Mobile learning in higher education - updated

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DIVISION OF LEARNING AND TEACHING SERVICES

Mobile Learning in Higher Education

Assoc Prof Philip UysDirector, Strategic Learning and Teaching Innovation

Division of Learning and Teaching Services Charles Sturt University, Australia

[email protected]

Keynote presentation at the Australasian Council on Open, Distance and E-Learning (ACODE) 59 workshop. Melbourne, Australia.



1. Introduction

2. Examining the impact of mobile devices on higher education

3. Investigating mobile learning for Charles Sturt University

4. Identifying and overcoming ethical, educational, technical and general challenges

5. Implementing a mobile learning strategy

6. Summary



1. Introduction- Involvement: Sponsor CSU mLearn project; 2011 mlearning seminars in SA; judge of GSMA's 17th Global Mobile Awards (Best Mobile Innovation for Education or Learning); attended the mLearnCon conference in San Jose last week.

- mlearning- mLearning is about supporting the mobility of the learner (anywhere, anytime) with contemporary mobile devices

- We are using the students devices (not the institution’s) and moving into their world in a more direct and personal way

- Synchronous and asynchronous

- Offline and online

- Social/conversational

- On-demand learning: more often than online learning, but shorter periods of access

- With the expectation to continue on other devices

- Tablets has accelerated the growth and demand for mobile learning



2. Examining the impact of mobile devices on higher education

- general access to the “University”; learning and teaching; research – will focus on the impact on learning in this presentation



- CSU Ed Tech survey responses June 2010 (n=4000)

• 87% of students want to revisit work from lectures on their handheld/mobile device

• Students were evenly split (50/50) among those who wish to access on campus information; subject information; subject readings; assessments or notifications on a handheld/mobile device.

• Since 2005 we have surveyed our first year students in the School of Communication about a range of technology/media issues. Of the 207 surveyed in 2010 - 94% own a portable media player (e.g. iPod) and 80% use iTunes at least weekly.



- CSU website access through mobile devices per month:January 2012: 51, 533 visits (growth of more than 1000% since January 2010) iOS

accounted for 40,000. Total 245,508 unique visitors = 21% mobile

- Other needs at CSU:- CSU students doing fieldwork need to access CSU’s learning and teaching

systems wherever they are.

- The envisaged increase in students from lower SES backgrounds could see a decrease in privately owned laptops with a resultant higher ratio of mobile (small screen) devices

- Web content now “mobile first”



- some mlearning developments in Australasia and beyond• Take up by many universities in Australasia and internationally due to mobile capability of LMSs

• Abilene Christian University: initial findings from 2008 to 2009 were above 80% satisfaction and the last two years this has risen to over 90%.http://www.acu.edu/technology/mobilelearning/documents/ACU2009-10MobileLearningReport.pdf

(ACU, 2011) 84 percent of ACU's faculty reported using their devices frequently in class to facilitate enhanced classroom collaboration. 86 percent of students reported improved student-to-student and student-to-teacher collaboration when using mobile devices in the instructional process.

• Oklahoma State University reported 75% agreed or strongly agreed with the statement, “I think the iPad enhanced the learning experience of this course.”http://news.okstate.edu/press-releases/929-ipad-study-released-by-oklahoma-state-university

• Early pilot programs have found that students feel that mobile technology encourages exploration of additional course topics, helps manage time, provides new functions/tools, increases learning, and makes courses more interesting (University of Notre Dame, 2011) and provide additional motivation for learning (Bond University, 2011)



• The Horizon Project is a long-running qualitative research project that seeks to identify and describe emerging technologies likely to have a large impact on teaching, learning, research, or creative expression within learning-focused organisations. For the last three years mobile learning has featured as the number one emerging technology both internationally and in Australasia

• Mobile devices (such as Phones, Smart phones, PDA’s, Tablets, Netbooks and Portable Gaming Platforms) are more common and we are seeing an increase in usage of handheld ‘mobile’ devices by staff, community members and students. Many of these are Internet capable, able to connect to the Internet via a wireless connection, or via the 3G mobile phone network.

