MIT Center for Mobile Learning@ The Media Lab

Shaileen C. PokressManager, Education Programs

Our WorkThe Center for Mobile Learning (CML) at the MIT Media Lab invents and studies new mobile technologies to promote learning anywhere, anytime, for anyone.

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Our MissionWe focus on mobile tools that empower learners to think creatively, collaborate broadly, and shape their information environments to be personally engaging and relevant to their own interests.

We believe that teachers and learners should be creators rather than just consumers of new mobile technologies.

Center for Mobile Learning Co-Directors:

Eric Klopfer - director of MIT’s Scheller Teacher Education Program; expert on educational games and simulations.

Hal Abelson – renowned computing educator; leader in the global movement for Open Educational Resources; founding board member of the Free Software Foundation and Creative Commons.

Mitchel Resnick - famous for his work on Scratch and LEGO Mindstorms; directs the Lifelong Kindergarten research group at the MIT Media Lab; head of Media Arts & Science academic program at MIT.

Our Digital Creation Tools:Scratch, Taleblazer, App Inventor

Digital Creation Tools: Scratch

scratch.mit.eduCreate computer programs: animations,

stories, games, school projects… unlimited possibilities

The original blocks-based drag-and-drop programming tool

Share projects in the gallery, Remix other people’s projects

Digital Creation Tools: TaleBlazertaleblazer.org

Toolkit for designing location-based augmented reality (LBAR) games

Blocks-based programming sets it apart from other LBAR toolkits

Beta release coming soon – Fall 2012

Digital Creation Tools: App Inventorappinventor.mit.edu

Democratizes building mobile apps, just as Scratch does for animations & games

Blocks-based: no syntax errors, lower barrier to entry

Accesses all of the phone’s functions: camera, GPS, texting, calling, etc.

Package your app for sharing on other devices, upload to the Android Market

Learning Through App Creation

Affordances of Mobile Devices

Sensing: accelerometer, tilt sensor, touch screen

Socially interactive: texting, voice calls

A/V enabled: access the camera, microphone, and speakers

Provide feedback: haptic, audio, and visual

Location aware: GPS

Learning Through App Creation

Mobile Apps are inherently:

Personal

Meaningful

Useful

Shareable

Specific

Portable!

App Inventor:How does it work?

Free service

Open source

Forums

Tutorials

Curriculum

Resources

Log in with a Google Account

Projects stored on MIT servers

MIT App InventorFree tools + Free resources

Designer: choose components for your app

Blocks Editor: program your app’s behavior

Question: Why Create your own apps?

• You need an app that does not exist, or you want to customize an app that does exist.

• You want to solve a personal problem or need. The app you build is useful to you personally.

• You want to use the phone as a tool.

• You need to be able to take the app with you.

• People in different locations need to access or share data.

• It’s fun!

Learning with App InventorWhy Should Students Create Apps?

• Engagement and exploration in content areas Mathematics, Science, Art, History, Geography…

• Exposure to computingDigital literacy is neglected in our educational system. We need to elevateit to the same importance as language and mathematical literacy.

• Empowerment (aka “not just for nerds”)Students exposed to computing in a personally meaningful, fun, and creative way are more likely to have an “a-ha!” moment. They discoverthat they are capable of understanding and manipulating technology.

• Gateway to the futureHow will students know that they might like to pursue further study in technological fields if they have not been given early experiences?

App Inventor in Action

Apps for Better Health Care

Developed by three college students, the ComPal App uses the phone’s camera to perform analysis of medical tests in places where regular medical care is not readily available.

Apps for Safety: No Texting While Driving

http://notes.hfoss.org/index.php/TreeCalc:Main_Page

Science Apps in the Field:

Measuring Tree Height

Science Apps in the Field: Tracking Wild Hogs

What’s on the horizon?Emerging technologies that will make mobile learning even more engaging and relevant

External probes attach via USB or Bluetooth to provide data such as air temperature and humidity, water salinity and acidity, etc.

Hardware Attachments – new add-ons can turn the phone’s camera into a microscope or an infrared camera.

NFC – Near Field Communication allows devices to communicate when placed near each other or near any NFC tag.

New App Inventor components are being developed all the time – stay tuned!

Shay Pokressshaileen@media.mit.edu