1. 1 Pedagogical implications of mobile technologies Diana Laurillard WLE Symposium on M-Learning 9 February 2007

2. 2 Outline What do mobile technologies contribute? What are the pedagogical challenges? What are the research challenges?

3. 3 What do mobile technologies contribute?

4. 4 What characteristics are intrinsic to mobile technologies? Enable knowledge building by learners in different contexts. Enable learners to construct understandings. Mobile technology often changes the pattern of learning/work activity. The context of mobile learning is about more than time and space. Mediating tools in the learning process, addressing: 1.The learner and their personal relationships (peer groups, teachers, etc.) 2.What is the leaner learning (topic, relationship to prior experience, etc.)? 3.Where and when are learners learning? Affective forms of motivation afforded by aspects of mobile control (over goals) ownership fun communication learning-in-context continuity between contexts ["Big Issues in Mobile Learning" workshop]

5. 5 What is common to mobile technologies? Tools and environments to support: Exploring - real physical environments linked to digital guides Investigating Discussing - with peers, synchronously or asynchronously, audio or text Recording, capturing data - sounds, images, videos, text, locations Building, making, modelling - using captured data and digital tools Sharing - captured data, digital products of building and modelling Testing - the products built, against others’ products, others’ comments, or real physical environments Adapting - the products developed, in light of feedback from tests or comments Reflecting - guided by digital collaborative software, using shared products, test results, and comments [“Convergence” workshop]

6. 6 What are the pedagogical challenges?

7. 7 We could look at the learning process as a series of encounters between learner, teacher, and other learners. Teacher/Lecturer Learner Other learner(s) Concepts What does it take to learn (formal learning)? Answers Productions Ideas Comments Questions Comments Ideas The discursive level

8. 8 We also need to represent the activities a learner undertakes when learning - such as practising, experimenting, investigating, discussing, reflecting, making, commenting, debating… Teacher/Lecturer Learner Other learner(s) Task goal Feedback Revisions Actions Trial actions The experiential level What does it take to learn (formal learning)?

9. 9 So we could see these two aspects of the learning process in terms of a class presentation, or lecture, on the one hand: Teacher/Lecturer Learner Other learner(s) Concepts Answers Questions Productions Ideas Comments LECTUREOR CLASS PRESENTATION FIELD TRIPOR PRACTICAL … and a field trip, or practice exercise on the other: Teacher/Lecturer Learner Other learner(s) Task goal Feedback Actions Revisions Trial actions Discursive level Experiential level What does it take to learn (formal learning)?

10. 10 Teacher/Lecturer Learner Other learner(s) Teacher/Lecturer Learner Other learner(s) Concepts Answers Questions Productions Ideas Comments Task goal Feedback Actions Revisions Trial actions Adapt actions Adapt actions Adapt the Task practice environment Trial actions Discursive level Experiential level What does it take to learn (formal learning)?

11. 11 Reflect Teacher/Lecturer Learner Other learner(s) Teacher/Lecturer Learner Other learner(s) Concepts Answers Ideas Comments Actions Revisions Adapt actions Adapt actions Adapt the Task practice environment Action ideas Reflect What does it take to learn for formal learning? The learning experience for informal learning The Real World - the Conversational Framework for supporting the learning process Task goal Feedback Action ideas

12. 12 How do teaching methods and technologies map onto the Conversational Framework? Teacher/Lecturer Learner Other learner(s) Using the CF to evaluate teaching methods Teacher/Lecturer Learner Other learner(s) Concepts Answers Questions Productions Ideas, Comments Task goal Feedback Actions Revisions Action ideas Adapt actions Adapt the Task practice environment Reflect Action ideas Ideas, Comments Control over goals? Communication? Fun? Ownership? Learning in context? Continuity between contexts?

13. 13 Lectures Tutorials Reading Computer-based tools Computer-based tools Collaborative online tools Collaborative online tools Trails The mapping for a possible planned learning session The mapping for a possible planned learning session Summary Mapping teaching methods to the Conversational Framework

14. 14 This represents the parts of the Conversational Framework covered by Lectures - Learning Experiences and Teaching Methods (Lectures) This is a teaching method (like books and TV) which focuses mainly on presentation of concepts and ideas, but has the advantage that learners can ask questions. Teacher/Lecturer Learner Other learner(s) Teacher/Lecturer Learner Other learner(s) Concepts Task goal Actions Action ideas Adapt actions Adapt the Task practice environment Reflect Ideas Answers Questions Productions Revisions Feedback Comments Ideas Comments Action ideas Comments

15. 15 Teacher/Lecturer Learner Other learner(s) Teacher/Lecturer Learner Other learner(s) Concepts Task goal Actions Action ideas Adapt actions Adapt the Task practice environment Reflect Ideas Answers Questions Productions Revisions Feedback Comments Ideas Comments Action ideas Comments This represents the parts of the Conversational Framework covered by Tutorials which are face-to- face and enable learners to discuss together as well as with the tutor: The focus here is discussion. There is no link to practice, as it is essentially about the expression and analysis of the theory or concepts of the subject. Learners may exchange their own ideas as part of the tutorial, but the principal exchange is more likely to be between students and the tutor. Learning Experiences and Teaching Methods (Tutorials)