• A typical Smartphone has not only a wireless internet connection but a GPS, accelerometer, compass and multi-touch interface which can be developed to create a much more personal experience where content can be delivered, created and contextualized by a student’s physical location. http://www.lukew.com/resources/articles/MobileFirst_LukeW.pdf

• In the 3 years (2006-2009) mobile web traffic on the AT&T network in the USA increased 50 times AT&T, Morgan Stanley Research



• Tremendous growth in the number of new mobile devices, specifically tablets, expected over the next few years. Gartner predicts word wide rollout of 103.4 million in 2012 and 154.2 million in 2013http://printceo.com/2010/11/gartner%E2%80%99s-optimistic-predictions-of-tablet-growth/



• In the final quarter of 2010 Fortune reported that Smartphones outsold PCs for the first time – a full two years before the prediction by Morgan Stanley – and according to the UN Telecommunications Agency www.itu.int 77% of the world’s population now has mobile devices.

• By 2013, mobile phones will overtake PCs as the most common Web access device worldwide – Gartner Inc, 2010http://www.gartner.com/it/page.jsp?id=1278413

• By 2015, 80% of people accessing the Internet will be doing so from mobile devices – 2011 Horizon Reporthttp://wp.nmc.org/horizon2011/sections/mobiles/

The technology is here, ready, available and in widespread use

BUT

availability does not mean that students are demanding it or that by itself it has potential to enhance learning



“There is something counter-intuitive but familiar about this approach to technology: new technologies often heralded and sold as “revolutionary,” are deployed to do the same old things” (p. 11).

Hanley, L. (2011). Teacher as bricoleur. Radical Teacher, 90, 9-14.

Impact on learning



- focus in this presentation on distinctive aspects compared to f2f and distance education

Such as using the:

1.inherent affordances of mobile devices themselves (mobility, GPS, etc.)

as well as the

2. functionality on the devices (apps)



- A few standout items of the “24 benefits of mobile learning - Marcus Boyes”

-1.Relevance: mobile learning enables training and evidence

collection to be ‘situated rather than simulated’ and so it makes

learning possible at the point of need e.g. Induction

- 2. Elimination of technological and acceptance barriers: the use of a learner’s own mobile device means they are already familiar with the technology, eliminating technological barriers to accessing learning.

- 3. Context sensitive learning: with GPS and the use of QR codes learning can become specific to a location



Distinctive capabilities in learning and teaching through (personas):

1. Students accessing learning materials

2. Performing learning tasks

3. Participating in learning interactions

4. Performing assessment tasks

5. Students accessing learning support

6. Evaluating teaching



Designing Content for Multiple Devices; Brandon Carson, Michelle Lentz



Dell’s use of mobile training (MLearnCon)

How Dell Is Building and Implementing Mobile Learning Alex Turkovic







a. eBooksMartha (28) is studying by distance. Whilst on the train she is able to browse books and resources in an online store on her iPad. Before she reaches her destination she has read a few samples and chosen to purchase an eBook of her prescribed text so she can avoid lugging the large volume print copy to and from work.



b. Pod/VodcastsRachel (43) has two children and is enrolled in CSU through distance education. She uses mobile technology mostly to complete her readings while on the move. She is able to access podcasts of her lectures while she is preparing dinner using iTunesU, and on her hands free mobile phone while travelling to work and socially



3. Performing learning tasks



a. ResearchAndre (42) is a 4th year education student on practicum in a small country town teaching year 2 children. He uses an iPad to find relevant articles and add it to “Instapaper” to read later (“Instapaper” also allows Andre to change the font, size and colour.)



b. ePortfolio/Personal Learning SystemLiz (24) is a final year student in B. Information Studies (Distance Ed only), currently studying Social Networking in Info Studies subject. She is able to update her ePortfolio using her smartphone to keep a record of any meetings that she will have in regards to work or study. She also uses the Pebble Pad application on her smart phone to document emergent,unintentional learning.



