New trends and some thoughts on the future of mobile learning

1. New trends and some thoughts on the future of mobile learning Tom Brown South Africa

2. Introduction The keen adoption of m-learning in educational environments and the number of pilot projects show that m-learning is experiencing exponential growth. Constructivism has been the learning paradigm during the past few decades… And m-learning is thriving in social constructivist learning paradigms. However, ICT developments are impacting educational practice and we will, in future, experience shifts in learning paradigms! • What will new mobile devices look like? • What will new learning paradigms look like? • What will the role of m-learning be in these new learning paradigms?

5. Why is m-learning thriving?

6. Why is m-learning thriving? • “Around 62% of all adults across the major European countries now use a mobile phone, according to the research. • Currently, 41% of European adults use SMS, compared to 30% that use the Internet / email. • SMS is particularly popular in the UK where 49% of adults use it, compared to 39% who are online. • In Germany, 43% of adults use SMS as opposed to 29% of adults who use the Internet/email. In France, 30% use SMS compared to 25% who go online.” Statistics from Gartner (2002)

7. Why is m-learning thriving? • “Over 50% of all employees spend up to half of their time outside the office. • More than 525 million web-enabled phones will be shipped by 2003. • Worldwide mobile commerce market will reach $200 billion by 2004. • There will be more than 1 billion wireless internet subscribers worldwide by 2005. • Multi-purpose handheld devices (PDA and telephone) will outsell laptop/desktop computers combined by 2005. • Most major US companies will either switch to or adopt wireless networks by 2008.” Statistics from Empowering Technologies Incorporated cited by Keegan (2003)

8. Why is m-learning thriving? • Desmond Keegan recently (2003) published his latest book called: ‘The Future of Learning: From eLearning to mLearning.’ In chapter four of his book, Keegan presents and analyses no less than 30 m-learning initiatives across the globe in 2001. • NKI Distance Education in Norway has 400 e-learning courses. During 2003 and 2004 it announced that it had made available mobile learning versions of all its 400 courses. This represents a massive introduction of mobile learning.

9. Why is m-learning thriving? • Exponential growth in wireless networks, services and devices • Learners are continually demanding more mobile services and experiences • Greater personalisation, flexibility and mobility • Improved access anywhere, anytime • Fills small gaps of time with useful learning events (“stolen moments for learning” David Metcalf) • M-learning enhances collaborative, co-operative and active learning • Mobile communication devices provide opportunities for the optimising of interaction and communication between lecturers and learners, among learners and between members of COPs.

10. Why is m-learning thriving? “For the first time in ICT history, we have the right time, the right place and the right idea to have a huge impact on education: handheld computing.” Soloway (2003)

11. Why is m-learning thriving? “The mixing of distance learning with mobile telephony to produce mLearning will provide the future of learning.” Keegan (2003)

12. Why is m-learning thriving? “By 2006, data network access from personally owned mobile devices will be the leading problem facing higher education IT managers.” Gartner (2004)

13. Why is m-learning thriving? “The mobile revolution is finally here. Wherever one looks, the evidence of mobile penetration and adoption is irrefutable: cell phones, PDAs, MP3 players, portable game devices, handhelds, tablets and laptops abound. No demographic is immune from this phenomenon. From toddlers to seniors, people are increasingly connected and are digitally communicating with each other in ways that would have been impossible to imagine only a few years ago.” Wagner (2005)

14. What is the relation between m-learning and e-learning?

15. m-learning vs e-learning • E-learning is the macro concept that includes online and mobile learning environments. • M-learning is a subset of e-learning. • E-learning is in turn a subset of distance learning, which is in turn a subset of flexible learning. “M-learning is e-learning through mobile computational devices” Quin (2001)

16. Flexible Learning Contact Learning (residential/face-to-face) Distance Learning E-learning Online Learning M-learning Paper-based Distance Learning Diagram 1: The subsets of flexible learning m-learning vs e-learning (Brown, 2004)

17. Approaches to the use of m-learning technologies Content approach Communication approach Approaches to m-learning

18. Focus on communication “Communication is the source from which m-learning emerges.” Nyiri (2002)

19. Current m-learning activities and projects

20. Current activities and projects The use of mobile phones and SMS: Administrative learning support: • Bulk SMS for administrative information • Access to examination and test marks via mobile service number or m-portal • Access to financial statements and registration data via mobile service number or m-portal Academic learning support: • Communication and interaction (bulk SMS / IVR) • Assessment (MCQs / Quizzes) • Feedback on assignments and tasks • Motivational and instructional messages

21. Current activities and projects Integration of m-learning with established e-learning environments: • M-portals and SMS-gateways (SMS-portal integrated with the LMS/LCMS [e.g. WebCT]) • Mobile tutoring • Mobile blogging • M-assessment (e-assessment on mobile devices) • Collaborative learning, discussion groups Wireless environments: • Pilot wireless classrooms • Hot spots and wireless LANs on campus

