Go Mobile! Advantages, Issues, and Examples of Mobile Technologies in Distance Education

Marguerite KooleInstructional Media Analyst & Program Administrator (EdD)Athabasca University

Go Mobile

Introductions Your experience with mobile learning Go mobile: first steps Advantages & Challenges Theory Development recommendations Evaluating mobile sites MobiGlam Conclusions References & Resources

Introductions

Your expertise Your interest in mobile learning

Demographics

Who uses SMS regularly? Who has never used SMS? Who has used a cell phone to

check: the weather? movie listings? browse the Internet?

Who is currently involved with delivering learning materials by mobile?

First Steps . . .

Setting the baseline Familiarize yourself with your device

Navigation Input/output

Send me an SMS Visit this website on your device:

http://cdenews.mofuse.mobi/ If you are on a computer:

http://mtld.mobi/emulator.php http://www.opera.com/mini/demo/

Query

What are some potential uses of mobile devices in learning?

Advantages? Challenges? What kinds of systems & tools

can be used for m-Learning?

Theory: The FRAME Model

(L) Mental, emotional& physiological characteristics

(L) Mental, emotional& physiological characteristics

(S) Social & culturalCharacteristics(S) Social & culturalCharacteristics

(D) Technical Characteristics-Specifications: physical, electronic

(D) Technical Characteristics-Specifications: physical, electronic

Context: The learning systemrests within a context of data or informationwaiting to be transformedinto meaning

Context: The learning systemrests within a context of data or informationwaiting to be transformedinto meaning

(DL) Usability- How the learnerinteracts with thedevice

(DL) Usability- How the learnerinteracts with thedevice

(LS) Constructivism - How learnerinteracts with otherswithin his/her socio-cultural environment

(LS) Constructivism - How learnerinteracts with otherswithin his/her socio-cultural environment

(DS) Information transfer- How data &information is transferredbetween people & systems

(DS) Information transfer- How data &information is transferredbetween people & systems

Theory

DLS: Mobile Learning

Practical Issues

Limitations Transparency Chunking Flexibility Information access Cognitive & social

Evaluate Mobile Sites

Using the chart provided, access these mobile sites with a mobile device & evaluate the experience.

1. http://library.athabascau.ca/drr/index2_m.php

2. http://www.eslau.ca/

3. http://library.athabascau.ca/

Mobile Moodle

MobiGlam Video: http://cde.athabascau.ca/umlautm/videos/Intro_mobi.ram

Moodle site Register your device

Video: http://cde.athabascau.ca/umlautm/videos/screen2_mobi.ram

Navigation Video: http://cde.athabascau.ca/umlautm/videos/cell_phone.ram

Administration interface Emulator

Conclusion

Query: additional comments?

References & Resources

Ally, M. (2005). Multimedia information design for mobile devices. In M. Pagani (Ed.), Encyclopedia of multimedia technology and networking. (). Hershey, PA: Idea Group Inc.

Elsayed Meawad, F., & G. Stubbs. (2007). A service oriented approach towards large scale deployment of mobile learning. Unpublished manuscript.

Koole, M. (2006). The framework for the rational analysis of mobile education (frame) model: An evaluation of mobile devices for distance education. Unpublished Athabasca University, Athabasca.

Koole, M. (2009). Chapter 2: A model for framing mobile learning. In M. Ally (Ed.), Mobile learning: Transforming the delivery of education and training (1st ed., pp. 25-47). Edmonton, Alberta: AU Press. (http://www.aupress.ca/index.php/books/120155)

Sharples, M. (2005). Towards a theory of mobile learning. Retrieved August 3, 2007, from http://www.mlearn.org.za/CD/papers/Sharples-%20Theory%20of%20Mobile.pdf

More Resources

MOMO: Mobile Moodle http://www.mobilemoodle.org/momo18/

SMS Gateway http://smsgateway.ca/default.aspx

AU Digital Reading Room (Mobile)http://library.athabascau.ca/drr/index2_m.php

AU Digital Libraryhttp://library.athabascau.ca/

AU Mobile ESL Project http://www.eslau.ca/

AU School of Computing Mobile Learning Project http://scis.athabascau.ca/research/enhanced_mobile.jsp

mLearning Consortium (McGraw-Hill Ryerson Ltd.) http://www.mcgrawhill.ca/college/mlearning/