An Examination of Mobile Learning

Jym Brittain, Director of the Center for Teaching and Learning - NSU

Please take out your mobile device

for use in this presentation

277 million wireless subscribers in US (Jun 09)1

89% of total U.S. population1

96% of NSU students use mobile phones (2008)

56% of all Americans have accessed the internet by wireless means2

75% of NSU survey respondents use text messages135.2 billion text-messages sent per month1

Cell Phone Use (Statistics)

1 http://www.ctia.org/advocacy/research/index.cfm/AID/103232 http://www.pewinternet.org/Reports/2009/12-Wireless-Internet-Use.aspx

Mobile Learning DefinedAny sort of learning that happens when the learner is not at a fixed, predetermined location, or learning that happens when the learner takes advantage of the learning opportunities offered by mobile technologies.

"Guidelines for learning/teaching/tutoring in a mobile environment". MOBIlearn. October 2003. pp. 6. http://www.mobilearn.org/download/results/guidelines.pdf. Retrieved June 8, 2009.

Academic Definitionmobile learning—or m-learning—can be viewed as any form of learning that happens when mediated through a mobile device, and a form of learning that has established the legitimacy of ‘nomadic’ learners (Alexander, 2004).

Alexander, B. (2004). Going nomadic: Mobile learning in higher education.EDUCAUSE Review, 39(5), 29.

Mobile Learning is about

Communicating

http://www.sparkmuseum.com/images/Telephone/1921%20Auto-%20Elec%20Strt-Shaft%20Dial%20Candle.JPG

mLearning is anytime and anywhere

http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/files/2008/11/time-flies-clock-10-11-2006.gif

How might we harness this?

Cell Phone Use (Applications*)

Campus Security

Alert system

Communication

among students

(Instant messaging)

* Specifically regarding text-messaging on campus

Cell Phone Use (Applications+)

Faculty bulletins or

class reminders

Text-Messaging

based surveys &

Polls

Building community

outside classroom

+ Examples of applications in the classrooms

Bulletins and Class Reminders

Textmarks.com – it’s FREE!

Students subscribe to class text feed

by typing KEYWORD to 41411

Students get class updates via text

on phone every time teacher creates

new alerts

No need to know student cell phone

numbers

** ‘CLASS’ is just an example word, teachers can choose any word for their class when setting up account

TM-based Surveys & Polls PollEverywhere.com*

Create live polls

Survey students

Gain instant feedback from class

Similar to using clickers in classroom

No need to know student cell phone

numbers

* Free and paid subscriptions available – see website for feature details

Twitter* – What is it?

• Mini-updates in 140 characters of text (or less)

• Microblog of whatever you want it to be…

Answers the question: What are you doing?”

* http://www.twitter.com

Twitter – Teaching & Learning

• Create bulletins or class reminders

• Build student connection beyond classroom

• Students become part of a global community

• No need to know student cell phone numbers*

* Students must update Twitter setting to link incoming messages to phone.

Mobile streaming video

qik.com – it’s FREE!

Share live video from your

phone!

Qik enables you to share your

moments live with your friends,

family and the world—right from

your mobile phone!

Challenges to mLearning

Makes cheating easier

Too much reliance on the Internet

Too distracting

Others?

http://themobilelearner.wordpress.com/

References

http://www.problogger.net/archives/2007/10/23/why-twitter-isnt-a-waste-of-time/

http://crowdstatus.comhttp://tweetlater.comhttp://Tweetstats.comhttp://Tweetscan.com or http://metweets.com

Check out the wiki for ‘all-things’ Twitter http://twitter.pbwiki.com

http://academhack.outsidethetext.com/home/2008/twitter-for-academia/

BibliographyAlexander, B. (2004). Going nomadic: Mobile learning in higher education. EDUCAUSE Review, 39(5), 29.

CTIA. (2009). Wireless quick facts. Retrieved from: http://www.ctia.org/advocacy/research/index.cfm/AID/10323

Herrington, J., Herrington, A., Mantei, J., Olney, I., & Ferry, B. (Eds.) (2009). New technologies, new pedagogies: Mobile learning in

higher education. Wollongong: University of Wollongong. Retrieved from: http://ro.uow.edu.au/.

O’Malley, C., Vavoula,G., Glew, J.P., Taylor, J., Sharples, M., & Lefrere, P. (2003). Wp 4 – Guidelines for

Learning/teaching/tutoring in a mobile environment. MOBIlearn. Retrieved from

http://www.mobilearn.org/download/results/guidelines.pdf.

Traxler, J. (2007). Current State of Mobile Learning. International Review on Research in Open and Distance Learning (IRRODL) 8,

no. 2. Available: www.irrodl.org/index.php/irrodl/article/view/346/875.

Horrigan, J. (2009). Wireless internet Use. Pew Internet & American Life Project Retrieved from:

http://www.pewinternet.org/Reports/2009/12-Wireless-Internet-Use.aspx

Questions?

Jym BrittainCenter for Teaching and LearningNortheastern State University918-444-5859brittaij@nsuok.edu

Presentation available at: http://ctl.nsuok.edu/drupal