22. Current activities and projects The use of PDAs, smartphones and Pocket PCs: • Classroom “tools” (note taking, scheduling, etc) • Beaming (via bluetooth) in classrooms (sharing notes, handing in assignments, etc) • Assessment: assessing performance and providing automated results and feedback • Coursework, scheduling and assignments in wirless environments • JIT on-the-spot information for field workers, brokers, salespersons, etc

23. Current activities and projects • Language learning through SMS • JIT on-the-spot (e.g. medical) resources on PDA • ME-learning (personalised, appreciation for own learning process) • Mobile composing (music composition on PDAs) • Contextual and locational awareness (e.g. at museums) • Mobile tutoring • Mobile blogging (moblogging) • Courseware and multimedia on PDAs (including distribution and streaming) • Assessment • Experiential learning and fieldwork • Collaborative learning, discussion groups

24. Noteable EU-funded projects • MOBIlearn (context awareness, adaptive human interfaces, mLCMS, mobile media delivery, collaborative learning, etc) • M-Learning Project (platforms & systems, learning materials for small screens [various devices], collaborative tools, etc) • Ericsson Leonardo Da Vinci project (mLCMS, courses and courseware, tools, etc)

25. Latest and future developments • Moblogging (mobile blogging) • Instant messaging (IM) • Wireless Google • Collapse-to-Zoom and Popouts • Ambient technology and intelligence • Personalised learning with dynamic adaptation of learning resources to individual preferences • Text to speech & speech recognition for mobile devices • Multi-user applications and resources • Multi-technology interaction • Podcasting (broadcasting of audio to iPods)

26. What will m-learning environments look like in 2010?

27. 2010 envisaged • Wireless is “big” and mobile devices are “small” • Ambient technology and intelligence • Always-on wireless connections and ubiquitous computing • Wearable mobile technologies • Bio-informatics a commercial reality • New methods and approaches to learning and collaborating with ICT • Personalised learning with dynamic adaptation of learning resources to individual preferences • From courseware to performanceware • m-LMSs and m-LCMSs • Platforms supporting multi-user interaction on software, applications and equipment

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35. 1GHz 20GB hard drive 256MB DDR RAM 800 x 480 W-VGA 5" display 8mb video RAM Bluetooth 802.11b wireless 4-pin FireWire (1394) USB 1.1 2010 envisaged

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37. What will future learning paradigms look like?

38. Example of EU plans The European Union’s aims for 2010: From PC centered to ambient intelligence: • personalised and for all users • surrounding environment is the interface • technology is almost invisible • infinite bandwidth and full multimedia • almost 100% online community Focus on maximizing the learning process and its impact Oliveira (2003)

39. Example of EU plans The European Union’s aims for 2010: Innovations in learning: • personalised and adaptive learning • dynamic mentoring systems • integrating experienced based learning into the classroom • research on new methods and new approaches to learning with ICT Oliveira (2003)

40. Example of EU plans The European Union’s aims for 2010: Learning resources: • dynamically adapt learning resources to individual needs and preferences • digital learning resources and professional learning for work • platforms supporting collaborative learning Access: • mobile learning and interface technologies Oliveira (2003)

41. Supported inquiry • Supported inquiry (guided research) [my version: facilitated and supported inquiry] • From courseware to performanceware ''Inquiry into authentic questions generated from student experiences is the central strategy for teaching'' Soloway (2003) Focus on: • Collaboration and discourse • Learning in context and task-sensitive • ICT an integrated part of learning process

42. Rise of the knowledge economy • According to Gartner (2003) the new knowledge economy is merely in its emerging stages. The knowledge economy will only reach maturity from 2010 onwards.

43. Rise of the knowledge economy

44. Rise of the knowledge economy • According to Gartner (2003) the new knowledge economy is merely in its emerging stages. The knowledge economy will only reach maturity from 2010 onwards. • A doubling of the world’s knowledge (Bontis, 2002): 1930  every 30 years 1970  every 7 years 2010  every 11 hours

45. Rise of the knowledge economy • According to Gartner (2003) the new knowledge economy is merely in its emerging stages. The knowledge economy will only reach maturity from 2010 onwards. • A doubling of the world’s knowledge (Bontis, 2002): 1930  every 30 years 1970  every 7 years 2010  every 11 hours • We already experience enormous challenges in coping with the current overflow of available information. It is difficult to imagine what it will be like when the knowledge economy is in its prime...

46. Future learning paradigms ? Paradigm shifts? knowledgeknowledge adoption production information information gathering generation constructivism social constructivism teaching learning facilitation

47. Beyond constructivism? ?

48. Beyond constructivism? ? ?

49. Beyond constructivism?

50. Beyond constructivism?