Developing M-learning Pedagogical and Design Perspectives Mike Sharples Kodak/Royal Academy of Engineering Educational Technology Research Group University of Birmingham

An Alternative History of Computers and Education “Imagine having your own self-contained knowledge manipulator in a portable package the size and shape of an ordinary notebook. Suppose it had enough power to outrace your senses of sight and hearing, enough capacity to store for later retrieval thousands of page-equivalents of reference material, poems, letters, recipes, records, drawings, animations, musical scores, waveforms, dynamic simulations, and anything else you would like to remember and change… Alan Kay

The Dynabook …the Dynabook is now within reach of current technology.” Alan Kay 1976 Learning Research Group Xerox Palo Alto Research Centre

Ingredients of a Dynabook Handheld multimedia hardware Object-oriented software Wireless communications Personal mobile learning

Evolution of Hardware, Software and Communications 1970’s Dynabook idea Alto Smalltalk 1980’s Xerox Star Apple Lisa Apple Macintosh C ’s Windows PCs Laptop PCs PDAs Java 2000’sWireless PDAs Arpanet Ethernet TCP/IP Analog cellular radio Worldwide web Digital cellular radio Wireless LAN CORBA Bluetooth

Consumer Product Multimedia handheld computer Digital phone and communicator Wireless network Under $100 Cybiko

Evolution of Learning Theory 1970’s Discovery Learning 1980’s Situated learning Constructivist learning Collaborative learning 1990’s Problem-based learning Lifelong learning 2000’sInformal learning Contextual learning

Lifelong Learning Train the workforce to adapt to a rapidly changing world Empower children and adults to manage, share, and enjoy their own learning in a variety of contexts throughout their lifetimes

Learning Projects A typical adult undertakes eight personal learning projects (lasting seven days or more) in a year – Computer package, foreign language, sport, home repair, cooking etc. Less than 1% are for formal credit Tough, 1979

Informal learning Giasemi Vavoula 12 “learning intensive” adults Kept diaries for 4 days 118 self-reported learning episodes (2.5 per person per day) – 58% pre-planned, 42% serendipitous – 44% alone, 56% with others At work site Elsewhere 11% 15 % 22 % 33 % 18 %

Contextual learning Context is not simply a function of time and place Also involves: – Trajectory: how did I get here? Where am I going? – Intention: what do I want to get out of this situation? – Negotiation

Art Gallery Visitor

New Technology User centred Personal Networked Portable Ubiquitous Durable

New Education Learner centred Individualised Collaborative Situated Ubiquitous Lifelong

New Education…Technology Learner centred Individualised Collaborative Situated Ubiquitous Lifelong User centred Personal Networked Portable Ubiquitous Durable

The Challenge To design personal learning assistants based on sound educational design combined with good engineering

Technical Issues Contextual awareness Interaction and interface design Handwriting recognition Speech recognition Weight and battery life Seamless integration of high- speed communications

Learning Issues From situated to mobile learning Ad hoc collaboration and informal interaction Context-aware devices: more sophisticated notion of context Pervasive learning medium Support for learning projects Lifelong learning support Ownership Disruption of classroom learning

Conclusion Designing the technology is (now) fairly straightforward Designing and managing the learning is going to be hard