartphone/tablet/iPad to take
observational notes, pictures, compare data about
animals and plants, etc.
• Use an iPod to support field-based activities, like
listening to pre-loaded instructions, observational
notes, reflections, podcasts, explanation of key
concepts/ terminologies, background information
about the subject, questions students should be
thinking about before the class, etc.

16. Social-cultural Learning
The sociocultural theory of learning views that learning takes place
in a social context (Rogers, 2002).
•collaborative group work and sharing with peers (and others).
•The mobile environment can make a significant contribution to
this process.

17. By….

18. Effective Mobile Collaborative
Strategies in the Science Classroom
• Establish a group goal
• Establish flexible group rules
• Manageable amount of data
• Use real world problems
• Use a collaboration script with assigned tasks, roles, and groups
• problem solving and critical thinking skills
• Incorporate free savvy tools
http://www.missiontolearn.com/2009/08/free-online-collaboration/
• Have a back up plan

19. Science should be taught in whatever way is most likely to engage the
active involvement of learners and make them feel willing to take on the
serious intellectual work of reconstructing meaning.
(Millar et al., 2001, p 289)
Ideally science instruction will ensure that students learn complex
science in the context of inquiry and have an experience of
mastering new topics or technologies relevant to their personal
needs or goals
(Linn, 2004, p 9)

20. Contact Information
Sylvia Suh-Ngounou
Student Advising Center
College of Education
Idaho State University
Phone: 208 282 5887
Fax: 208 282 3791

21. References
Caballé, S., Xhafa, F., & Barolli, L. (2010). Using mobile devices to support
online collaborative learning. Mobile Information Systems, 6(1), 27-47.
Common Sense Media, retrieved March 24th, 2014 from
http://www.commonsensemedia.org/
Lucking, B., Christmann, E., & Wighting, M. (2010). Hang up and learn: Cell
phones in the science classroom. Science Scope, 33(9), 82-85.
Scanlon,E., Jones, A. & Waycott, J. (2005). Mobile technologies: prospects
for their use in learning in informal science settings.
Traxler, J. (2009). The evolution of mobile learning. The evolution of mobile
teaching and learning, 1-14.

22. http://www.polleverywhere.com/classroom-response-system