c. Mobile CaptureMick (44) is a mature age student, family man and farming outside Broken Hill. He is in his second year of study doing an joint agricultural /health science diploma by DE. Out in the field, where there is no network connection, Mick is still able to use his phone to take photos of examples from his study guide which are also geo-tagged. When he is back at the homestead he is able to upload them to the forums for discussion with his peers.. This supports contingent learning (reacting to the environment and changing experiences), and situated learning (learning takes place in the surroundings that make learning meaningful).

send x-ray with comments to academic for upload/upload in LMS send x-ray with comments to academic for upload/upload in LMS send x-ray with comments to academic for upload/upload in LMS

Mick also sends x-rays from outstations with comments to the academic for upload in the LMS, or sometimes upload it himself at the homestead.



d. Geo-taggingKevin (20) is a student in environmental science who with fellow students visits a natural reserve near Sydney where various plants and trees are geo-tagged to deliver online information and enhance users’ experiences via photo, video, audio and text; on the user’s mobile device. Kevin can add to the information which is then available to his peers. It is developed as an environmental teaching tool as well as an eco-guide for natural reserves and parks.



e. SMS Michael (23) is a final year Vet student. He has a basic mobile phone (not a smart phone). He accesses CSU’s intelligent mobile answer engine that delivers knowledge bits over SMS. The return SMS will contain the exact answer to the query and not links to answers.



4. Participating in learning interactions



a. CHATAndre (42) is a 4th year education student on practicum in a small country town teaching year 2 children. He uses an iPad to access his Learning Management System modules and communicates with other students in the class using the chat tool. In addition, he belongs to a Mixit study group where he also participates actively in chats. He is also an expert on using his mobile phone to participate in Twitter discussions.



b. Messaging System - the Learning Management SystemPete (41) is an academic teaching a distance education cohort in the Outback, with only two residential schools per session per year. His students in the region have intermittent Internet access at best and the mobile networks are far more robust. Pete sends notifications to students (using SMS) regarding the availability of new Internet resources as they are posted so students know when they need to get online.



c. Web Application ClientLiz (24) is a final year student in Bachelor of Information Studies currently studying a Social Networking subject. The class is immersed and engaged with variety of Web 2.0 tools integrated in Sakai OAE. Using a web application client, the class is able to aggregate and share content on their Galaxy Tablet from a variety of sites and applications in one central location. For Liz this is a great time saver. She can also use tools she is already using and familiar with. This supports personalised learning (learning is customised for the preferences, history and abilities of individual learners or groups of learners).



5. Performing assessment tasks



a. Self Assessment ToolsJames (29) is studying a health science degree. James is about to undertake a multiple choice test on the train as part of his subject revision. To access this, James uses his tablet and an environment specifically designed for mobile use. Once complete, James will get instantaneous feedback from the test and see where he may need to focus his studies for the exam



b. OLE Access – online assignment submission Sam (28) is a trainee parks manager completing a Bachelor of Environmental Sciences. Sam is struggling to connect to anything because of his location (very remote). Sam struggles with a poor internet connection on his homestead but is able to get mobile reception in some locations with higher elevation. Sam is able to take his tablet computer and submit his assessments using his mobile connection saving a long trek into town. Mobile learning thus addresses geographical or spatial distance.



c. Radio-frequency identification (RFID) James (29) is studying a health science degree. He is required to attend a trade fair in Sydney and check in with at least half of the stalls at the fair. RFID uses radio waves to transfer data from an electronic tag attached to the student, through a reader for the purpose of identifying and tracking the object. Students wear RFID bracelets that connects them to their Facebook and Twitter pages. At each station they scan their bracelet and have a post or tweet automatically sent to their pages.





a. Learning Support Tools and SMSRobyn (58) is a mature age student returning to study after 25 years in the workforce. She is struggling with the Learning Management System that is so different from how she studied when she got her degree. Fortunately she is able to access a range of resources and tools to help her, including interactive tutorials so she is able to see how things work. She has to contribute to a Wiki in one of her subjects and after watching a video showing how wiki formatting is done she feels more confident. She has downloaded a cheat sheet to her mobile that lists all the codes so she can refer to it quickly whenever and wherever she needs to.

