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Connecting Seniors’ Lives through Images – Mobile-Learning Workshop at a Cross-
Generational Centre in Germany
Age of participants, size of group
This workshop focussing on camera applications with mobile phones drew participants from
various groups. Alongside team members from the Cross-Generational Centre where it was
held, some of whom volunteer as internet and PC “pilots”, there were adult educators from
the region and of course members of the main target group of the Cross-Generational
Centre – older persons who live in Wittlich and environs. A total of 17 participants ranging in
age from 37 to 75 years met on three consecutive Fridays to venture into the world of
mobile learning.
The informal nature of offerings at the centre presented a challenge in planning the
workshop, since it was impossible to predict who would participate and what previous
experience they might have. Moreover, the technical prerequisites could not be assessed in
advance. Therefore, the plan for the first meeting was deliberately kept flexible to allow for
a more accurate estimation of the participants’ interests and needs.
Setting and duration
The workshop was held on three Fridays in September and October 2011 at the Cross-
Generational Centre in Wittlich in the Eifel, a semi-rural area. Daniel Zils, media educator at
the medien+bildung.com gGmbH regional office in Mainz, conducted the meetings. Due to
past experience with employing mobile phones for learning inside and outside of schools, he
was well prepared to explain in a lucid manner some of the options that mobile terminals
offer. He was supported on location by Michaele Schneider and Annette Weinand from the
administrative team of the Cross-Generational Centre Wittlich.
Didactic/learning focus and purpose of activity
The aim of this workshop was to familiarize the participants with the functionalities and
potential of their mobile phones. They learned about options their devices present for
expressing themselves toward others and for keeping in contact over shorter or greater
distances. While many participants were already practiced at communicating with a partner
by telephone or SMS, the workshop aimed at laying the groundwork for managing the
camera functions and using these to send personal messages to others or to share pleasant
experiences. In the rural environment of the Eifel, maintaining contacts and networks with
the aid of (mobile) media is an attractive possibility since individuals – particularly older
persons – do not always have the practical option of getting together personally.
The starting point for this learning scenario was the fact that mobile phones are now quite
commonly in use by older persons, more and more of whom even own smart phones. The
modern mobile device or smart phone offers so many functionalities that make it possible to
use this small multi-media device in many different learning and communicative contexts.
Alongside recording functions for sound and images, it provides storage space for large
amounts of data and can also, for example, save geo-information directly in photos taken
with the camera. In addition, media content that has been produced can easily be
transferred to other devices.
Learning to handle the photo function with all its options formed the basis for these goals
and for many other possible areas of application as well. At the Cross-Generational Centre in
Wittlich, the emphasis was on the learners’ acting and communicating as “experts in their
everyday world”. They were encouraged to address, with the aid of the mobile phone,
events and locations that are important to them and with which they wished to present
themselves. A sequence of photos on the mobile phone – showing, for example, a person
making firewood – can be shared easily at any time, just by taking the phone out of one’s
pocket or by forwarding the photo series digitally to interested persons. Another sequence
might recommend a newly discovered ice-cream parlour to friends or family, with pictures of
the specialities of the house.
This approach brought two major aspects of mobile leaning into focus: playfully exploring
one’s own living environment and communicating or networking with the aid of mobile
technology, which is available at any time in any place.
The didactic setting was deliberately designed to benefit from the heterogeneous skills of
participants: those already experienced in handling various functionalities of the mobile
phone served as tutors for the less experienced members of the group, helping to enable
learning centred on the participants and their needs. One special characteristic of the cross-
generational centre did not yet figure in this pilot workshop, but can well be integrated into
future learning situations: the encounter between younger and older persons can be very
conducive to learning about the application of new technologies, with the younger
generation providing explanations and support for older persons.
Learning outcomes
The workshop participants learned the following things:
• confident handling of the photo functions on the mobile phone
• transfer of the outcomes from the mobile phone to other devices
• options for documenting knowledge, experience and practical information from
their everyday lives in photo sequences that are easy to comprehend
• production of web albums with Picasa and connecting photos with Google Maps
Given that most participants had previously used the mobile phone almost exclusively as a
telephone, this workshop proceeded in relatively small learning steps. In addition to the
fundamental photo functionalities, emphasis was therefore placed on making the media
content one has produced available to others. To reinforce learning, the individual steps
covered during the workshop meetings were repeated individually in the form of a home
assignment.
Mobile equipment; mode of data transmission
The participants used their own mobile or smart phones, so that they would later be able to
apply what they learned in their everyday living context. It was agreed that all the devices
used should be equipped with a camera for stills, and if possible also should support a
Bluetooth connection for transmitting the images. Since this function was not available on a
few of phones, alternative means of transferring the data needed to be identified and
practiced, for example, via data cable. The participants brought their own cables along, so
that compatibility was ensured.
