Since my last blog post a long time ago I have now successfully completed my MSc in Blended and Online Education with my final dissertation exploring student attitudes to the use of an app to learn vocabulary in English as a foreign language. I will maybe post something more detailed on that later but to sum it up, the students were very happy with the use of this tool and found it made learning more fun and less like hard work. Unfortunately the exam results for the vocabulary section showed no significant difference to previous ones but on the positive side there was no negative impact either. From what I have read and heard so far this seems to be a very typical result for this type of research.
Rather than discuss my findings, today I actually want to begin a series of posts on my experience at the 13th World Conference on Mobile and Contextual Learning which is now taking place in Istanbul. This is my first ever time at a real conference and also my first ever time in Istanbul and Turkey so there has been a lot to take in. The official conference doesn't begin until tomorrow but today there was a range of pre-conference workshops on offer for interested participants.
The full details of the conference can be found here. The first workshop I attended was on "iPads in Higher Education" and was hosted by Nicos Souleles and Fernando Loizides. The two hosts were actually joined by a string of guest presenters in the UK, Australia and the United States who talked about research they had been involved in. I knew that some universities, especially in the US, had sponsored iPads for their students but I was not aware of the scales involved. One university in Australia already has 30,000 iPads and will buy another 15,000 soon! One question none of us were able to answer is what the true benefits of mobile learning are and how we are able to implement them. The session ended with more answers and questions but with plenty to think about, I especially liked the summary from one study participant that iPads gave teaching staff "A licence to thrill"!
The afternoon's session was on "Using Free Tools and a Pedagogical Framework to Promote Teacher Efficacy with mLearning". In this session Rob Power, Dean Cristol and Belinda Gimbert shared their experiences using the CSAM framework (Collaborative-Situated-Active-Mobile) and in particular while using a free LMS called Canvas and a mobile website creation tool called Winkspace. The tools
did indeed seem easy to use and it was an interesting model. Rob was especially interested in creating reusable learning objects which seems like a very good idea so I will be tries to use this model in my future development work.
The conference proper begins tomorrow when there will undoubtedly be a whole lot more good ideas and interesting insights to take in.
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Montag, 3. November 2014
Mittwoch, 4. April 2012
Reflecting on the mobile learning webinar
My first ever webinar seemed like it was taking forever to arrive and then when it did come it was over in a flash. During my preparation I found myself revisiting a lot of material I had looked at in previous BOE modules as well as discovering lots of new information too. Now that the dust has settled it is time to reflect on the experience and what I have learnt from it.
At 7pm UK time on Tuesday the 20th of March I presented my webinar "Mobile learning: An introduction to theory and practice" via Napier's Elluminate web-conference platform. For anyone who missed the webinar it is possible to see the recording here. In order to make sure my memory isn't playing tricks on me and, more importantly, to experience the webinar as the students did, I have also played it back again to analyse it myself.
Firstly there were some interesting technical issues. I found talking to a group of students you cannot see and not being able to hear yourself either a very strange, eerie experience. I was also concerned by a constant background noise in my headset which was also present in the recording. This may be caused by the fan in my PC or perhaps another technical fault. If I was to be presenting webinars more often this is something I would definitely want to address.
Elluminate proved to be very straightforward to use and the eight students present were a mangeable amount. As I didn't know all of the students present I decided to begin with a short round of introductions to break the ice. This also revealed the first problem that not everyone present had a headset so some of the introductions took place purely as chat. And after the first person introduced themself via chat all the remaining participants did too, even the ones who seemed to have a headset. This is something that could be controlled a bit better next time.
Through my previous brief experience with Elluminate I learnt that it does not support the transitions that I typically use in my Powerpoint presentations. This time I was prepared for this and put additional information on separate slides to achieve the same effect. It was actually only in preparing for the webinar in a short session with Keith that I realised that Elluminate simply converts each Powerpoint slide into a graphics file which it then displays in the chosen order. This knowledge means that a different approach to presentation design has to be taken for webinars in comparison with traditional presentations.
During my webinar I also used Elluminate's question feature to get some input from the participants and encourage discussion. This feature was easy to use and I was able to switch between yes or no answers and multiple-choice (A, B or C) options. Unfortunately after one such question I was unable to remove the results box from the screen and was only able to do so by switching to the next slide. There is hopefully a proper way to hide the results which I can learn for use in the future.