Furthermore, she has elected to receive targeted SMS messages such as reminders of assessments and encouraging messages at crucial milestones.



6. Evaluating teaching



a. Classroom FeedbackLeanne (31) - first year academic teaching Accounting. It’s her first full time teaching position and she is nervous about her performance and she will be in charge of reviewing and updating the subject next session. Leanne wants to ensure that she is engaging with the students, that they are finding the subject information useful and the assessments beneficial so she has deployed a range of feedback tools to her subject materials through mobile devices. Students can “like” and rate sections of the online modules as well as make comments, which are recorded anonymously. Students have already commented on a number of areas that are difficult to understand and she now knows that they need further development. Students are able to update their comments simultaneously, using a smart phone.



3. mLearning at CSU



http://www.csu.edu.au/division/lts/docs/role/ltsystemsdashboard.pdf



2011 - 2013 mLearn project at CSU

Implementation thus far:- 2012 iTunesU (private) with CSU Replay- since 2008 podcast tool in Interact: 2011 in 714 subject sites, out of approx 3600 sites = 20%- since 2010 ePortfolio/PLE system mobile web and iPhone/iPad app





http://eportfolio.csu.edu.au/pebblepad/mobile



• General mobile access available since mid-2011: mobile web available targeting iphones and android phones http://m.csu.edu.au



- 2011 TO 2013 to expand mlearning and explore sustainability issues (around $.5 million):

1. Mobilise specific features and tools from Interact (CSU’s learning management system Sakai) then Interact 2 (Sakai OAE) as a whole (2013)

2. Run trials of tablet devices: nuclear medicine; eCommerce; education

3. Develop mobile friendly media-rich learning materials, and

4. Mobilise the subject evaluation system.



Phase One trials:

1. Nuclear medicine: interactive elements to the classroom using responseware (clicker app); an information access point and communication tool for students on placement; Use multimedia capabilities to record learning practice in a video diary

2. eCommerce (ITC594 E-commerce Technologies): multiple cohorts; mobile technology and e-commerce; students create and develop content for assessment directly on the device

3. Education (EML302 Investigation: Literacy): create multimodal text; participate in weekly tutorial sessions with the iPad; develop writing tasks using the iPad; post writing tasks to a class blog



Phase Two trials:

1.Demonstrating mathematics using an iPad.A combined trial involving academics teaching mathematics across the university - in Physics, Business and in Learning Skills

2.Apps in Nursing: Simulation and Resources.Use of simulation application and digital copies of traditional paper based resources.

3.iPads for Accessibility.iPads given to disability students to assess the capabilities, improvements and accessibility.

4.Online Tutorials from an iPad.Investigate the ability of staff to run online tutorials with students from an iPad.

5.iPads for Teaching.Academics from a number of schools including nursing, community health and environmental science will use iPads in their teaching practice and assess suitability as a platform for a range of tasks from including in the classroom, to create content, paperless marking & integrating social media.

6.Class TrialsOne set to be used writing subjects to assess their ability and provide a platform for paperless marking and use of social media. The other in a class Understanding Digital Media with advertising and communication students.



4. Identifying and overcoming ethical, educational, technical and general challenges



Ethical issues

• Inequity across different socio-economic groups and ability to use the technology – organisation could provide; alternatives; decreasing cost of devices; blended • Radiation: disputes around tumour creation, impact on fertility - appropriate risk reduction strategies• Negative impact on sight and hearing – blended learning



• Mobile use in class, and in assessment contexts



Educational issues• Integrated within blended and flexible learning

• Deep versus shallow learning



• In-the-flesh communication vs mediated

• Appreciate diversified learning preferences

• Respect cognitive load (“head space”)

• Limitations of multi-tasking



• Redefined role of the teacher/educator?

• Informal/mobile language acceptable?



