Mobile Learning
Portable – allow anywhere and anytime learning
Mobile learning may be defined as any type of learning that occurs when the learner is not at a fixed, predetermined location. Therefore, learning happens when the learner takes advantage of the learning opportunities offered by mobile technologies like smartphones, iPads, Laptops, ebooks and iPods (Howell, 2012).
The mobile learner will often use the following two approaches when the person is developing their own digital pedagogy. These are using discovery learning as a method of problem-solving where the learner draws on their own experience and prior knowledge and the learner explores their environment to find answers to problems. This is considered a constructivist approach to education. Whereas, inquiry-based learning is a form of active learning where progress is assessed by how well students develop experimental and analytical skills rather than how much knowledge they possess. Again, this learning theory is built in a step-wise fashion and emphasises constructivist ideas of learning (Howell, 2012).
A good example is the following video clip. I was particularly interested in this clip as I have done charity work on several occassional in Urganda and Sierra Leonne whilst the United Nations aide was in progress. During that time, I never even considered using my mobile phone as a teaching device.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=T4LgsYMx_FE
Another aspect of learning anywhere and at any time, is the explosion of Digital textbooks which is at the forefront of the mobile education movement. Students can purchase e-books for their relevant courses which enables students to read text using their mobile devices on trains or quickly refer to a section of a digital book to assist the student when on a clinical placement. This avoids the need for students to carry heavy textbooks to and from their clinical placements or when they attend Residential School at the University. I have never purchased an E-Book yet, as I am concerned about what happens when you have to renew your mobile device. Does the student have to purchase the textbook again for their new smartphone? I might ask my students this questions.
The following is an example of an App that is available to assist mobile learning anywhere and at any time. This is great for people that are foreign students who need additional practice at maths or english.
Another interesting App that I have discovered, is as a student you can find research articles and download them to "Instapaper". Students can use Instapaper on iPads or on Android phones. It is an really easy way to save and store articles for reading: offline, on-the-go, anytime, anywhere and is perfectly formatted. I like it because it gives the user the opportunity to access information offline when on a airplane or in subways if you are aboard. The user can download up to 500 articles onto their phone or tablet and store unlimited articles on the Instapaper website. I have provided a video clip for anyone that is not familiar with this App.
Promotes Active Learning
As a casual Nursing Lecturer for CQU, I am very interested in enhancing student learning. I believe there needs to be a priority to design and include mobile learning when considering teaching strategies within Pre-registration Nursing Courses. To encourage the students to undertake enquiry base learning, the lecturer can use simulations, roleplays, games and mobile technology (Leigh, 2004).
Engaging students and making them active participants rather than passive listeners has been shown to lead to higher learning outcomes according to Litchfield, Dyson, & Lawrence, (2007). Interaction and active participation allows students to share ideas and apply their knowledge. It also exposes students to perceptions from their peers, makes learning more enjoyable, and allows the lecturer to test understanding (Sixsmith, Dyson, & Nataatmadja, 2006).
Effective and practical strategies are needed to support learners development of understandings and skills in our identified graduate attributes, curriculum objectives and stated learning outcomes. One strategy that I plan to implement in my upcoming Residential School is to get the students to revise the Anatomy and Physiology of the Cardiovascular system using mobile devices in the classroom. This strategy will promote active learning of the individual to know the anatomy of the location of the heart valves in relation to undertaking the practical skill of listening to heart sounds when assessing a patient. This can be achieved by using Google search engines and Apps like Google Images, videos and Google Docs. All these Apps are very simple to use. In addition, the use of simulation manikins will also aid student learning.
It will be interesting to see if the University uses Podcast to tape the actual lectures that I deliver for the Residential School of Nursing. A podcast is a series of digital media files which are in a video or audio format and is often released and downloaded through web syndication (Howell, 2012). It is interesting that Pearce & Bass (2008), describe a mobilecast which is a podcast designed to be downloaded onto a mobile phone. Some disadvantages that the authors highlighted are the file size is often an issue when downloading, as mobile phones are slow compared with the Internet. One advantage of Mobilecast is that you can broadcast any Microsoft PowerPoint slide instantly to other mobile devices including iPhone, iPad, iPod, Android, Black Berry and any Windows 7 phones. It is so easy by clicking on the Mobilecast button in your PowerPoint window while viewing a slide and, in seconds, it will appear on your colleagues mobiles with no emails to open.
This Blog will explore my adventures of mobile learning within my work environment of nursing. I was keen to learn how I could use a mobile devices like a ipod to create presentations and to educate both my students and patients. I am also very excited as I just received a new Android Mobile Phone which appears to have even more Apps than the borrowed iPod from the University. There were a couple of Apps that I have discovered.
