ABSTRACT: The aim of this study was to develop a pedagogical model              other 5 worked in a remote rural area. The teachers had a joint goal for collaboration
for using wireless technology in geographically distributed team work           and an authentic need to plan and coordinate a virtual Master’s programme. In
and analyse how distributed collaboration can be enhanced with handheld         this study the special aim was to support the team members’ coordination of
wireless technologies and knowledge building tools. The theoretical ideas of    collaboration with handheld wireless computers in a specific period of their work. A
distributed cognition and collaborative learning were applied for developing    special mobile knowledge building tool was implemented at enhancing knowledge
the pedagogical model of mobile learning. The subjects of the study were 10     building using mobile computing. The subjects were interviewed and computer
university teachers in Finland. 5 teachers worked in the university while the   generated database were collected for analyzing the quality of collaboration.




                WIRCO . . . . Applying wireless technology
                              for co-ordinating collaboration
            JARI LARU SANNA JÄRVELÄ
       jari.laru@oulu.fi sanna.jarvela@oulu.fi            in distributed university teacher’s team

INTRODUCTION                                                                     EXPERIMENT IN THE NORTHERN FINLAND
Handheld computers will become compelling choice of technology                   The subject of the study were 10 university teachers 5 teachers worked in
for learning because they will enable a transition from occasional,              the University while the other 5 worked in remote rural area. They had a
supplemental use to frequent, integral use. The early evaluations                joint goal for collaboration and an authentic need to plan and coordinate
have suggested that there are positive effects on learning. Recently             a virtual Master’s programme in Information Sciences. The period of
this phenomena has been called mobile learning and there is an                   data collection was planned to be one of the most critical phases in
increased discussion going on around this theme. The simplest                    their distributed collaboration and the nature of their task was complex,
way to define mobile learning is “learning trough mobile de-                     new and knowledge intensive. In this experiment the special aim was to
vices” . It has been questioned if mobile learning is only a com-                support the team members’ coordination of collaboration with handheld
mercial trick or passing fad. Yet, the most important question is                wireless computers in a specific period of their work.
whether mobile learning has a sufficient pedagogical definition.                             The field study for this project lasted four weeks. Handhelds
                                                                                 equipped with wireless connection to the Internet were given to people
KNOWLEDGE BUILDING WITH HANDHELDS                                                who were participating in this experiment. In order to foster active
                                                                                 production of knowledge, subjects were responsible for producing all
Collaborative learning and knowledge building is seen as one of the
                                                                                 knowledge in the database (Hakkarainen, Lipponen & Järvelä, 2002). The
most meaningful ways to support individual learning mechanisms with
                                                                                 interviews and computer generated database were collected during the
the help of the social and interactive learning (Bereiter & Scardmalia,
                                                                                 June 2002 and the quality of collaboration were analysed in order to find
1989; Dillenbourg, 1999). The benefits of technology for collaboration           out the nature of knowledge constructed, shared and discussed during the
and knowledge building comes from the advantage of effective                     collaboration period.
thinking tools available (Bereiter & Scardmalia, 1989) and shared
knowledge resource as computer database available.                               REVIEW OF RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS
                FLE3mobile is based on FLE environment (http:
//fle3.uiah.fi), which has been originally made in University of Arts            In order to progress in research on “mobile learning” more specific
and Design Helsinki. For the FLE3mobile the user interface had to                and wider multidisciplinary collaboration as well as more specific
be converted to be applicaple with handhelds (figure 1). FLE can be              theory-based pedagogical model is needed. Although the subjects used
used for building, articulating, exploring, and structuring knowledge.           handhelds creatively as cognitive tools they did’t use devices for building
The most important part of FLE is the Knowledge Building tool,                   knowledge. For example, many of the subjects used handhelds to write
where knowledge building discussion is scaffolded and structured by              down personal notes.
knowledge types, which label the thinking mode of each discussion                          In general, the subjects were eager to test the handhelds, and
note. (Kligyte & Leinonen, 2002; Hakkarainen, Lipponen & Järvelä,                wanted to investigate how those devices could be useful in their work. The
2002).                                                                           main findings from the field study shows several factors that affected the
                                                                                 usage of FLE3mobile.
AIMS
                                                                                         §     Differences in between the workgroups: Some of workers kept
     1.    To apply the theoretical ideas of collaborative learning and                  contact together and the others didn’t.
           cognitive tools to a pedagogical model for mobile learning.                   §     It’s not possible to change daily routines and work culture by
     2.    To analyse how distributed collaboration can be enhanced                      one experiment. If people are used to make phonecall or send email,
           with handheld wireless technologies and knowledge building                    it’s not easy to change those habits.
           tools.                                                                        §     Because the theories of knowledge building and problem
                                                                                         solving are new, implementation of those theories to the use of
                                                                                         innovative technology can be difficult.

