New definitions of mobile learning
I’m thinking about mobile learning - how it will work, and why it is significant. Gary Woodill’s recent paper provides a simple, and helpful description:
True mobile learning is personalized learning that unites the learner’s context with cloud computing, using a mobile device.
Clearly, electronic devices that allow access (at least intermittently) to the information-cloud are essential to mobile learning. Fine. Right now, by using an RSS feed and an iPod you are pretty much in the mobile learning club. ‘Mobile’, to me, is not an end in itsellf. It should merely seek to integrate, or blend, the broader learning experience.
Clearly, however, all of this is going to get more sophisticated. I also agree that personalization is of real significance in mobile learning. Personalization is an unstoppable trend - the iPhone 3G is basically a personal, ubiquitous, hand-held computer. (Personalization to me, is analagous to learning on your terms.) That’s fine too. However, these are characeristics of the technology, rather than the learning and we know from previous experience that just building out the tech is not enough. There needs to be something else in the equation.
The most obvious characteristic of mobile learning is the freedom - no walls, no schedules, no time or location confines. But in order to take advantage of all the freedom the mobile learner must be empowered to meet certain learning criteria: to access, to manage, to participate in the right information, and the right conversations, at the right time. (Of course, only the individual can know what the ‘right’ means here.) Again, this is something that goes beyond the technology. In my view, it might come down to communities of pactice as a source of those things.
There is a pull here, between the personal and the social: It doesn’t matter how smart or personal your phone is, learning remains social, a ‘conversation’, in Mike Sharples words, rather than a solitary activity. Let’s not make the mistake of thinking of the device is the source of the learning. It isn’t. But it can become one (integrated) conduit of that learning as conversation.
I see other things emerging from my direct experience with producing mobile lessons. Here are a few quick observations that will be relevant, I think, going forward:
One: Learning content has to be engaging. Regardless of how sexy the iPhione is, it’s not the plumbing that counts, it’s what you do with it.
Two: The medium is the message. You can’t just pile extraneous content onto the mobile medium and expect it to work. The best learning content will be designed for the medium.
Three: Learning objects, ideally need to be manageable, searchable, sharable, and ‘device agnostic’ - again, designed for the medium.
Four: The user’s history of collaboration, and other learning interaction must be accessible over the devices
Five: Not every type of learning will work on the mobile medium.
As I say, I think Praxis Language are already operating in the realms of mobile learning through ChinesePod and the rest. Now it’s time to explore it in more depth. (I think we will be hearing more from Hank Horkoff in this regard.)
Ken Carroll
July 17th, 2008 at 5:56 am
Ken,
I found shaking my head in agreement with you as I read this article.
It occurs to me that there will be many “classes” of mobile learning most of which will be defined increasing by the kind of interaction that one is in with one’s environment.
On one end of the spectrum, for purposes of discussion, there will be the solitary, individual unconnected to others who uses a device for his/her primary input.
At the other end will be a group of people (2+) using the device in close physical or electronic proximity to each other to accelerate interaction.
On one side, you will find people in a condition of limited social contact and low authentic interaction. On the other side, high social contact and high levels of authentic interaction.
Of course this begs the question of what constitutes authentic interaction.
I think it would be a mistake to say that one end of the spectrum is inherently better than the other end because at times each end will offer the customer something different.
I say this fully recognizing that language learning is at times both intensely social and intensely personal. There needs to be times for both although I think the social becomes comparatively more important at higher levels.
One key to getting a handle on this is to figure out what quality, authentic interaction is and how it can be stimulated or simulated.
A mobile program that could address both ends of this spectrum would probably end up being a killer app.
July 18th, 2008 at 11:11 pm
Hi Ken,
I think possible one of the “side evolutions” of language learning would be something like the merging of online languages resources delivered like ChinesePod with Multi-user Online games. I’m not talking about ‘World of Podcraft’ specifically, but maybe a blending of something like ChinesePod with Habbo.com which is a virtual teen hangout.
Imagine a virtual world that you could log in, do language challenges (”quests”) and build up from being a newbie to a master. Along the way you could compete in language games with like-skilled individuals, before you unlock areas of the virtual world that are open to people who have mastered the previous areas.
It might seem a bit out-of-reach, but then I’m sure thats what alot of people thought about delivering language learning online, but you’ve shown that this is more than feasible, highly practical and also very valuable!
Indeed, the growing web2.0 and mobile capabilities will make it a very interactive connected world, there’s more positives in that then negatives.
July 19th, 2008 at 12:28 am
Michael, my old contrarian friend! Good comments. Traditional education , particularly in China, is anything but a conversation. Learners tend to think of learning as something they need to memorize, so they sequester thenselves for years from any real social contact and concentrate on propositions about the language rather than engaging in the thing. There is a place for both types but the conversational aspect is utterly missing here.
Nigel, I actually know very little about computer games or Second Life but I guess it’s time to start looking into them.
Ken
October 7th, 2008 at 4:17 am
[…] recorded first by unknownmarketer on 2008-10-06→ New definitions of mobile learning […]