Prezi is a free cloud based app that you can present from your browser, desktop, ipad, ipod or iphone. It is free in the public forum, however, if the user wanted more privacy then you have to pay a monthly fee. I found this app not that easy to navigate around, it is portable and can be accessed anywhere. The user can insert pictures, diagrams or post utube video links.
Being available on mobile devices is useful for patient education. However, for elderly patients the size of the device and poor eyesight or poor hearing might be issues that everyone needs to consider. This could be overcome by accessing the app using a tablet or a laptop device. Both of these have got bigger screens and you can add extra speaker devices to aid hearing for the elderly person.
Another disadvantage of using mobile technology to promote active learning within my clinical setting is it interfers with advanced technology devices used to pace patients hearts. I can always tell when a patient has a mobile phone on as it gives us extra pacing spikes which is not a good situation to be in when you doing cardiac pacing. The clinician needs to get the timing correct to ensure the patients atrium and ventricles contract correctly.
Another disadvantage of using mobile technology to promote active learning within my clinical setting is it interfers with advanced technology devices used to pace patients hearts. I can always tell when a patient has a mobile phone on as it gives us extra pacing spikes which is not a good situation to be in when you doing cardiac pacing. The clinician needs to get the timing correct to ensure the patients atrium and ventricles contract correctly.
As for educating students it is useful in that you can gain quick access to a presentation that has been created about a particular topic and the student can relate this information to direct patient care.
Google Presentations
I found this App so much more user friendly. First of all, it is very similar to creating a powerpoint presentation which I am familar with. This technology does fit the category of being bite-size e-learning resource that can aide learners and also it promotes active learning. Like Prezi you can add images, diagrams and videos to your presentation. The operator can also publish and share the slideshow with other students and obtain handouts.
A lecturer can create their google presentation anywhere and at anytime which is convenient especially since we live in society where time is a valuable resource. This therefore, allows the user to optomise so called 'dead time' for example on a bus or waiting for a bus or train. For example: I created a 3 slide presentation using this app to demonstrate how it can be useful in my setting for my patients and students. Please follow this link.
There are also some very good YouTube video's on how to create a google presentation.
Access to mentor, tutors and other learners on the move
According
to Waterhouse (2005) asynchronous learning is one in which students and
instructors are engaged in “anytime-anyplace” learning. These days students do not have to be in the
same room with other students or their instructor, nor do they have to be
engaged in a learning activity at the same time. Individuals can send and receive messages via
text or email at anytime that is convenient to the individual.
Another example of this type of learning is the use of mobile capture as discussed by MacDonald, (2012). This occurs when a student can capture a picture using their mobile phone of a learning opportunity and post the image later onto the student forum for their course or discuss the image with their lecturer at a later stage. This supports contingent learning - where a learner reacts to their environment and responds appropriately. Whereas, when the learner uses situated learning; their learning takes place in the surroundings that makes learning meaniful. An example is: taking a photo of an interesting cardiac rhythm and discussing it on discussion forums with fellow students and tutors. Naturally, the student is encouraged to be watchful of patient confidentiality issues.
Students,
mentors and tutors can have electronic discussions by the way of forums and
chats. Waterhouse (2005) also highlights
that forums are asynchronous and chats fall into the synchronous learning
environment.
This course has used this type of communication between students and moderators. The main difference that I have discovered by undertaking this course, is that, a chat discussion will only occur when all students and moderators participate in a chat session at the same time and the students don't have be at the same location. Whereas, a forum will occur at any time and at any location that is convenient to the participant.
One way for students to access moderators or other students is by using their mobile devices. There is several applications that aid this form of communication and the most frequent that most people use on a daily basis : email, text or SMS messenging, facebook, twitter. Richardson (2010, p86) refers to Twitter as a "microblogging" tool.
It is interesting that before this course, I have never use a Blog. However, since doing this course I have learnt that blogs can provide an invaluable means of communication between fellow students and the community. Pearce & Bass (2008) mentions that Blogs can even be used as discussion forums.
Another way students and moderators keep in contact with each other is Moodle and Blackboard Collaborative which is used by Central Queensland University. One advantage about Moodle is that allows access any time and anywhere but only to those involved in the learning task. The students have to have Internet access on their mobile devices to enable them to participate. It is interesting to note that Pearce & Bass (2008) discusses that one of the major disadvantages with using Moodle for collaboration is the lack of a wider audience. On reflection the author of this Blog does feel that this is a very valid point.
Other on-line communication tools that I have learnt about in this course is "Wikis". As a lecturer you can create a space that is based on content rather than insights from a chronological blog. I have found Wikispaces for Teachers is a great place if you are looking to bring something different to your teaching arena. Wikispaces are free and are easy to set up and there is some videos which can help you work within this unfamiliar technological space. If you ask a student if they have used a Wiki before; they will mostly refer to the most common wiki in the world being Wikipedia. I am sure we have all referred to this resource at some point during our careers.