At the end of the webinar I had left time for questions and a discussion but there was very little response from the audience. I hope this was due to them being satisfied rather than bored by the content. In my next post I will look at the results of the participants questionnaire which I asked everyone to complete. This will hopefully reveal how they really felt.
Neil
At 7pm UK time on Tuesday the 20th of March I presented my webinar "Mobile learning: An introduction to theory and practice" via Napier's Elluminate web-conference platform. For anyone who missed the webinar it is possible to see the recording here. In order to make sure my memory isn't playing tricks on me and, more importantly, to experience the webinar as the students did, I have also played it back again to analyse it myself.
Firstly there were some interesting technical issues. I found talking to a group of students you cannot see and not being able to hear yourself either a very strange, eerie experience. I was also concerned by a constant background noise in my headset which was also present in the recording. This may be caused by the fan in my PC or perhaps another technical fault. If I was to be presenting webinars more often this is something I would definitely want to address.
Elluminate proved to be very straightforward to use and the eight students present were a mangeable amount. As I didn't know all of the students present I decided to begin with a short round of introductions to break the ice. This also revealed the first problem that not everyone present had a headset so some of the introductions took place purely as chat. And after the first person introduced themself via chat all the remaining participants did too, even the ones who seemed to have a headset. This is something that could be controlled a bit better next time.
Through my previous brief experience with Elluminate I learnt that it does not support the transitions that I typically use in my Powerpoint presentations. This time I was prepared for this and put additional information on separate slides to achieve the same effect. It was actually only in preparing for the webinar in a short session with Keith that I realised that Elluminate simply converts each Powerpoint slide into a graphics file which it then displays in the chosen order. This knowledge means that a different approach to presentation design has to be taken for webinars in comparison with traditional presentations.
During my webinar I also used Elluminate's question feature to get some input from the participants and encourage discussion. This feature was easy to use and I was able to switch between yes or no answers and multiple-choice (A, B or C) options. Unfortunately after one such question I was unable to remove the results box from the screen and was only able to do so by switching to the next slide. There is hopefully a proper way to hide the results which I can learn for use in the future.
At the end of the webinar I had left time for questions and a discussion but there was very little response from the audience. I hope this was due to them being satisfied rather than bored by the content. In my next post I will look at the results of the participants questionnaire which I asked everyone to complete. This will hopefully reveal how they really felt.
Neil
Dienstag, 20. März 2012
The birth of mobile learning
A little research into the history of mobile learning reveals you that many researchers think that Alan Kay's "DynaBook" marks the dawn of mobile learning.
In a 1972 article in the Proceedings of the ACM Annual Conference entitled "A personal compiuter for children of all ages" (read an extract here), Kay described a device which could be carried anywhere, was no larger than a notebook, was connected to a global wireless network and cost less than $500.
However, if we agree with O'Malley et al.'s (2003) definition of mobile learning as
"Any sort of learning that happens when the learner is not at a fixed, predetermined location"
then the original mobile learning device is something else entirely. Rather than being the Dynabook the original mobile learning device must surely be the book! Gutenberg's development of moveable type meant that books could be printed much more quickly and cheaply than ever before. The availability of cheap books played a role in the Renaisance and the Enlightenment an as making knowledge available anytime and anywhere is one of the central tenets of mobile learning, I could therefore be argued that the introduction of moveable type means that mobile learning is an even older discipline than e-learning.
As always, youtube have a couple of amusing clips which illustrate the importance of this new technology:
Medieval Helpdesk
Did you know the BOOK?
Hope you enjoy the clips!
Neil
In a 1972 article in the Proceedings of the ACM Annual Conference entitled "A personal compiuter for children of all ages" (read an extract here), Kay described a device which could be carried anywhere, was no larger than a notebook, was connected to a global wireless network and cost less than $500.
However, if we agree with O'Malley et al.'s (2003) definition of mobile learning as
"Any sort of learning that happens when the learner is not at a fixed, predetermined location"
then the original mobile learning device is something else entirely. Rather than being the Dynabook the original mobile learning device must surely be the book! Gutenberg's development of moveable type meant that books could be printed much more quickly and cheaply than ever before. The availability of cheap books played a role in the Renaisance and the Enlightenment an as making knowledge available anytime and anywhere is one of the central tenets of mobile learning, I could therefore be argued that the introduction of moveable type means that mobile learning is an even older discipline than e-learning.
