2006 SICET Summer Fellowship Program, CUHK and SCNU, May 23 – 26, 2006

Teaching Without Classroom Wall: Lessons Learned

Series 2

M-learning: Teaching and Learning with PDAs

Steve C. Yuen, Ph.D.Professor

The University of Southern Mississippisteve@yuen.us

Overview

• Background• What is M-Learning• Why M-Learning• Mobile Technologies• PDA in Teaching and Learning• My PDA project at USM

The Status of Learning

The evolution in education and training at a distance can be characterized as a move from d-Learning (distance learning) to e-Learning (electronic learning) to m-Learning (mobile learning).

d-Learning e-Learning m-Learning

“m-Learning is the intersection of mobile

computing and e-learning, that includes

anytime, anywhere resources; strong

search capabilities; rich interaction;

powerful support for effective learning; and

performance-based assessment".

[Clark Quinn, 2000]

Source: Quin, C. (2000). mLearning: Mobile, Wireless, In-Your-Pocket Learning.

What is m-Learning?

What is m-Learning?

• Refers to the use of mobile and handheld devices, such as PDAs, mobile phones, smart phones, laptops, and tablet PCs, in teaching and learning.

• Mobile implies movement and mobility. Likewise, m-learning implies the opportunity to learn 'on the go'.

Source: Vänskä, R. K. (2004). E4 Mobile Learning in Europe: A Multidisciplinary Approach

From e-Learning to m-Learning

• Logical and natural extension of e-learning.• Has the potential to further expand where,

how, and when we learn and perform in all the aspects of our life.

• Has the potential for increasing productivity by making learning available anywhere and anytime.

• Allow learners to participate in educational activities without the restrictions of time and place.

• The Future of Learning: From eLearning to mLearning – Keegan 2003

m-Learning Era• Over 50% of all employees spend up to half of their time

outside the office. • The average employee had less than 3 days of training

in 2003. • 1 billion wireless Internet subscribers worldwide by

2005. • Multi-purpose handheld devices (PDA and telephones)

will out sell laptop/desktop computers combined by 2005.

• Most major US companies will either switch to or adopt wireless networks by 2008.

• The wireless market will grow at 10% compound annual growth rate through 2008.

• Global sales of smart phones will reach 170 million in 4 to 5 years, compared slightly more then 20 million in 2004.

Source: Empowering Technologies, Inc. http://www.empoweringtechnologies.net/mobile.htm

Why m-Learning?

• Enhance learner success• Real world skills• Lifestyle• Access your learning

materials from anywhere, anytime

• Just-in-time learning/reference tool for quick access to data in the field

• Interact with others• Collaborate learning

m-Learning

New Learning Paradigms Mobile Technologies

Individual / Learner Centered Personalized Services

Collaborative Learning Networked / Wireless

Situated Learning Mobile / Wearable

Contextual Learning Context Awareness

Ubiquitous Ubiquitous

Life Long Durable

Source: Ferscha, A. (2002). Wireless Learning Networks, Grundlagenkonferenz e-elearning, Wien

Mobile Technologies

• PDAs• Mobile phones• Tablet PCs• Wearable

computers• E-book readers• Hybrid devices

Windows XP Tablet + Pocket PC + Cell Phone

Mobile Phones

• Originally designed for voice transfer, but has recently also been used to transfer data such as SMS (Short Message Service) messages, and to access WAP (Wireless Application Protocol) pages.

• Users can surf the Web pages and also send and receive email via WAP.

Mobile Phones

• GPRS (General Packet Radio Service)• Always-on Internet service that permits mobile

phones to access the Internet without requiring slow-dial-up connections.

• Transfer speeds up to 170 kilobits per second.• SMS (Short Message Service)

• Allow single short messages of up to 160 characters to be passed between mobile phones, fax machines, or email addresses.

• MMS (Multimedia Messaging Service)• Make it possible to deliver and receive multimedia

content such as images, audio, and video sequences.

SMS (Short Message Service)

• 62% of all adults across the major European Countries now use a mobile phone.

• 41% of European adults use SMS, compared to 30% that use the Internet/email.

• SMS is particularly popular in the UK where 49% of adults use it, compared to 39% who are online

• In Germany, 43% of adults use SMS as opposed to 29% of adults who use the Internet/email.

• In France, 30% use SMS compared to 25% who go online [Gartner Group, 2002]

• In China, 33.8 billion text messages were sent in 2005. Compared to last year’s figure, there is a 65.7% increase. [Ministry of Information Industry, 2006]

Mobile Phone Technology

• GSM is the most common mobile phone technology today.

• Smart phone• 3G (3rd generation) phone

• Recently been launched in Europe and Asia.• Increase the data transfer rate up to 2 megabit

per second.• Allow users to make video calls and view

instructional and training video clips.• 4G (4th generation) Phone

• Achieve speeds of 100 megabits per second• Enable 3 dimensional virtual communications.• Available in 2010.