Within this course and this assignment we have examine the benefits of mobile learning according to the Mobile Learning Infokit. However, we now must consider some of the disadvantages that can occur as a result of mobile learning. There are some technological challenges in regards to mobile devices being: size of screen and keypads; connectivity and duration of battery life of the device; slow download times and limited memory on some devices; content security and copyright issues with information. There are several other issues when considering mobile learning like the device can become a distraction when teaching and a digital divide can result from issues of accessibility and cost (Howell, 2012).
The author of this blog has learnt alot about mobile learning and using mobile devices to facilitate learning from undertaking this assignment. The advantages of this type of learning clearly outways the disadvantages. In the past twelve months, I have began using my mobile device more to participate in active learning. It is such a wonderful tool for modern society.
References
.
This course has used this type of communication between students and moderators. The main difference that I have discovered by undertaking this course, is that, a chat discussion will only occur when all students and moderators participate in a chat session at the same time and the students don't have be at the same location. Whereas, a forum will occur at any time and at any location that is convenient to the participant.
One way for students to access moderators or other students is by using their mobile devices. There is several applications that aid this form of communication and the most frequent that most people use on a daily basis : email, text or SMS messenging, facebook, twitter. Richardson (2010, p86) refers to Twitter as a "microblogging" tool.
It is interesting that before this course, I have never use a Blog. However, since doing this course I have learnt that blogs can provide an invaluable means of communication between fellow students and the community. Pearce & Bass (2008) mentions that Blogs can even be used as discussion forums.
Another way students and moderators keep in contact with each other is Moodle and Blackboard Collaborative which is used by Central Queensland University. One advantage about Moodle is that allows access any time and anywhere but only to those involved in the learning task. The students have to have Internet access on their mobile devices to enable them to participate. It is interesting to note that Pearce & Bass (2008) discusses that one of the major disadvantages with using Moodle for collaboration is the lack of a wider audience. On reflection the author of this Blog does feel that this is a very valid point.
Other on-line communication tools that I have learnt about in this course is "Wikis". As a lecturer you can create a space that is based on content rather than insights from a chronological blog. I have found Wikispaces for Teachers is a great place if you are looking to bring something different to your teaching arena. Wikispaces are free and are easy to set up and there is some videos which can help you work within this unfamiliar technological space. If you ask a student if they have used a Wiki before; they will mostly refer to the most common wiki in the world being Wikipedia. I am sure we have all referred to this resource at some point during our careers.
Within this course and this assignment we have examine the benefits of mobile learning according to the Mobile Learning Infokit. However, we now must consider some of the disadvantages that can occur as a result of mobile learning. There are some technological challenges in regards to mobile devices being: size of screen and keypads; connectivity and duration of battery life of the device; slow download times and limited memory on some devices; content security and copyright issues with information. There are several other issues when considering mobile learning like the device can become a distraction when teaching and a digital divide can result from issues of accessibility and cost (Howell, 2012).
The author of this blog has learnt alot about mobile learning and using mobile devices to facilitate learning from undertaking this assignment. The advantages of this type of learning clearly outways the disadvantages. In the past twelve months, I have began using my mobile device more to participate in active learning. It is such a wonderful tool for modern society.
References
Howell, J. (2012) Teaching with ICT: Digital Pedagogies for Collaboration and Creativity. Oxford University Press: Melbourne, Australia.
Leigh, E., &
Spindler, L. (2004). Simulations and games as chaordic learning contexts.
Simulation and Gaming, 34(1), 53 - 69.
Litchfield, A.,
Dyson, L., Lawrence, E. & Zmijewska, A. (2007). Directions for m-learning research
to enhance active learning. In ICT: Providing choices for learners and
learning. Retrieved from http://www.ascilite.org.au/conferences/singapore07/procs/litchfield.pdf
MacDonald, J. (2012) Blended Learning and Online Tutoring: Planning Learner Support and Activity Design. Gower Publishing: England.
Pearce, J., & Bass, B. (2008) Technology toolkit: Introducing you to Web 2.0. Nelson Cengage Learning: Australia.
Richardson, W. (2010) Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and other powerful Web Tools for Classrooms. Corwin: United States of America.
Sixsmith, A., Dyson,
L.E. & Nataatmadja, I. (2006), ‘Improving Class Participation in IT
Tutorials and Small Lectures, ACIS, 6-8 Dec., Adelaide, 1-10
Waterhouse, S. (2005) The Power of eLearning: The essential guide for teaching in the Digital Age. Pearson: Boston.
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