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.

mobile learning in a taxi …

BLOOM-ing marvellous! We are in the closing stages of a great project called BLOOM, which is all about using m-learning in the workplace (in this case, for the transport sector).

Have a look at this great little video of our mobile learning solution being used by Taxi drivers while waiting on the rank (errm … no … not while driving!)

A great example of how mobile learning can help you reach the parts other types of learning can’t

 

Hope you like it – and please leave us comments with your thoughts. We are thinking of releasing a couple of other, similar case study videos if there is demand for them

m-learning in Denmark – the FLUID way

FLUID is an association of “flexible learning providers” in Denmark. We are not talking acrobats, here, but rather practitioners specialising on breaking out of the constraints of traditional learning provision. Many working with teenagers, or adult learners.

 

They have just hosted ON THE GO, an event specifically to raise awareness in Denmark for mobile learning. Or as it says on their website:

ON THE GO - MOBIL TEKNOLOGI TIL LÆRINGSBRUG

Den 28. – 29. maj 2009 satte FLUID fokus på m-læring: I spændende oplæg blev der diskuteret tilgængelighed, teknologier og set spændende eksempler. Flere af præsentationerne ligger klar til download, og resten vil blive lagt ind over de nærmeste dage.

which sums it up so much better than I could!

I was the only UK contributor, but other international delegates joined from Iceland and Norway and Sweden to inspire and enthuse. M-learning is still at a fairly early stage in Denmark, but already there are several exciting projects and initiatives happening.

 

If you want a preview of my presentation (without being able to enjoy the pleasures of Copenhagen at the same time) it is up on slideshare:

Mlearning In the UK - 2009

View more presentations from TribalSlides.

Thanks Astrid, and the Fluid crew for a great event!

m-learning authoring tool: huge discount available

The latest version of the popular MyLearning Author was released this week, and to help us celebrate, there is a 30% discount for all new licenses bought before the end of the month (March 2009).

 

What's new?

• No longer just "WindowsMobile", your content can play back on many more mobile devices including several smartphones, UMPC, Mac, Linux, Windows ...
• Some great new activities, including a mobile survey builder
• More ways to share your courses (with other authors, as well as with your learners)
• Revamped installers for your courses
• Many usability improvements, as suggested by our (very) active users!

 

• for all the specific details please visit the MyLearning author pages on the m-learning.org site

 

Can I upgrade?

Of course! If you already have a valid license you can upgrade for free. If your license has expired you can renew for even cheaper (50% off).

 

What about courses?

We have over 20 mobile courses available right now, but are also happy to help you customise (and mobilise) any existing resources you may have.

 

You want some?

Over 5000 happy learners can't be wrong ... If you want to start making your own, engaging mobile content with our tried and tested author, dive right into our online shop right now, or chat to any our mobile team at ctadsales.education@tribalgroup.co.uk

 

Happy mobile course creating!

British schools scoop USA mobile learning award!

Mobile Learning is starting - slowly - to build momentum in the states, and today that momentum picked up some speed.

At mobilelearning09, a discrete collection of the main players in US industry, education and government got together in the President's Ballroom in Washington DC to celebrate some embryonic US projects, and help steer them towards something bigger and bolder.

It was an insightful day with a wide range of contributions, but the highlight for the small British contingent was the 1st Annual Mobile Learning Award 

The day ended with the award ceremony - celebrating the most significant contribution to mobile learning in schools ... and with much excitement and cheering was won by ...

Dave Whyley and his team from Learning2Go in Wolverhampton!

 

Go Dave!

If you are still living in the Dark Ages and haven't heard about it, Learning2Go is a bold, very well respected collection of projects run across several Wolverhampton schools (at all ages), using smart phones to transform the way learners are learning, and teaching are supporting them.

Go look it up.

Tribal are proud supporters of Learning2Go, and love the fact that kids as young as 5 are making use of our tools and content. Several Learning2Go schools use our MyLearning Author to make their own mobile learning resources.

 

The UK contingent was pretty small as the event was a very US-centric affair, but our vibrant mobile community was represented by David and Gavin of Learning2Go, as well as Geoff Stead of Tribal (www.m-learning.org) - we did our best to share lessons from our far more mature m-learning market place and left excited by future prospects for m-learning in the USA.

 

Thanks all for a great event, and big congratulations to Learning2Go

m-Learning in the USA

The USA has been punching way below it's weight in m-learning for quite some time, but it feels like the giant is slowly awakening:

1: I am on my way to meet the US Navy, who have invited us to run a mobile learning project with them

the details are not yet public, but we hoping to integrate the best of mobile learning with their high-performance e-learning system

2: Tomorrow I will be at a mobile learning "think tank" in Washington DC

mobilelearning09.org looks small, but hopefully perfectly formed ... with a large number of people I have not heard of in the m-learning arena before. Lets see what's happening in the US!