Technical issues

• Variable access (regional and rural Australia) – National Broadband Network



• strain on wireless networks (Stanford; Duke:

3 years to expand wireless andcellular coverage to 95 % of themajor areas on campus)

http://www.ausnetech.com.au/images/cartoons/sept2004.gif



• Variable platforms (apps against open “web” philosophy), create once, publish everywhere – the promise of HTML5



General issues

• Is it a fad?

Gartner’s Hype cycle

• Spaces are not neutral e.g. in evaluation



• Academic needs



5. Implementing a mobile strategy



- a mobile learning strategy has three variables: LAP model

adjusted from http://www.slideshare.net/dmolsenwvu/developing-a-progressive-mobile-strategy-bdconf-version



Clark Quinn







CSU’s potential Mobile Learning Framework (to be followed by a Plan)

• Background• Purpose• Context• Introduction

1.Aims and objectives of mobile learning2.Definition of “mobile learning”

• A vision for the use and research of mobile learning1.Vision 2.Objectives

• Key drivers • Key values and principles of using mobile learning• Principles governing the introduction of mobile learning• Strategies for increasing the appropriate use of mobile learning• Areas for development and review of policies to guide practice across CSU• Principles and standards of the required systems environment and infrastructure • Strategies for professional development and training • Principles about support for the use of mobile learning • The governance structure supporting mobile learning including committees • High level indicators of successful mobile learning at CSU



Ric Canale: mLearning Policy

Roger Cook: mLearning Guidelines



Building mLearning content- Integrate as part of the learning process

i.e “doing” and interactivity, not just listen/read (supported by mlearning)

(Traditional: Learning outcomes learning content)



- Select the apps to be used (especially free ones!) – distinctive of mlearning

http://langwitches.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Bloom-iPads-Apps.jpg



- consider platform: SMS / mobile web / mobile app (off-line + features of device e.g. Geo-location)

- consider special affordances of mobile devices that might add to the learner experience e.g. location/context awareness



One of the keys of a mobile learning strategy for higher education:

Produse: Use mobile learning to produce and consume

knowledge

Herrington, A., Herrington, J. & Mantei, J. (2009). Design principles for mobile learning. In J. Herrington, A. Herrington, J. Mantei, I. Olney, & B. Ferry (Eds.), New technologies, new pedagogies: Mobile learning in higher education (pp. 129-138). Wollongong: University of Wollongong. Retrieved from http://ro.uow.edu.au/edupapers/88/



URLsBibliography provided to ACODE members as take home resource

mLearn project at CSU

http://www.csu.edu.au/division/landt/resources/mobilelearning/index.htm

mLearning project blog

http://mlearnproject.wordpress.com/

Uys, Philip mLearning collectionhttp://www.globe-online.com/mobilelearning

24 benefits of mobile learning, by Marcus Boyes

http://insights.elearningnetwork.org/?p=507

mLearning in Higher Education (Curated by Tim Klapdor)

http://www.scoop.it/t/mlearning-in-higher-education



Design principles for mobile learninghttp://ro.uow.edu.au/edupapers/88/

Top 50 Mobile Learning Resources

http://www.upsidelearning.com/blog/index.php/2009/11/02/top-50-mobile-learning-resources

ADL Mobile Learning Handbook

https://sites.google.com/a/adlnet.gov/mobile-learning-guide/home

Top 50 mLearning Resources

http://www.slideshare.net/UpsideLearning/top-50mlearningmobilelearningresources



- On-demand learning: more often than online learning, but shorter access periods chunking – example of technology changing pedagogy

-

- Seek out appropriate apps

- Use the inherent affordances of the mobile devices

6. Summary



- Use mobile learning to generate knowledge - We are in their world: the learning is more personal

-

- “Mobile first” – for new content- New opportunity – fresh start – reboot!-



Thank you

Assoc Prof Philip Uys

Director, Strategic Learning and Teaching Innovation Division of Learning and Teaching Services

Charles Sturt University, Australia<[email protected]>

Slides available from www.globe-online.com/philip.uys