The Open University's Institute of Educational Technology

Ethics and Mobile Learning: Methodological Considerations

Dr. Robert FarrowCALRG Conference 2011

Context: m-learning• Encourage “anywhere, anytime” learning• Improving accessibility• Improve 21st-century social interactions• Fit with learning environments• Enable a personalized learning experience

Schuler (2009)

The Open University's Institute of Educational Technology

The Open University's Institute of Educational Technology

Context: m-learning• New pedagogical possibilities• Accommodating learner needs• Access to information• Collaboration• Context-specific• Organisation• Management

Context: ethics• Accessibility• Inclusion• Security

– Privacy/Sharing– Protecting information

• Personal time

The Open University's Institute of Educational Technology

• Personal space• Cultural change/resistance• Professional standards• Institutional support• Research ethics &

‘informed consent’• Monitoring (esp. children)

The Open University's Institute of Educational Technology

Problem(s)• The use of mobile technologies in educational contexts

raises a number of ethical issues• How can we grasp these issues when nature and use of

technologies develops so quickly?• How can we give guidance without being prescriptive?

Four (largely assertive) theses• Ethics is difficult to analyse!• Most educational technologists focus on research ethics,

not ethics per se• Diverse contexts of application in m-learning further

complicate matters• The advocacy problem

The Open University's Institute of Educational Technology

The MOTILL Project (2009-10)• Mobile devices are inclusive and widely used • Building an evidence base for assessing the impact of

mobile technologies upon lifelong learning • Integration of mobile technologies into lifelong learning

policies• Developing the digital economy and contributing toward

meeting the various targets for lifelong learning

The Open University's Institute of Educational Technology

The Open University's Institute of Educational Technology

Arrigo, M. et al (eds.), 2010

Why Meta-ethics?Philosophers often distinguish two areas of ethics

NORMATIVE ETHICS(prescriptive)

• How should we behave?

• What beliefs/values should we have?

• Which ‘rules’ should we follow?

META-ETHICS(reconstructive)

• What does our moral language mean?

• Do our moral concepts make sense?

• What is the relationship between values, reasons & actions?

The Open University's Institute of Educational Technology

Dominant meta-ethical theories1. DEONTOLOGICAL

2. CONSEQUENTIALIST

3. VIRTUE ETHICS

Deontological Meta-ethics• Literally, the ‘science of duty’ from the Greek δέον

[deon] meaning obligation or duty and -λογία, [-logia] meaning ‘rational inquiry’

• Emphasizes duties, obligations, responsibilities & rights• Actions are usually either forbidden or permitted• Are there conflicts between duties, or exceptions?

• m-learning: what is expected of teachers and learners in an m-learning scenario?

Consequentialist Meta-ethics• Assesses the ‘rightness’ or ‘wrongness’ of actions

specifically in terms of their consequences/outcomes• ‘Moral calculus’? (metrics)• Agent-neutral: considers ‘the whole picture’,

aggregating the effects on all relevant parties• Counter-intuitive?

• m-learning: how can we understand the impact of changing practices and technologies?

Virtue Meta-ethics• Focuses upon the desirability of traits, skills and

characteristics of agents• Virtue ethicists believe that ethics is about cultivating

the qualities and habits that contribute to a good or ‘flourishing’ life [eudemonia]

• m-learning: acquiring and making use of the relevant technological, didactic, communicative and social skills

Meta-ethics: summary• Each type of theory has strengths and weaknesses• There is much debate both between and among different

schools of thought• Hybrid approaches are common in philosophical ethics• Meta-ethics helps us to clarify and analyse our moral

intuitions rather than provide specific guidance on how to act

The Open University's Institute of Educational Technology

Relating to m-learning

Meta-ethics Ethical Issues in m-learning

Deontological Responsibilities

Consequentialist Outcomes (Results)

Virtue Ethics Personal Development

The Open University's Institute of Educational Technology

The Open University's Institute of Educational Technology

The Open University's Institute of Educational Technology

ETHICSETHICS

ETHICSETHICS

LEARNING OUTCOMES

POLICIES & RULES

PEDAGOGICAL

RELATIONSHIPS

Revised ToolEthical

Concerns in m-Learning

Taxonomy

ResponsibilitiesPedagogical Relationships

Personal Development

Learning Outcomes

(General) Outcomes

Policies & Rules

Accessibility

Privacy & Security

Copyright

The Open University's Institute of Educational Technology

Potential Uses• Evaluation of m-learning projects/activities• Stakeholder analysis• Policy Review• Practitioner Reflection

The Open University's Institute of Educational Technology

r.j.farrow@open.ac.uk

Institute of Educational TechnologyThe Open UniversityWalton HallMilton Keynes, UKMK7 6AA

www.open.ac.uk/iet