3: A great looking m-learning content site is being launched tomorrow, at http://cc.mlearnopedia.com

In their infinite wisdom(!) Tony Karrer and Judy Brown have linked their content aggregator to our humble blog ... so if you visit cc.mlearnopedia.com don't be surprised to find out about us all over again!

 

We look forward to finding out more, and reporting back on what's happening in US mobile learning!

(I am doing my first "blogging on a plane" ... so not sure exactly when this will go live!)

m-learning in 2009: predictions

The ever-charming Graham and his crew over at handheldlearning convinced a group of us to attempt a prediction about what would happen in the world of m-learning in 2009.

Here were my thoughts, in a christmas-pudding-inspired pantomime stylee:

Several of the large scale vendors and suppliers of VLEs, laptops, mobile phones will start talking seriously about mobile learning (YAY)

but they will dramatically over-simplify it to suit their own agenda (BOO).

For example saying they support m-learning, when all they mean is that you can do a small subset of their e-learning on a micro browser.

Phone providers will start selling their phones as m-learning tools (YAY), when all they are really interested in is increased data income (BOO).

Content providers will start supporting m-learning too (YAY), but many will merely be squashing big-screen learning on to smaller screens and thinking that they have got it (BOO)

The risk with this swell of well-meaning but slightly misguided support is that some of the real innovation that currently surrounds mobile learning might get swamped by these simplified ideas. (AAAHHH)

But all is not lost, because the number of mainstream tools that empower m-learning will continue to get easier (and cheaper) to use. (YAY) Think podcasting, think GPS devices and maps, think portable media and game players.

As the body of research grows, showing that m-learning really does work, increasing number of teachers will give these tools a go (YAY) and their cost of entry will go down as increasing numbers of learners will come to class carrying their own, rich media, learning enabed device (whether a smart phone, a UMPC or a game device).

Will this have come true by the end of 2009? Without a doubt!

But all is not lost ... if you are one of those vendors / suppliers / publishers, and you really want to get to know m-learning spend a little time cruising the many many successful m-learning projects around the globe and speaking to real teachers and learners. There is good stuff out there. I know I will be!

See if you can prove all my negative (BOO) predictions wrong ... check back this time next year to find out! :-)

Which book changed your life?

Mobile learning works for lots of reasons.

• It might work for you because you can learn where you want.
• It might work for me because my phone is the only connection I have to the internet, and my classmates.
• It works for some of our excluded learners because it reaches them, and (if we are lucky), is part of their "ah-ha!" moment.

I love stories of those "ah-ha!" moments. The sudden thing that turned on a light for a learner who had stopped engaging in their learning. Several years ago we made an adult numeracy product (the numbers disc) that had an entire section dedicated to learner stories. Collecting them was a real inspiration.

Today I found a great one. It was nothing to do with "mobile", but all to do with "learning". I stumbled on it on one of the OU discussion forums asking which book changed your life.

'Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire' by Gibbon. I was 21, on state benefits, with a baby and a toddler. I kept renewing the library book in the hope that one day I might finish it.

On about the 8th renewal the librarian asked me if I had ever considered studying with the Open University. He gave me a leaflet with the contact details.

I graduated BSc Hons 2.1 nine years later.

I will always be grateful to that kind librarian. 'Decline and Fall' changed my life.

 

Is that inspiring, or what!

Teddies and telephones in space

It is a "proud dad" moment.

My daughter has been working on a science project to send 4 teddy bears into space.

They launched successfully a few days ago, and this morning almost every newspaper in the UK today is reporting on it (with all the predictable puns):

• Teddies Boldly Go Where No Bear Has Gone Before
• A giant leap for bear-kind (sun)
• Space bears are teddy for lift-off (metro)
• Giant step for teddies as Britain rejoins space race (times)
• British teddy bears are out of this world
• Ground control to major Ted (guardian)

She and her friends are justifiably glowing with pride - her bear, called MAT, is pictured on the left

The teddies went up with a helium balloon, got to an altitude of over 30 km, (temperature below -50 C) and landed safely on the coast after 2 hours of flight.

They travelled in style, connected to Nova 9 (the "mothership") built by CUSpaceflight - a group of Cambridge University students inspired by low-budget space flight.

On board was a few cameras, a super lightweight computer and GPS chip to track it, a radio to report back to the team on the ground ... and ... in case of emergencies ... a mobile phone!

Any teenager could tell you that in case of emergencies, you need to be able to send a text message to someone to pick you up. Nova 9 was no different.