                                                                                 REFERENCES
                                                                                 Bereiter, C. & Scardamalia, M. (1989). Intentional learning as a goal of instruction. In L. B. Resnick (eds.),
                                                                                       Knowing, learning, and instruction. Essays in honour of Robert Glaser (pp. 361-392). Hillsdale, NJ:
                                                                                       Lawrence Erlbaum Associates
                                                                                 Dillenbourg, P. (1999). Introduction: What do you mean by collaborative learning? In P.Dillenbourg (eds.)
                                                                                       Collaborative learning: Cognitive and computational approaches. Amsterdam: Pergamon, 1-19.
                                                                                 FLE3 - Future Learning Environment, http://fle3.uiah.fi
                                                                                 Hakkarainen, K., Lipponen, L., & Järvelä, S. (2002). Epistemology of inquiry and computer-supported
                                                                                       collaborative learning. In T. Koschmann, N. Miyake, & R. Hall (Eds.), CSCL2: Carrying Forward the
                                                                                       Conversation (pp.129-156). Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum.
                                                                                 Kligyte, G. & Leinonen, T. (2003) Future Learning Environment for Collaborative Knowledge Building and
                                                                                       Design. [Online] Development by design : 2nd International Conference on Open Collaborative Design
                                                                                       of Sustainable Innovation. December 1-2, Bangalore, India, 2002. [13.2.2003] Available in pdf-format:
                                                                                       http:// www.thinkcycle.org/dyd02/, Read 13.2.2003


          Figure 1. [LEFT: ORIGINAL VERSION OF FLE. RIGHT: FLE3MOBILE]




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                                                                                                   Jari Laru   Sanna Järvelä
                                                                                          jari.laru@oulu.fi    sanna.järvelä@oulu.fi
                                                                                           Research unit for   Research unit for
                                                                                    Educational technology     Educational technology
                                                                                 University of Oulu, Finland   University of Oulu, Finland
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Applying Wireless Technology For Coordinating Collaboration In Distributed University Teachers’ Team.

