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M-learning for PDAs:Enhancing the Flexibility of Distance Education – Designing and Trying out a Learning Environment for Mobile Distance Learners
”Life Long Learning in the Networked World”
Hong Kong, 18-21 February 2004
Truls Fagerberg, Systems Developer
Torstein Rekkedal, Professor, Director R & D
NKI Distance Education
Norway
M-learning for PDAs: Overview
NKI Distance Education and Online Education
Basic philosophies when developing system for m-learning
Developing the environment for m-learning
The two courses developed and trialled
Experiences
NKI
The NKI Group – a non-profit foundation in education:
NKI Distance Education: Each year around 15,000 active students 100 programmes and 400 courses 60 programmes and 380 courses on the Internet
The Norwegian School of Information Technology (NITH) The Business Training Centre (NA) NKI Publishing House NKI Distance Education
NKI and Online Education
NKI Distance Education/NKI Internet College Online distance teaching since 1987 In continuous operation Integrated research/educational development/technological
development ’Mainstream’ technology
5800 students in 40 countries
380 courses/60 study programmes
Distance Learning – Flexibility and Mobility D-learning, e-learning and m-learning
“E-learning is the collection of teaching – and information packages – in further education which is available at any time and any place and are delivered to learners electronically. They contain units of information, self-testing batteries and tests, which allow a quick self-evaluation for quick placement. E-learning offers more lower level learning goals. Higher order goals like understanding, reasoning and (moral) judging are more difficult to achieve. They require an individualised interactive discourse and can hardly be planned” (Dichantz 2001)
“The term ‘mLearning’ has lately emerged to be associated with the use of mobile technology in education. It seems, however, that it is used in commercial purposes rather than as an educational concept. We wonder if the term is a commercial trick to market technology and educational services or if it is an emerging concept that educationalists should take seriously.” (Sariola et al. 2001)
Flexibility in distance education
Models of teaching and learning Distance Education:
Individualised Flexible Teaching
or Teaching in ’The
Extended Classroom’
NKI basic philosophies concerning distance learning
Student autonomy and flexibility
Flexible and individual distance teaching with the student group as social and academic support for learning
Views of knowledge and learning
The result of learning is a change in the student’s perceptions Learning is a qualitative change in understanding Learning is an active process Learning is a socially supported individual process
Designing the Environment for Mobile Learners
Studying online and offline
Technology: Content and communication:Pocket PC/PDA Learning content to be downloaded
Mobile phone Online access to forums for reading/writing
Portable keyboard E-mail communication with attachments
Technical solution:
Students’ and tutor’s use of technology when mobile
When mobile the students must be able to:
Study the course materials Make notes Write assignments Access Forum to read Access Forum to submit contributions Send e-mail to fellow students Receive e-mail from fellow students Submit assignments by e-mail including attachments Receive assignments corrected and commented on by the tutor
The trials
The courses:
1. The tutor in distance education (Norwegian version)
2. SPICE 603 Online Teaching and Learning
The trials
Experimental conditions:
First trial: Simulated learning situation
Evaluation methods and procedures:
Field study
Qualitative process evaluation
Final ’quantitative’ questionnaire
Second trial: Real course with real students in real setting
Results
The participant’s study situationStudents and tutors working with the course at home, at the office and on
travel Downloading and synchronizing learning content
Technology: Broadband, LAN, modem, ISDN and mobile – few problems
Reading and studying on the PDA:E-book version preferred before HTML
Contribution to Forum via PDA and mobile phone:Direct access to Forum, preprepared message, fast connection
Assignment for submission via mobile technology:Few problems, acceptable costs
Tutor on the move
The tutor commenting assignments and writing to the course forum from the Düsseldorf Himmelturm Restaurant
Conclusions
Mobile technology may increase the flexibility of distance teaching The technology functioned according to expectations Participants’ views varied – from enthusiastic to quite reserved The students expressed very different views concerning reading from a small screen Institutional challenges for systems development to cater for mobile and not mobile learners Technical problems exist, but are continuously reduced through software and hardware developments Portable keyboard is necessary for efficient use of the PDA as a teaching and learning tool We need better solutions for browsing web pages Mobile communication is still expensive – especially from abroad We are uncertain whether a future solution for mobile learning is solved by
Mobile phone and pda Hybrid (pocket phone/computer) Laptop with mobile connection Other solutions (?)
The New Project
M-learning – the next generation of learning
NKI main goal: Research solutions to increase the flexibility of online distance education
The main challenge is to design solutions for learners who are users of mobile technology and wish to study also when on the move, that also allow other students to apply standard technology.
The solutions must be designed in ways to allow both groups to participate in the same course. We must look for solutions that are optimal for distributing content and communication in courses, independent on whether the students and tutors apply mobile technology or standard PC and Internet connection for teaching or learning.
There is no doubt that NKI Distance Education faces a large challenge in further developing server side solutions and methodology that include the use of mobile technology for serving our mobile distance learners more efficiently.
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