M-Learning Case study

I would like to share a journal article about M-learning. The article talks about a report of an  mobile game-based learning research project in Finland. A historical game is developed and students are required to form groups and play the game. Members of group are randomly assigned the role(for example, beggar, merchant, etc).With the help of GPS technology,Smart phone (with Internet access), students need to walk through the Amsterdam to find the the track point in order to win the game.

The result showed playing of mobile game have a better learning effect than having lesson in the classroom. I am not surprise with the result because the "digital natives" are surrounded by the technology products when they grown up. The old,traditional teaching methods are no longer suitable for them.

However, I don't think this kind of project is suitable for Hong Kong. First of all, Local schools is lack of money for IT infrastructure. In my school, there are very limited funding for school to purchase new IT devices. It is hardly possible to launch project like this. Moreover, number of students of my school come from grass-root families.They are poor and unable to buy  these expensive devices(eg. GPS device, smart phone).

However, This project gave a a new vision. the project pointed out that more and more students drop out the school without graduation around the world(not only Finland, also USA and other European countries). It thus appears that the traditional education is not meeting the needs of certain pupils sufficiently. As an educator, we can no longer use the old pedagogy to teach!

The website of the research project:
http://freq1550.waag.org/

M-Learning in my work place

The department that is responsible for technology development and technology application used in teaching and learning in our University is called Publishing Technology Center (PTC); its mission is to integrate design, media and publishing technologies to support teaching and learning, research and publicity of the University.
There are several services it provides that are quite useful and enables mobile learning in our University. One of them is called “RVC” - Remote Video Capture which is used by a lot of faculties and being highly appraised by students. Almost every lecture classroom and lecture theater is equipped with RVC system.

Faculties will need to make the booking of the service first (by providing information on class venue and class time), and then the video recording of the whole lecture will be started automatically without any set up. You may see it as a simple video recording, what’s the big deal? Actually it does more than video recording, you can see from the following picture how it different from traditional video recording. Basically, it separates the screen into two parts, on the left hand side, you will see professor is lecturing; and on the right hand side, it shows the presentation slides during the class or what is being written on the white board. It synchronizes the lecturing from professor and PowerPoint slides Presentation. So you don’t need to refer to print outs of the ppt when you’re listening. One amazing thing is that the camera could sense the movement of Professors and adjust the angles for best video recording.

Another good thing is that it also allows concurrent video recording, which means classes happen at the same time can be recorded simultaneously.

When students want to review the class for whatever reason (maybe they skipped the class for a job interview or they attended a party last night), they could always get to the website and input their University account and password to see the lecture video from their dorm or their home.

Use of Mobile Technology in my school

In my school, there is two wireless networks covering the whole campus.  One of these network is a secure wireless network providing services like Internet access, file sharing, network printing and school intranet access for all staff members.

All staff members can use mobile devices like smart phones, notebook computers to access the Internet and the school intranet.  Network printers are installed in various locations in the school campus.  Staff members can submit print jobs anywhere within the school campus and choose the desired printer for his/her print job.

Each classroom is equipped with a desktop computer with fast Internet access and a digital projector.  Each mainstream teacher is supplied with a notebook computer by the school while each IB teacher is supplied with a Blackberry smartphone.

Originally, the other wireless is supposed to open to all for accessing the Internet and the school intranet.  Each students can then use their mobile devices to these purposes.  But complains have been received from many teachers that students are using their smartphones and notebooks to access Facebook, msn, nba.com, etc. all the time even during lessons which comes to the concern of the school management.  Since then the network is not open to students until suitable measures are devised against the undesirable accesses.

Mobile Learning Age

Preview

• A Theory of Learning for the Mobile Age (pre-print)
• Mike Sharples, Josie Taylor, Giasemi Vavoula 
• A society which is mobile, which is full of channels for the distribution of a change occurring anywhere, must see to it that its members are educated to personal initiative and adaptability. Otherwise, they will be overwhelmed by the changes in which they are caught and whose significance or connections they do not perceive.’ Dewey (1916, p. 88) 

Full Version

The book describing the Criteria for a theory of mobile learning, exploring what is learning as Conversation on mobile, it not only coverage the possibilities of mobile learning it also inspire us the implication of e-learning or learning with technologies.