The project was part of an outreach by CUSPaceflight, and the kids - science clubs from two local schools - were experimenting with different insulation and protective layers and clothing for their bears, to keep them from freezing solid.

Find out more by Googling Teddies in space or pick a couple of these links:

Local TV news

Press releases

Photos and more

infinitely digital

I like when different areas of my life collide - as they did a week or so ago in Bethnal Green Working Men's club, watching four young performance poets do a show about computer games (part of the London Games Festival) It was funny and intelligent and would make a brillianr addition to Handheld Learning or Alt-C - but what would you call these guys, late 20s early 30s brought up on Pacman, Super Mario and Street Fighter? Not natives as they probably didn't have phones until they were well into their teenage years. Is it true that most computer games bought these days are in fact by this demographic? So maybe it's not the kids we should be worrying about - but the dads? One thing that struck me, in the days when we are supposed to be promoting persistence, is that it's a quality playing computer games undeniably encourages. As a developer and educationalist I need to think about all the aspects of a computer game that make it hard to leave. Ah Sonic, I really loved your spikey blueness. You can see a clip of Infinite Lives here

Handheld Learning 2008 - the movie!

I am still busy recovering from the amazing flurry of mental and mobile stimulation that is Handheld Learning.

Old friends, new friends, cool projects, scary salespeople, avalanche of new gadgets.

One of the especially noteworthy things was the awesome array of big-hitting speakers, and for those of you unable to be in London yourselves, you can see the whole thing already, online at BlipTV:

 

Andrew Pinder, Chairman of Becta
Steven Berlin Johnson, Cultural critic & writer
Laurie O'Donnell, Director of Learning & Technology, Learning & Teaching Scotland
danah boyd, Social media scientist
Lord David Puttnam

 

All of these are well worth a bag of popcorn, and some chill-out viewing time

You can also catch other snippets from the day on the handheld video channel, at http://handheldlearning.blip.tv

Pecha Kucha on mobile learning

I did my first Pecha Kucha this week, at Handheld Learning 2008

"your what?"

Pecha Kucha - the elevator pitch of the powerpoint world. think poetry slam, think unconferences, think on your feet!

The idea started with informal gatherings of architects showing off their works, but has been taken up by enthusiasts all over the world trying to balance "too much information" with "too many people wanting to say something" with "got to keep it fun and light".

In this case the enthusiast was Dan Sutch of futurelab, who went old-skool and laid down the original Pecha Kucha ground rules:

• 20 slides
• 20 seconds each
• timed transitions (so they move on, even if the presenter doesn't)
• lottery on who presents

I got one of the early slots, and had great fun with a romp through what we have been up to recently in our mobile learning work, as well as trying out a few theories about why some mobile learning succeeds, and others fail. (it was the perfect place for it, with at least half the UK's m-learning thinkers right there in the audience, as well as a solid international contingent!)

thanks to Dan, as well as the many enthusiasts who made it a great first experience for me (James, Markus, Andy, Jill, Jo, the SA crew ... you know who you all are!)

mlearn 2008

I'm at Handheld Learning blogging about 2008 - that's how it goes in the fast moving world of m! I'm actually watching Selena Chan, whose presentation I saw in Telford - she works at Christchurch Polytechnic in NZ with apprentice bakers. her work crosses the informal / formal divide into a new educational space in which (maybe) the two will meet and merge (ooh more ms)This was a recurrent theme at mlearn - along with a set of presentations about overcoming teacher resistance (presentations from Elizabeth Hartnell Young and Ian Watkins from Melbourne spring to mind). Two favourites for me (apart from excellent keynote from Diana Laurillard a lovely elegant model which Geoff and I used in our presentation in a rather cheeky way) - one by Debra Poulson talking about MiLK - a project from OZ which uses interactive games with kids in both formal (eg town planning) and informal (exploring a museum with your families)- she gets PhD students to make the games - and the results are really interesting - doesn't have to be Sim City to work! The other was by JulietA really enjoyable and stimulating presentation from Juliet argh haven't noted her surname! (of Mudlarking in Deptford fame) whose interests are in location / place and what the subject brings to the location – and may leave behind for others to find.. She has done projects in outside locations like Deptford but also in buildings / institutions such as the V and A museum with children – called cracks in the concrete – the other lives of buildings - absolutely fascinating. So there was definitely gold at the end of the rainbow in Telford (and Morris Dancing)

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

UK government pays £300m to get families online

In one of the worst kept secrets of the summer, the DCSF has announced a credit-crunch-beating £300m to buy laptops and broadband for the neediest kids in England.

Is this good news?

