Initial tangible benefits of mobile learning in context
- 1. Feature/Benefit of mobile learning Analysis of mobile device - selected function Personal, private and familiar (reduce perceived barriers to learning) The devices used in my context are owned by the school rather than students themselves. This limits the opportunities for students to personalise their device. Personalisation may be an advantage of BYOD. iPads are familiar to many students as they have a tablet at home. Pervasive and ubiquitous Because devices are owned by the school they would generally only be used in school hours and would be stored at school. Students may create/ access documents or work they have created on a mobile device from a desktop computer. Fit into the lives of learners (allow for productive ‘dead’ time - e.g. when travelling or queuing) “ “ Portable - allow anywhere, anytime learning Students are able to take the device to their learning. Within a primary context this may involve working with a group or partner or working outside. Immediacy of communication (including speech and data-sharing) Use Messages as a backchannel during a lesson/ presentation/ movie ( i.e. short movie etc) to stimulate and / or guide discussion . Students are actively engaged rather than passively receiving information. Allows access to learning by those in dispersed communities and isolated situations My context is rural but not remote. Broadband is available. Contextualisation through location-aware features such as GPS. Devices are used at school so contextualisation is less relevant. Location services could be used in mapping activities and when learning about direction/ location ( math) . Allows data to be recorded and learning processes captured wherever they happen. Useful for capturing non-permanent evidence of student understanding i.e. verbal response/explanation , artistic creation , pattern created with blocks … Explaining their learning assists students to deepen their own understanding. Access to mentors, tutors and others learners on- the-move. Students would be in close proximity to a teacher or mentor. They may access a specialist via a mobile device. This may be most relevant in field/ science activities or excursions rather than everyday situations where students could easily use a desktop. Perceived as an acceptable way for learners to receive reminders and chasers - and to manage their time Reminders could be used by a teacher to remind students of the amount of time left on an activity or alert students that it is time to finish of change activities etc. Bite-sized e-learning resources can be delivered to learners (especially useful for basic skills or work- based learning) Basic skills i.e. number facts, sight words are best learned through short and frequent exposures. There are multiple apps that support this type of learning via tablet/ iPad. Abstract (representational) and concrete (environmentally-situated) knowledge can be integrated. Augmented reality and game based learning. Working with representations of real Peer-to-peer networks make learning more student- centred. Air drop and Messages ( if a WiFi connection is available) allow students to communicate via a mobile device. The portability of the devices makes it easy for students to share their work by physically moving the device and showing it to a peer. Promotes active learning Learning by doing, Voice and video recording and applications allow many opportunities for students to actively create content in ways that suit their learning styles. Students take an active role in their own learning
- 2. by through choosing which application they will access to learn particular skills. Enable new learning environments Explore augmented reality – Using iPad to “ read” the room ? Cloud learning spaces, collaborative spaces. Increases accessibility for learners with special educational needs Touch screen, gestures, visual interface and Siri speech to text contribute to ease of access for learners with special needs. Encourages reflection in close proximity to the learning event Learners can quickly move between activities. i.e. collecting data, analysing data and communicating data , from a single location using a single ( mobile) device. Reduces technical barriers to e-learning Lower cost, easy accessibility, intuitive gestures , possibly easier maintenance than desktops once processes are in place