Additional media
Beamer – for presenting outcomes to the group;
Computer – necessary during the workshop for collecting and presenting the outcomes of
the participants. Depending on their individual skills, some participants also downloaded
outcomes of the home assignment onto a computer at home and forwarded them to the
trainer via e-mail;
Software – no special software was required, only Google web services were used. To access
Picasa and the connection with Google Maps, it was necessary to register (free of charge).
Procedures: description of practical realization
First meeting
The first workshop meeting provided the opportunity for the participants to get to know one
another and for the trainers to estimate existing skills within the group. Each participants
was asked to talk about him- or herself and previous experiences with mobile phones, also
mentioning the technical options presented by their own mobile device. This was followed
by a first group assignment relating to the photo functions of the devices.
The goal of this first practical phase was
to have each participant take three
photos with the mobile phone which
would, in a later step, be transferred to a
laptop. Small groups were formed so
that participants could explain the
functionality of their mobiles to one
another and provide mutual assistance
when necessary. It emerged that while
some participants already had extensive
experience with their devices and were familiar with the photo functions, others were
undertaking their first steps in this area. Indeed, the group was so diverse that several
participants had brought along devices without a camera. These were older persons, who
nevertheless enjoyed participating in the workshop. A few even bought a new mobile phone
before the next meeting so that they could be more actively involved in the workshop
happenings.
The next step consisted in transferring the outcomes from the mobiles phones to the laptop
of the trainer. This involved explaining the Bluetooth function and, in most cases, employing
it. Only on devices that did not support Bluetooth did the group resort to removing the chip
card from the phone and connecting it to the laptop. There was also a slight problem with
the iPhone of one participant, but this was solved by forwarding the photos to the trainer via
e-mail. Due to the WLAN connection in the Cross-Generational Centre, this did not lead to
any extra costs.
At the end of the first day, the participants were given a home assignment to be prepared by
the next meeting. They were asked to use the mobile phone as a diary, taking up to three
photos a day and, if possible, forwarding them to the trainer by e-mail right away – thus
saving the time at the beginning of the second workshop day that transfer via Bluetooth
would otherwise require.
Home assignment
A few outcomes of the home assignment:
The participants’ realisation of the home
assignment was quite diverse. Some took
only two or three pictures in the course of a
week, others took three or four per day and
actually achieved the effect of a photo
diary.
Second meeting
At the beginning of the second workshop meeting, the participants presented their home
assignments and discussed the outcomes. Of particular interest were the personal reports
on experience in handling the mobile phones. No one had any difficulty in taking pictures,
but only one participant had forwarded them in advance via e-mail. At home, most didn’t
have the media configuration necessary to complete this part of the assignment. It also may
have played a role that broad-band access is not fully available in a rural area such as the
Eifel.
The next learning step at this meeting was to go out together in Wittlich and document
locations the participants considered important for them in their home town. The idea was
that these photos would later be connected with a segment out of Google Maps to create a
“Seniors’ Map” of the town of Wittlich.
In search of suitable sites, the participants set out in small groups and produced their
photos.
Third meeting
The outcomes of the second meeting were viewed and assessed at the beginning of the third
meeting. First, with support from the trainer, the participants transferred their images to a
laptop via Bluetooth, e-mail, or chip card. Using the Picasa service of Google, they then made
them available to others in a web album. One advantage of Picasa is that it can be used free
of charge. Another is that the person posting the images can determine who will be allowed
access to them. Moreover, the user can connect the photos with Google Maps – in this case
achieving the desired effect of creating a town map of Wittlich from the seniors’ point of
view.
Particularly in this workshop phase, proceeding in distinct steps again emerged as an
advantage. The trainer gave a clear explanation of each exercise, oriented as closely as
possible to the needs and interests of the older participants. Some of them learned very
quickly how to handle Picasa and Google Maps. Others were content to have seen the
application and understood how it works.
Assessment and perspectives
The difficulty of making the workshop as homogeneous as possible – despite the greatly
varying levels of skill and the variety of technical equipment owned by participants – was
compensated by integrating the more experienced members of the group as peer-to-peer
trainers in individual work phases. There was also a certain amount of fluctuation within the
group, since the usual offerings at the cross-generational centre are not structured as
courses, with each meeting building upon the last, and thus in general do not require steady
attendance.
One possible further development of the scenario could be the production of an internet
offering as a space for exchange among older persons on their experience and their stories,
allowing others who are no longer mobile to participate in their lives. In this context, the
mobile character of the approach plays a major role.
As a medium for communication, the Picasa service portal can be used privately, by groups
of friends, or by institutions working in an educational context. It is possible to post peer-to-
peer offerings where more and less experienced users develop their mobile skills together,
for example in the form of a “mobile café”, or to create family offerings for older persons
and their grandchildren.
This learning scenario can also serve as a basis for producing a town map for older persons
that expands dynamically as elements are added.
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