16. 16 Learning Experiences and Teaching Methods (Reading) This is a teaching method (like lectures and TV) which focuses mainly on presentation of concepts and ideas, but also embeds questions to encourage students to produce their own thinking, and provides ‘model answers’ for them to check their ideas against. Teacher/Lecturer Learner Other learner(s) Teacher/Lecturer Learner Other learner(s) Concepts Questions Task goal Actions Action ideas Adapt actions Adapt the Task practice environment Reflect Model answers Answers Productions Revisions Feedback Comments Ideas Comments Action ideas Comments This represents the parts of the Conversational Framework covered by Reading assignments which include activities and self-assessed questions based on the reading: Ideas

17. 17 Learning Experiences and Teaching Methods (Tools) This represents the parts of the Conversational Framework covered by computer-based tools, such as spreadsheets, simulations, data-analysis - Teacher/Lecturer Learner Other learner(s) Teacher’s environment Learner Other learner(s) Questions Questions, answers Feedback Practice attempt Comment Practice attempt Comment There is no reflection by the teacher while the learner is working on the tool unless it is combined with small group supervision, or monitored online. There is no interaction with other learners unless it is run as a collaborative project. The learner uses their theoretical understanding to generate their actions in the tool, which may give feedback on how close they are to the goal, and further practice attempts should motivate reflection. Adapt actions Adapt a Task practice environment Reflect Answers Concepts Task goal Revisions Actions

18. 18 This represents the parts of the Conversational Framework covered by collaborative digital tools, such as ‘Criterion’ - Teacher/Lecturer Learner Other learner(s) Teacher environment Learner Other learner(s) Questions Questions, answers Actions Practice attempt Adapt actions Adapt a Task practice environment Reflect Answers Concepts Task goal There is no reflection by the teacher while the learner is working on the tool unless it is combined with small group supervision, or monitored online. There is interaction with other learners to share practice attempts at actions to achieve the goal, and also at the level of discussion, questions and answers. The learner uses their understanding to generate actions in the tool, which may not itself provide feedback; feedback from other learners motivates further practice attempts, and that motivates reflection. Learning Experiences and Teaching Methods (Collaborative tools) Actions Revisions Feedback

19. 19 Learning Experiences and Teaching Methods (Trails) This represents the parts of the Conversational Framework covered by trails, using mobile phones to capture, narrate, and share data discovered Teacher/Lecturer Learner Other learner(s) Teacher/Lecturer Learner Other learner(s) Questions Questions, answers Feedback Action Practice attempt Comment Practice attempt Comment There is no reflection by the teacher while the learner is working on the trail (unless it is combined with small group supervision, or monitored online). The interaction with other learners is at the level of making available their practice data trail, and asking and answering questions of other learners using their presentations. The learner uses their understanding to generate actions in the tool, but it gives no feedback; feedback from peers motivates further practice attempts which in turn motivates reflection. Adapt actions Adapt a Task practice environment Reflect Answers Concepts Task goal Revisions

20. 20 Teacher/Lecturer Learner Other learner(s) Mapping of Teaching Methods for a planned session ( Lecture,Tutorial, Reading, Tools ) Teacher/Lecturer Learner Other learner(s) Questions Questions, ideas, answers Feedback Action Practice attempt Comment Practice attempt Comment Adapt actions Adapt a Task practice environment Reflect Hints Comments Model answers Concepts Questions Task goal Revisions This represents the parts of the Conversational Framework covered by the combination of all the planned Teaching Methods: The coverage is good, but it may be worthwhile to consider how the remaining gaps will be addressed. Answers  CSCL environment  Synchronous online structured reading group  Collaborative lab/fieldwork project  Role-play simulation

21. 21 What are the research challenges?

22. 22 1. access the theory, ideas or concepts? 2. ask questions of (i) the teacher, or (ii) their peers? 3. offer their own ideas to (i) the teacher, or (ii) their peers? 4. use their understanding to achieve a clear task goal by adapting their actions? 5. repeat practice, using feedback that enables them to improve performance? 6. share their trial actions with peers, for comparison and comment? 7. reflect on the experience of the goal-action- feedback cycle? 8. debate their ideas with other learners? 9. reflect on their experience, by producing their ideas, reports, designs? 10. reflect on their experience, by presenting their ideas to their teachers? Matching the mobile technology solution to the pedagogy The CF can check pedagogic design - Does it motivate students to: Exploring Investigating Discussing Recording, capturing data Building, making, modelling Sharing Testing Adapting Reflecting Mobile technologies offer tools and environments to support: 1. access the theory, ideas or concepts? 2. ask questions of (i) the teacher, or (ii) their peers? 3. offer their own ideas to (i) the teacher, or (ii) their peers? 4. use their understanding to achieve a clear task goal by adapting their actions? 5. repeat practice, using feedback that enables them to improve performance? 6. share their trial actions with peers, for comparison and comment? 7. reflect on the experience of the goal-action- feedback cycle? 8. debate their ideas with other learners? 9. reflect on their experience, by producing their own ideas, reports, designs? 10. reflect on their experience, by presenting their ideas to their teachers? Can research demonstrate a match? Or challenge the need for a match - new framework? Or develop the means to make a good match?