It is great news! Evidence is mounting that kids perform better at school if they can take some of that school work home, and share it with their families. Several recent reports seem to be converging on this from different perspectives:

• DCSF's Children's plan (benefits of access to technology at home)
• Byron report (on managing e-safety)
• Denham's consultation on Informal Adult Learning (drawing in the parents)
• Becta's Harnessing Technology (on how to use it well for learning)

 

From Extending Opportunity (the final report of the minister's taskforce):

Strong evidence exists for the potential educational, economic and wider benefits of home access to technology. Despite this growing body of evidence, approximately 35 per cent of families still do not have access to the internet and the digital divide is not being narrowed. It is clear that cost is a major barrier to access and, whilst costs of home access are falling, they will not do so quickly enough to prevent a large number of low-income families from being excluded from the educational and wider benefits of home access. This exclusion of low-income families results in an inequitable exploitation of home access and means that it is impossible for all learners and their families to experience these educational benefits without some intervention.

 

Needless to say, technology providers are already limbering up to promote their wares. It looks like families will be given vouchers they can spend on eligible technology and connectivity - though debate is already starting up on what types of devices should be included.

Is it just about "laptops"?

What about "mobile devices"?

How about games consoles?

 

Not sure about the answer - though as a mobile blog, our vote is with the "as many methods as possible" camp!

divided we fall?

Still mulling ovr the Alt-C conference and what all the debates about digital divide add up to. Maybe (as suggested by the fringe slammers ) it's a false divide that isn't helpful - it's a dualism we can do without. But on the other hand, when we make content for e.g. mobile phones there's no question that for some people this is highly attractive, whereas for others, it's a puzzling approach to education. maybe the probelm arises when we make assumptions based on age, or gender, or where you live in the world (and the initial key note by Hans Rosling did a lot to explode some of the myths we hold about the world brilliantly).
Also thinking about all the Web 2,0 debates and whether or not I'd look good in one of those second life get ups. Whoops think I'm falling on the wrong side of a divide ...
Really enjoyed Clive Shepherd's session on the e-content pyramid. There's still plenty of scope for professional, well-designed learning materials alongside more user-generated material - and this should present a rich mix for everybody. Maybe that's the point - new ways of using technology to present learning can take its place alongside more traditional methods. It doesn't need to be a divide - just a broader choice (provided of course you've got the access).

X0 2 to have a touch screen!

It looks possible that the next generation OLPC might have the touch screen we were wishing for!

Some of the early ideas and mockups are up on the OLPC wiki site and the form factor looks superb.

Is this a good idea?

Of course!

OLPC walk a delicate tightrope between keeping the XO as cheap, robust, and low-power as possible while at the same time pushing to innovate. Theirs is a device built just for students - just for learning. Adding in one (or even two) touch screens moves their device closer to an idealised learning device!

We were lucky enough to hear David Cavallo who head up OLPC's future of learning research talking at ALT-C last week, and were pleased to hear him enthusing about the XO innovations.

Of course there is a long journey between the current announcements and a final release, but two touch screens would be a great response to new devices like the ClassMate PC - and if you believe some of the literature OLPC are creating, they are seriously considering adding these multi-touch screens.

 

Go OLPC go!

One day course in mobile learning - a bargain!

Anybody going to MLearn2008? It is happening in the UK this year, and promises to provide a great collection of speakers.

BUT - did you know about the workshops the day before?

Whether you are attending the main conference or not, you are still able to go to the workshops.

We are hosting Generation M, an all-day introduction to mobile learning for only £50 (which includes a licence to the MyLearning authoring tool)

If you looking for a gentle overview of all the current issues, as well as a chance to make some of your own m-learning content give us a go! ... as it says on the brochure:

Prepare yourself for MLearn2008 with a relaxed day of informal presentations and practical sessions. This exciting workshop day will provide hands-on opportunities to try m-learning authoring tools as well as hear from our fascinating guest speakers, Jocelyn Wishart, Karl Royle and Richard Everett – see www.m-learning.org and www.mlearn2008.org for full details of the programme.

It promises to be a great introduction to mobile learning. If you are interested, Sign up here (we are the second one on the list, "Generation M")

Is Classmate PC the king of touch?

Something we love about the latest Classmate PC is the addition of a touchscreen.

One of the strongest "form" messages we get back from the various m-learning trials we run, is the appreciation of "touch" as an interface. That and easy access to multimedia features (like cameras, voice recording, speakers etc)

That - and the ability to work together, sharing devices.

PDA-style devices, like the many HTC / WindowsMobile gadgets have always scored really well on these, and looking at this interview with one of the classmate researchers, they are taking the message to heart with their latest version

Are touchscreen UMPCs the pen and paper for students of the future?

 

This may well be a critical addition, enabling Intel’s Classmate PC to emerge as leader of the pack out of the swamp of chaos engulfing OLPC at the moment ...

Come on OLPC ... don't give up just yet ...