Implementing Mobile Learning School Programs

A/Prof Boris HandalThe University of Notre Dame Australia

We were warmly receivedby theNorthAmericanweather

The Sample

Over 100 top educators were interviewed at nearly 30 educational sites (teachers, principals, district superintendents and academics) in Australia, Canada and the United States to study the implementation of mobile learning programs in schools.

The Data

Evidences of good practice were collected, through interviews and classroom observations, on teaching and learning, IT infrastructure, digital citizenship, equity and professional learning.

Grounded theory was used to generate new theoretical frameworks based on the data collected.

Research Questions

1) To which teaching problems mobile learning is a solution?2) How learning experiences can be better enhanced/supported through mobile learning?3) What are the instructional, curricular and logistics implications of BYOD or to one-to-one deployments?4) How to empower teachers to develop practices to utilise mobile devices in teaching and learning?5) What is the role of the school in teaching digital citizenship in schools?

The Main Findings

1) There is not unified vision as to how to implement mobile learning2) Teachers cannot conceptualise various mobile learning apps task orientations3) Strategies to build institutional and professional capacity are largely grassroots4) Institutional decisions about whether to go on a BYOD or One-to-One deployment are mostly idiosyncratic.

Traditional paradigm New technology-integration paradigm

Standardisation Creativity

Times/space constraint Ubiquitous

Appointed source of information, teacher as curator of knowledge through the textbook

Multiple sources of information

Teacher authority Student control

Literacy/numeracy scores metrics 21st Century Skills: Communication, Critical thinkingCreativity, Collaboration, Digital literacy

Alien Real life

IQ mindset Multiple intelligences orientation

Product Process

Production line Curiosity

Focus on itemised curriculum items Focus on general competencies

Linear Multimodal

Rules Unconditional

Social self (local identities) perpetuating Self-determination globalisation

Social differentiation/reproduction Democratic empowerment

Conformity Dissent

Compulsory Free

School as panopticon– punitive, authoritarian, Self-indulgent learning

Factory –like, industrial revolution heritage Individualisation/personalisation

Selective, social reproduction, race-like, elitist Equalitarian

A Mobile Learning Ecology

BYOD or One-to-One?

• Financial considerations• Pedagogical considerations• Technical considerations• Equity considerations

BYOD modes by OS and functionalities –Zone of Free Movement

BYOD and Age

What are the instructional situations to which mobile

technology makes a positive difference?

Modular Learning

• Mobile technology appeals to students and teachers because fosters modular learning.

• Modular learning is about a pedagogy that is self-contained, theme-driven and student-controlled.

• Inspired on the Cognitive Tools approach

Cognitive Tools (Mind Tools)

• Technology as a vehicle to an end (eg, prosthetics, amplifiers, re-organisers)

• "Cognitive Tools aid cognition through interactive technologies that expand the mind" (Lahoje, 2005).

• Every cognitive tool embeds a particular purpose based on a particular theory

Modular Learning elements

Self-contained(Content, cognition)

Theme-driven(Context, situatedness)

Student-controlled(Motivation/metacognition)

Theoretical approaches

Explorative tasks

High High High Hypothesis testing, discovery learning, modelling

Productivity tasks

Medium High High PBL, Cognitive apprenticeship

Instructive tasks

High High Low Coaching/scaffolding, sequencing instruction

Information seeking tasks

Low High High Communities of learners (research)

The New Citizenship

What means to be a good citizen?

What does it look like in the digital environment?

Digital Citizenship Trends

• Global debate between central versus distributed policy design

• DC Movement from prescription to empowerment

• Abandonment of the DC filtering model• Embedding DC gradually across the curriculum • Proliferation of open access DC sites

A Digital Citizenship Capability

Capability: “a developed capacity to think and act in well-defined sphere of activity and purpose” (Arbab, Correa & Anello, 1998)

Knowledge (What)1. Etiquette: electronic standards of conduct or procedure2. Communication: electronic exchange of information3. Education/Literacy: the process of teaching and learning

about technology and the use of technology4. Access: full electronic participation in society5. Commerce: electronic buying and selling of goods6. Law: electronic responsibility for actions and deeds7. Rights and Responsibilities: those freedoms extended to

everyone in a digital world8. Health and Wellness: physical well-being in a digital

technology world9. Digital Security (self-protection): electronic precautions to

guarantee safety (Ribble, 2009)

Attitudes (Why)

Respect and Protect • yourself• others• intellectual property (Alberta Education,2012)

Integrity

Friendliness

Kindness

Self-discipline

Courtesy

Trustworthiness

Skills (How)

• Apply the principles of digital safety and security in their personal lives

• Demonstrate acceptable legal and ethical behaviours within the digital environment

• Weigh the implications of membership to digital communities and social media

• Be able to critically use digital information for his/her own benefit (Hollandsworth et al., 2011; Haan & Sonck, 2012).

The Six School Conversions

http://www.usethistip.com

CurriculumArticulate technology to current school programsDigital citizenship educationEmbedding new pedagogies

TeachersPeer coachingInterest groups membershipPD sharing orientation

School AdminTransitioning strategyProvision of devices to teachersTech/ped specialist support in situ

StudentsSchool IT committee membershipSchool helpdesk volunteeringGuest speakers in teachers PD events

ParentsBYOD / One-to-One consultationPolicy-makingICT training in school

SystemeLearning blueprintsIT system fitnessGuidelines system imperatives

Three phase TODI model

Phase 1 Phase 2 Phase 3

Teaching and Learning

teachers getting personally (given one for free) to the device - workshops

teachers delivering simple tasks in their classroom with peers

teachers working together designing units if work

Ownership modality

Community consultation about BYOD / One-to-One

Decision communications / budgeting

Full implementation

Digital Citizenship Writing/adapting digital citizenship policy and guidelines

Disseminating, discussing and educating about policies

implementing / enforcing policies

Infrastructure assess infrastructure / make decisions

negotiate access points and bandwidth with central office

full implementation /maintenance

The TODI Transition Model