As always, youtube have a couple of amusing clips which illustrate the importance of this new technology:
Medieval Helpdesk
Did you know the BOOK?
Hope you enjoy the clips!
Neil
Montag, 19. März 2012
DIY mobile learning
Mobile learning has been on the "next big thing" lists of websites and journal articles for several years but for many people it still seems to be a complicated and expensive tool to implement. The American Society for Training and Development published an article by Naomi Norman in the December 2011 edition of T + D magazine with the promising title "Mobile learning made easy", read the article here.
The article reports on the results of research into mobile learning conducted for the NHS, an organization which has a huge need for flexible training due to the enormous amount of staff it has, many of whom work offsite or unsocial shifts. Amongst the key benefits of mobile learning identified are:
convenience
relevance
enhanced content retention
empowered learners
encouraged reflection
The study also notes that not everyone will want to use mobile learning so all courses prepared for Epic for the NHS are also available as e-learning. The physical limitations of mobile learning are also addressed in the report. For example, due to a very small or complete lack of physical keyboard writing long texts is not advisable and as learners will not sit using a mobile device for as long as they would sit at e-learning it is necessary to break the learning down into smaller chunks which can be completed more quickly.
The problem of compatibility is also addressed. Luckily the NHS, like many organizations, provides many staff with mobile devices so a certain amount of consistency is guaranteed. However, many people will prefer to use their own devices which may not be compatible with the official m-learning solution.
Exactly this problem and an answer to it are beautifully demonstrated by Dr Alisa Cooper in one of my favourite youtube videos on mobile learning (watch here). Alisa created an online class using a combination of a mobile-enabled Wordpress blog, embedded google docs, classmarker quizzes and youtube videos. This clearly demonstrates that with a little thought mobile learning doesn't have to be complicated or expensive to implement. I will certainly be looking at some of these ideas in designing my next mobile learning elements and I hope they will inspire some of you as well.
Neil
Sources
Mobile learning made easy, http://www.epic.co.uk/assets/files/ASTD_Mobile_Learning_Made_Easy.pdf [accessed 19.3.2012]
Mobile learning course overview, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Yasp9W70vw [accessed 19.3.29012]
The article reports on the results of research into mobile learning conducted for the NHS, an organization which has a huge need for flexible training due to the enormous amount of staff it has, many of whom work offsite or unsocial shifts. Amongst the key benefits of mobile learning identified are:
convenience
relevance
enhanced content retention
empowered learners
encouraged reflection
The study also notes that not everyone will want to use mobile learning so all courses prepared for Epic for the NHS are also available as e-learning. The physical limitations of mobile learning are also addressed in the report. For example, due to a very small or complete lack of physical keyboard writing long texts is not advisable and as learners will not sit using a mobile device for as long as they would sit at e-learning it is necessary to break the learning down into smaller chunks which can be completed more quickly.
The problem of compatibility is also addressed. Luckily the NHS, like many organizations, provides many staff with mobile devices so a certain amount of consistency is guaranteed. However, many people will prefer to use their own devices which may not be compatible with the official m-learning solution.
Exactly this problem and an answer to it are beautifully demonstrated by Dr Alisa Cooper in one of my favourite youtube videos on mobile learning (watch here). Alisa created an online class using a combination of a mobile-enabled Wordpress blog, embedded google docs, classmarker quizzes and youtube videos. This clearly demonstrates that with a little thought mobile learning doesn't have to be complicated or expensive to implement. I will certainly be looking at some of these ideas in designing my next mobile learning elements and I hope they will inspire some of you as well.
Neil
Sources
Mobile learning made easy, http://www.epic.co.uk/assets/files/ASTD_Mobile_Learning_Made_Easy.pdf [accessed 19.3.2012]
Mobile learning course overview, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Yasp9W70vw [accessed 19.3.29012]
Freitag, 2. März 2012
Social Media Learning in Action
Social learning and social media learning are two areas we have discussed in the past on the BOE programme. A very interesting article by Jane Hart at the elearningcouncil website explains the difference between the two:
http://www.elearningcouncil.com/content/social-media-learning-more-social-learning-jane-hart
Social learning is the older expression and literally just means any learning that takes place within a social i.e. group environment. Social media learning is a newer term with focuses on the use of social media (Web 2.0) in learning.
