The document outlines key steps and considerations for planning a mobile learning project, particularly in low-resource environments. It emphasizes the importance of defining project goals, engaging stakeholders, and analyzing infrastructure and user needs. The document also highlights the need for sustainability and planning, along with details on the Mobimooc award for impactful mlearning projects.

1. Planning a
mobile learning project
By Inge Ignatia de Waard

2. Mobile projects at ITM
Currently I work at the Institute of Tropical Medicine (ITM) in Antwerpen,
Belgium.
ITM has been developing several, different types of projects: on/offline
data gathering, full mobile courses, mobile learning for health
awareness, mobile continuing education updates, train the trainer
modules, GIS. These mobile solutions were developed for research
and educational purposes.
Our challenges: emerging countries, challenging environments & tiny
budgets & tiny team.
Our strength: an interdisciplinary, creative team.

3. 11 steps towards a mLearning project
5 core elements:
•1. Define the goal of the mLearning project? What needs does it address?
2. Get all the stakeholders involved.
3. What are your planned learner dynamics.
4. What is the (mobile) infrastructure like in the target area you will be rolling out your
project?
5. Who is your target audience? What is the mobile situation for your target
audience?
Knowing the above steps, you can get more practical:
•6. Could security be an issue? Sensitive information/location
7. What will be the core devices you will cater for? BYOD or not?
8. How will you design the content? Authoring tools or programming or social media
or text?
9. What are your strategies your mobile content delivery ?
10. What is a mLearning content user allowed to do?
11. What will be your user policies?
More elaborate: http://ignatiawebs.blogspot.it/2012/06/
drawing-up-mlearning-strategy.html

4. Which mLearning need is addressed?
Starting from a need that lives in your target
audience will increase chances of success.

5. What is your project goal?
What part of the need does it address?
What do you want to achieve with this project? For instance:
an improved financial awareness and action strategy for
women in poor and challenged situations, enabling them to
start a small business.
A clear goal defines priorities, which in turn lead to the mobile
solutions you will need to find or create.

6. Which mLearning field does it relate to?
Depending on the field, different mobile tools or technical options are
needed
•For example:
– a project related to language will have more focus on
communication/audio,
– a project targeting less literate learners will have to be more visual,
– environmental projects will benefit from geo-location options…

7. Who is your target audience?
Who will be the learners for this mLearning project and
what is their mobile environment?
If you are able to describe the target population, it will
make it easier to anticipate mobile digital literacy, what
type of device they are using, which type of community
feeling is important.

8. Different learners, different entry levels
If a project consists of different learner audiences, you might
need different project entry levels: e.g. an engineering project
can have different audiences: the engineers (keeping in touch
with progress on the floor – pictures of progress, sharing
notes), the managers (need to keep up with costs, timing…)
and overall project leads.
In those cases it is useful to plan different entry levels, so a
learner only sees what is of interest to them (possibly with an
option to see all, but enable optimal time management and
focus).

9. Engage all stakeholders
Who are ALL the stakeholders that might influence the project? (e.g.
school directors, district health clinics, ministry of education, top level
managers, leaders of a community, funding agencies ...).
•Getting stakeholders involved from early on, gives them a sense of
co-ownership and importance. This will make them more open to your
project as mutual trust can be build from early on.

10. Prepare your pitch …
Be ready with a broader description of the project if you want to get
funding or interest from stakeholders. Make sure that your project has
some ‘body’ and looks like more than a wild idea. (possibly with a
scenario describing how the learning cycle of the project evolves)

11. Infrastructure analysis
What type of technology and infrastructure can be expected?
What is the internet/telecom connection in that region?
– Which type of mobile device will be offered or do the target audience
have at their disposal?
– Are the mobile devices basic (email, sms) or more elaborate (mobile
apps, mobile browser …?)
– Is there stable electricity/connectivity?
– Can you use mobile social media or not? Are some of the media
censored or filtered (China, N. Korea…)?

12. Know the cost for ALL parties
The cost is not only limited to
starting the project, it has
consequences for the user also.
Make a holistic cost overview:
•How much does it cost to start
the project?
•How much does it cost to
sustain the project?
•How much is the cost for the
user (regional data plan, sms
cost, phone/tablet cost…)?

13. How do you ensure sustainability?
One of the most heard critiques on mLearning projects is the fact that many
of them do not stand the test of time (= not longer than the pilot period of
the project).
•For stakeholders and certainly for gathering funds it is important that you at
least come up with a few durable ideas: using what the target population has,
keeping costs low, understanding the cost of the user once the project rolls
out ....

14. Step by step, reaching your goal?
Cut down your project into smaller
steps. List the different steps that will
bring you to a successful end result:
•interviewing the target population,
•getting funds from organisation X,
•developing mobile skills training....

15. Timing gives a guideline
Once you know the steps, you can put a timeline on
getting the project realized. This will enable you to
plan ahead, as well as adapt if needed.

16. Foresee possible challenges
Once you analyse all factors, keep potential
challenges in mind and list them:
•stakeholders that can slow down the project,
•administrative processes, …

17. The 500 $ MobiMOOC Award
At the end of the three week course the MobiMOOC Award will be offered to the
winning mLearning project, as voted by the MobiMOOC participants. The winning
mLearning project will be that project which is considered by all as having the most
impact for people living in difficult or challenged situations.
In order to enter the contest and to win the MobiMOOC Award, you must participate
in MobiMOOC and fill in a mLearning project overview. The contest will be based on
mLearning project overviews, that will be made based on a
10 step template that can be found here.
Every MobiMOOC participant willing to enter the MobiMOOC award contest will be
asked to post their overview in the MobiMOOC google group [clear subject line of
mail = mLearning project + your name] OR send their overview by 25 September (is
absolute deadline) to Inge/Ignatia (see contact details in last slide)
From 28 September 2012 the vote will be open and on 30 September the winner will
be revealed.
30 September 2012: Award notification! The winner of the MobiMOOC award will be
revealed (the money will be send via Western Union.

18. Collaboration makes us stronger
I would ask all of you to share your project overview with
all of us first. That way you will get the best possible
feedback.
If you do not feel comfortable you can mail the overview
to me and I will give private feedback (if I get the
overview before 23 September).

19. Steps to take with mLearning overview
Get hold of the mLearning project overview
•Here on the wikipage
•Or here as a google document
Write up a workable draft
Share it with the group: discussion forum here or via
MobiMOOC group here. Make sure to use a clear title.
Or send it via mail to Inge BEFORE 23 September 2012 for
feedback.
Once your draft reaches a state you are happy with, post it
with title ‘final mLearning overview’ in the designated
discussion forum (before 25 September 2012).

20. Additions from you
Q/A Contact
E-mail: ingedewaard (at) gmail.com
Blog: ignatiawebs.blogspot.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/Ignatia
Slideshare (ppt): http://www.slideshare.net/ignatia
linkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/ingedewaard
Publications/presentations:
http://www.ingedewaard.net/pubconsulpres.htm
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