MobiMOOC 2011 - a summary

The first ever MobiMOOC (Massively online course on mobile learning) happened earlier this year.

Were you there?

If not, we have saved all the links, and best bits into our MobiMOOC 2011 summary.

MOOCs are Massive Open Online Courses, normally free to access. This one was the first ever focussed on mobile learning, initiated by the endlessly energetic Inge De Waal (@ignatia) , for the uninitiated) is

The aim was:

‘Getting you up-to-date with mobile learning and providing the tools to plan, develop and implement a mobile learning solution in different environments via collaboratively discussing and exchanging knowledge through a variety of learning activities.’

Discussion was spread between live sessions, online fora, and the MobiMOOC website, but are already starting to get a little lost in the ether.

To help capture a small fragment of what happened, the Tribal research team pulled together all the links / references / project info shared during the course, and have frozen it in time in our MobiMOOC 2011 summary.

Help yourself. We hope that some of the info shared during this amazing event is of use to you. And keep your eyes on the main MobiMOOC site in case we do another next year!

mLearnCon presentation

I have just finished a very enjoyable discussion-filled presentation at mLearnCon – a mobile learning conference in Silicon Valley arranged by the eLearningGuild.

My session was all about helping the mostly US audience look a little wider at international m-learning projects, to see what lessons could be learned for the many current m-learning projects that are starting up right now

See below for the presentation we gave – comments (as always) welcomed

m-learning across the world

View more presentations from TribalSlides

m-learning for trade unions

The TUC is encouraging members of all their unions to take learning into their own hands … and onto their own phones!

If you don’t know unionlearn, they are the TUC’s learning champions, encouraging

all trade union members to become learning activists. Not only that – but they have started championing mobile learning!

 

Excellent stuff. When learner champions like unionlearn start embracing mobile learning it is a clear sign that mobile really works!

 

Have a look at their home page – it links directly to on overview of what m-learning is all about, as well as inviting any trade union members to register for a free mobile learning seminar.

Congratulations, unionlearn.

 

Our team at www.m-learning.org are very pleased to be working with TUC and unionlearn on this exciting initiative.

m-learning in Australia

It has been a funny week – I was invited, at very short notice, to present our mobile learning work to the Department of Education, in Australia!

(New South Wales, to be specific)

It was a real honour to be sent there. We spent 4 days working with schools and colleges, talking about our mobile learning authoring tools, as well as showcasing some of our more recent project work, like Bloom (mobile learning in the transport sector).

 

Wow – what a place – I like Sydney!

 

I didn’t have enough to time be a tourist (that will have to wait for next time) but I was there long enough to be reminded what thought leaders Australians are when it comes to distance learning. Very inspiring. Some serious logistical challenges to get support remote learners, and great opportunities for mobile technology to leapfrog current provision.

 

I hope to get back there soon - a mad flurry of visa organisation and flight booking meant that I didn’t even get a chance to catch up with the great Australian connections I have managed to make while in the UK – sorry about that, and thanks to the DET NSW for the hospitality.

Geoff Stead shortlisted for Handheld Learning award!

Cool! I just found out that I have been shortlisted for a Handheld Learning Award.

I doubt it is for my blog writing skills, which are sporadic at best - much more likely it is to do with the many mobile learners out there that have been helping us refine, and reshape what mobile learning means, and how to help make it happen!

 

(and of course, a shout out to our MyLearning authoring, and content tools)

 

No use getting your phones out to vote, though. It looks like our category ("Special Achievement") is a non-vote one. Damn shame, as we have several hundred sim cards, and devices being used by learners across the country. I am sure with a bit of cunning planing I could have got all of them to vote ...

:-)

 

Thanks all,

 

Geoff

 

ps: more info here

Handheld learning 07

Tribal is offering a discount code to celebrate the launch of their latest release of authoring tools. Come and visit us on our stand to see them in action.


To get 15% off the entrance price, just make sure you use the code hl07ctad when you register.


Feel free to use it, and to pass it on.


Geoff

Create-A-Scape: another futurelabs adventure!

Create-A-Scape looks like a great, free set of tips and resources to enable teachers and pupils to create digitally-enhanced, personalised learning experiences.

You use HP’'s Mediascape authoring toolkit to ‘attached a collection of location-sensitive sounds and images to’ the local landscape, and then you discover tham all using mobile technology.

From what I can see, it looks like a really well polished set of tools to get teachers started. Visit the Create-A-Scape website to see for yourself.

more mediaBoard-style action

At the risk of sounding a bit like a stuck record, I still think the apex of creative, constructive, empowering mobile learning with ANY phone is all about sending and sharing media. I tend to go an about the mediaBoard, in this regard, but I only just stumbled on another, game-play variant called the Go Game.

Techologicaly, it is way behind the mediaBoard. But where it scores is in the efforts that have been made to pre-create different adventures and scenarios. The Go team host the game for you, and plan out all the activities (instead of leaving it up to the local teacher).

there is a good, promo video that describes it well, as does the text, below, thanks to textually.org

One of the pioneers of the alternate reality game, The Go Game has provided a cell phone driven, urban adventure game to over 100,000 players since it's first community game in San Francisco's Mission District on December 1st, 2001.

Each team is issued a Superhero lunch box with a cell phone, a digital camera and a map of the game zone inside. Clues are downloaded and solved on the cell phone (which is wireless enabled), providing instant feedback of their performance, speed, rank and time left in the race.

Throughout the game, teams will be solving clever puzzles, finding our secret agents hidden throughout the game zone, and even getting a chance to show off their creativity with photo and video challenges.

These videos and photos are the gems of The Go Game, as they offer a wide variety of creative and hilarious responses which are voted on at the end of the game by all of the players.