Although I have thought about social media learning before, this week I experienced a classic case of social media learning in action. Marty, a fellow BOE student, found an excellent article on mobile learning in the Social Learning Blog:
http://www.dashe.com/blog/mobile-learning/mobile-learning-more-than-just-mobile-learning
Being the socially-aware learner that he is, Marty shared his find with his twitter followers from his twitter account which is linked to his linkedin account. I then got an email from linkedin giving me the week's news which included this tweeted link. I now I am posting about this again in a blog which means the circle is complete - from blog post to micro blog post to social networking site back to a blog post again!
As I am preparing an webinar on mobile learning I found this post especially interesting. The first point the article makes is the difficulty in coming to a clear definition of mobile learning. Definitions seem to go into one of two camps emphasising either the technology (a mobile device) or the mobility of the learner. Luckily John Traxler is quoted who provides an extended definition which also addresses padagogical issues in mobile learning, including for example spontaneity, informality and bite-sized content.
A nice example of successful m-learning taken from Elliot Massie's 2008 report is also given. Merrill Lynch launched an inititative called GoLearn using BlackBerry devices to reach over 2,000 learners. The results of the user feedback at the end of the trial are clear - 100% said they would complete more training delivered in that format and 75% praised the benefits of the mobile course with regards to convenience and time management.
Unfortunately for myself and probably most other European lecturers in higher education, we don't have a grop of users with only one type and device and we certainly don''t have the budget that Merrill Lynch invested in this project. On the other hand, the results are very impressive and I hope that any m-learning we introduce will be equally well-received.
Neil
http://www.elearningcouncil.com/content/social-media-learning-more-social-learning-jane-hart
Social learning is the older expression and literally just means any learning that takes place within a social i.e. group environment. Social media learning is a newer term with focuses on the use of social media (Web 2.0) in learning.
Although I have thought about social media learning before, this week I experienced a classic case of social media learning in action. Marty, a fellow BOE student, found an excellent article on mobile learning in the Social Learning Blog:
http://www.dashe.com/blog/mobile-learning/mobile-learning-more-than-just-mobile-learning
Being the socially-aware learner that he is, Marty shared his find with his twitter followers from his twitter account which is linked to his linkedin account. I then got an email from linkedin giving me the week's news which included this tweeted link. I now I am posting about this again in a blog which means the circle is complete - from blog post to micro blog post to social networking site back to a blog post again!
As I am preparing an webinar on mobile learning I found this post especially interesting. The first point the article makes is the difficulty in coming to a clear definition of mobile learning. Definitions seem to go into one of two camps emphasising either the technology (a mobile device) or the mobility of the learner. Luckily John Traxler is quoted who provides an extended definition which also addresses padagogical issues in mobile learning, including for example spontaneity, informality and bite-sized content.
A nice example of successful m-learning taken from Elliot Massie's 2008 report is also given. Merrill Lynch launched an inititative called GoLearn using BlackBerry devices to reach over 2,000 learners. The results of the user feedback at the end of the trial are clear - 100% said they would complete more training delivered in that format and 75% praised the benefits of the mobile course with regards to convenience and time management.
Unfortunately for myself and probably most other European lecturers in higher education, we don't have a grop of users with only one type and device and we certainly don''t have the budget that Merrill Lynch invested in this project. On the other hand, the results are very impressive and I hope that any m-learning we introduce will be equally well-received.
Neil
Sonntag, 27. November 2011
Entering the world of tablet teaching.
As well as being a lecturer mainly teaching English as a Foreign Language I am also currently studying Blended and Online Education at Edinburgh Napier University. As part of my studies I recently did a project on mobile learning looking at the extent to which students at my university were already using mobile learning software and hardware. Having looked at what students are doing with m-learning I have decided it is now time to make myself the guinea pig and take a look at what m-learning, and in particular tablet teaching, could do for me. This blog will be my diary of the discoveries I make, lessons I learn and mistakes I make along the way. I hope it is as interesting for everyone reading this and it is for me trying it out.
All comments, suggestions and especially recommendations are welcome.
Stay tuned!
Neil
All comments, suggestions and especially recommendations are welcome.
Stay tuned!
Neil
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