  • 1.
    ABSTRACT: The aimof this study was to develop a pedagogical model other 5 worked in a remote rural area. The teachers had a joint goal for collaboration for using wireless technology in geographically distributed team work and an authentic need to plan and coordinate a virtual Master’s programme. In and analyse how distributed collaboration can be enhanced with handheld this study the special aim was to support the team members’ coordination of wireless technologies and knowledge building tools. The theoretical ideas of collaboration with handheld wireless computers in a specific period of their work. A distributed cognition and collaborative learning were applied for developing special mobile knowledge building tool was implemented at enhancing knowledge the pedagogical model of mobile learning. The subjects of the study were 10 building using mobile computing. The subjects were interviewed and computer university teachers in Finland. 5 teachers worked in the university while the generated database were collected for analyzing the quality of collaboration. WIRCO . . . . Applying wireless technology for co-ordinating collaboration JARI LARU SANNA JÄRVELÄ jari.laru@oulu.fi sanna.jarvela@oulu.fi in distributed university teacher’s team INTRODUCTION EXPERIMENT IN THE NORTHERN FINLAND Handheld computers will become compelling choice of technology The subject of the study were 10 university teachers 5 teachers worked in for learning because they will enable a transition from occasional, the University while the other 5 worked in remote rural area. They had a supplemental use to frequent, integral use. The early evaluations joint goal for collaboration and an authentic need to plan and coordinate have suggested that there are positive effects on learning. Recently a virtual Master’s programme in Information Sciences. The period of this phenomena has been called mobile learning and there is an data collection was planned to be one of the most critical phases in increased discussion going on around this theme. The simplest their distributed collaboration and the nature of their task was complex, way to define mobile learning is “learning trough mobile de- new and knowledge intensive. In this experiment the special aim was to vices” . It has been questioned if mobile learning is only a com- support the team members’ coordination of collaboration with handheld mercial trick or passing fad. Yet, the most important question is wireless computers in a specific period of their work. whether mobile learning has a sufficient pedagogical definition. The field study for this project lasted four weeks. Handhelds equipped with wireless connection to the Internet were given to people KNOWLEDGE BUILDING WITH HANDHELDS who were participating in this experiment. In order to foster active production of knowledge, subjects were responsible for producing all Collaborative learning and knowledge building is seen as one of the knowledge in the database (Hakkarainen, Lipponen & Järvelä, 2002). The most meaningful ways to support individual learning mechanisms with interviews and computer generated database were collected during the the help of the social and interactive learning (Bereiter & Scardmalia, June 2002 and the quality of collaboration were analysed in order to find 1989; Dillenbourg, 1999). The benefits of technology for collaboration out the nature of knowledge constructed, shared and discussed during the and knowledge building comes from the advantage of effective collaboration period. thinking tools available (Bereiter & Scardmalia, 1989) and shared knowledge resource as computer database available. REVIEW OF RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS FLE3mobile is based on FLE environment (http: //fle3.uiah.fi), which has been originally made in University of Arts In order to progress in research on “mobile learning” more specific and Design Helsinki. For the FLE3mobile the user interface had to and wider multidisciplinary collaboration as well as more specific be converted to be applicaple with handhelds (figure 1). FLE can be theory-based pedagogical model is needed. Although the subjects used used for building, articulating, exploring, and structuring knowledge. handhelds creatively as cognitive tools they did’t use devices for building The most important part of FLE is the Knowledge Building tool, knowledge. For example, many of the subjects used handhelds to write where knowledge building discussion is scaffolded and structured by down personal notes. knowledge types, which label the thinking mode of each discussion In general, the subjects were eager to test the handhelds, and note. (Kligyte & Leinonen, 2002; Hakkarainen, Lipponen & Järvelä, wanted to investigate how those devices could be useful in their work. The 2002). main findings from the field study shows several factors that affected the usage of FLE3mobile. AIMS § Differences in between the workgroups: Some of workers kept 1. To apply the theoretical ideas of collaborative learning and contact together and the others didn’t. cognitive tools to a pedagogical model for mobile learning. § It’s not possible to change daily routines and work culture by 2. To analyse how distributed collaboration can be enhanced one experiment. If people are used to make phonecall or send email, with handheld wireless technologies and knowledge building it’s not easy to change those habits. tools. § Because the theories of knowledge building and problem solving are new, implementation of those theories to the use of innovative technology can be difficult. REFERENCES Bereiter, C. & Scardamalia, M. (1989). Intentional learning as a goal of instruction. In L. B. Resnick (eds.), Knowing, learning, and instruction. Essays in honour of Robert Glaser (pp. 361-392). Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates Dillenbourg, P. (1999). Introduction: What do you mean by collaborative learning? In P.Dillenbourg (eds.) Collaborative learning: Cognitive and computational approaches. Amsterdam: Pergamon, 1-19. FLE3 - Future Learning Environment, http://fle3.uiah.fi Hakkarainen, K., Lipponen, L., & Järvelä, S. (2002). Epistemology of inquiry and computer-supported collaborative learning. In T. Koschmann, N. Miyake, & R. Hall (Eds.), CSCL2: Carrying Forward the Conversation (pp.129-156). Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum. Kligyte, G. & Leinonen, T. (2003) Future Learning Environment for Collaborative Knowledge Building and Design. [Online] Development by design : 2nd International Conference on Open Collaborative Design of Sustainable Innovation. December 1-2, Bangalore, India, 2002. [13.2.2003] Available in pdf-format: http:// www.thinkcycle.org/dyd02/, Read 13.2.2003 Figure 1. [LEFT: ORIGINAL VERSION OF FLE. RIGHT: FLE3MOBILE] ������ ���������������������������������������� Jari Laru Sanna Järvelä jari.laru@oulu.fi sanna.järvelä@oulu.fi Research unit for Research unit for Educational technology Educational technology University of Oulu, Finland University of Oulu, Finland ������������������ �����������������������������