PDAs in Teaching & Learning

• Course management• Content Delivery• Assessment• Communications• Calculations• Research

Pownell-Bailey Leadership Model of Handheld Computing

Leadership Functions of Handheld Computers

Teaming and Collaborating

Gathering and Analyzing

Reference Information

Communicating

Learning and Self-Improvement

Organizing and Planning

Policies

Addresses Notes

Expenses

Diary and Journaling

Paging

Presentation

Wireless Communication

Project Scheduling

Team Planning

Beaming Information

Faxing

Email

Electronic Business Cards

Tutorials

Professional Articles

News Web Pages

Evaluations

Surveys

Budget Analysis

Network Logons and Passwords

Staff and student Information

Task List

Reminders

Scheduling

Sharing

PDAs in K-12 Education

• Northline Elementary School, Houston, TX• Sherrard Elementary School, Wheeling, WV• St. Vincent Ferrer School, Cincinnati, OH • Forsyth Country Day School, Winston-

Salem, NC• Consolidated High School District 230

Oakland Park, IL, Illinois• Derby High School, Derby, CT

PDAs in Higher Education

• University of South Dakota• www.usd.edu/palm/

• Indiana State University• odin.indstate.edu/mercury/

• Central Carolina Technical College• www.sum.tec.sc.us/wireless/

wireless.asp • University of Pennsylvania

• www.wharton.upenn.edu/spike/

• East Carolina University• www.ecu.edu/handheld/

• Carnegie Mellon University• www-2.cs.cmu.edu/~pebbles/

• Penn State Abington Campus • www.palm.com/education/studies/

study10.html• University of Minnesota at Duluth

• www.d.umn.edu/itss/computing/ipaq/

PDAs in Higher Education

• Harvard Medical School• avantgo.com/products/customers/demos/

harvard/harvard_casestudy.pdf• Pepperdine University School of Law

• www.palm.com/education/studies/study2.html• Kansas State University

• www.palm.com/education/studies/study11.html• Stanford University

• palm.stanford.edu• Wake Forest University

• www.palmone.com/us/enterprise/studies/study9.html

PDAs in Higher Education

My m-Learning Project at USM

• Funded by the Title III Faculty Technology Mentor Program, LEC and Summer Instructional Grant at USM

• Purposes:• Integrate PDA technology to foster active

and collaborative learning experiences in the classroom.

• Explore ways in which PDAs can be integrated seamlessly into the courses.

• Provide students with valuable insights into real-world applications of handheld technology.

Project Activities

• Re-design curriculum, instructional and learning activities

• Distribute class news, handouts, lecture notes, assignments, and collaborative projects with PDAs

• Manage attendance, assignment tracking, grades, and lesson planning

• Enable classroom communications -- email and Web access through WIFI or EthIR LAN

• Develop the class Mobile Web Channel using the AvantGo mobile Internet service.

Mobile Web Channels

• Provided by AvantGo Mobile Internet Service• Enable the student to subscribe class

channels, or Web pages, to download at regular intervals and store to read at a more convenient time

• Free for limited use• Access instructor information, course

information, class schedules, calendars, syllabi, assignments, lecture notes, resources and reference materials

AvantGo

Web Channels

Sample Mobile Sites

Sample Mobile Sites

Sample Mobile Sites

EthIR LAN• Clarinet LAN ESB301/3011b• Infrared network connectivity in the classroom• Support Palm, PocketPC, and Windows notebook• SNMP, DHCP or static IP address configurable• Up to 4Mbps, Wire and Wireless (802.11b )• Provide dedicated network access through IR

via TCP/IP/PPP for PDA and laptop users• Allow students to use their PDAs to:

• access the Internet • sync their PDAs with the class Web channel• send and check email

EthIR LAN

Clarinet LAN ESB301/3011b

IR Information Broadcasting

• Clarinet LAN ESB1000• Onboard memory to store large amount

of data for content beaming• 550 KB local storage

• Content beaming• on-demand by using a push button • programmable constant broadcasting

at predefined intervals • Deliver static contents such as

application software, instructional materials, class schedule, map, menu, etc. in the classroom

IR Information Broadcasting

Clarinet LAN ESB1000

Project Results

• Data collection is still ongoing• So far have been positive from both students and

instructor perspectives • PDAs provide students a dynamic and interactive

learning experience• Students found that PDAs give them more

flexibility in where, when, and how they interact with the learning materials, and allow them with different learning styles to learn successfully

• The use of PDAs enhances the classroom learning experience and allows students to participate and collaborate in a ways that would not be possible in a traditional classroom

Lessons Learned

• Problematic of delivering multimedia• Security issues• Low bandwidth• Could be a threat to classroom order and

student integrity• The strengths of m-Learning lie in a

communication approach rather than a content approach

• Not all courses are suited to the m-Learning environment

• Purely technical and practical courses are not suitable.

• Short courses and mainly theory and information type courses are suited to the mobile learning environment.

• The learning environment can be enhanced by the use of quizzes to test knowledge, summary of main learning points, and interaction with other students and the teacher via mobile learning devices.

Lessons Learned - Continued

Conclusions

• m-Learning may currently be most useful as a supplement to ILT, online learning and more traditional learning methods, but can do much to enrich the learning experience.

• As devices become integrated, and mobile phones combine PDA functions with cameras, video and MP3 players, and as tablets combine the portability of PDAs with the functionality of desktops, the world of learning becomes more mobile, more flexible, and more exciting.

• The success and impact of m-learning does not, however, solely depend on the technological developments and the possibilities they provide. The ability of educators to design and develop didactical sound m-learning opportunities and environments that enhances learning is imperative.

THE END

Questions or Comments?

This presentation is available on the Web at:

dragon.ep.usm.edu/~yuen/present/sicet/summer06.pdf