Mlearning, the world wide web and assessment

Alex Hayes

Centre for Learning Innovation, DET NSW

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Session overview

• About CLI

• Demonstration using a mobile device to record an assessment

• The challenge

• The jigsaw and the jargon – blogs, moblogs, Del.icio.us, Technorati

• The story so far

• Current and future projects

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Opening comments - About CLI

• CLI is the primary developer of teaching and learning resources for the

NSW Department of Education and Training:

• 2 200 schools – 760 000 students

• 130 vocational colleges (TAFE) – 460 000 students

• CLI develops and distributes:

• Learning resources (eg print, CD, DVD, video, websites, LMS)

• CLI provides advice and expertise in:

• Technology standards (eg interoperability, metadata)

• Connected Learning (eg tools and technologies; snapshots of

practice)

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CLI functional areas

Learning Design• Pedagogy• Education and industry expertise

Teaching and Learning Innovation

• Teaching and Learning Exchange (TaLe)

• Standards

• Repositories

• Connected Learning

Multimedia Infrastructure

• Copyright

• Contract management

• Project management

Multimedia production • Graphic and multimedia design

• Audio / video production

• Publishing systems

CLI

Policy and strategic advice Partnerships and commercial sales

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An idea ….?

Painting and DecoratingBCGPD3001B Prepare surfaces for painting

1. Student’s or employer’s mobile device

records assessment event

2. Transmits to website

3. Photo / video / audio appears on website (moblog)

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Online assessment idea……….convergence

4. New post automatically sends SMS to assessor’s phone.

5. Assessor views new post, adds comments and then

copies work sample to separate website (eg. Blogger)

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The challenge …

CLI Photodisk image

…and the solution?

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The challenge

TAFE NSW student images used with permission

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1880

1947

1878

1910

1986-96

2001

2002

2004

2003

2006The story so far First mobile phone Motorola’s DynaTAC 1973

First mobile network (analogue) 1979

First GSM (digital) network 1991

First SMS 1992 (1995 & 1998)

First ringtone (Finland) 1997

WAP 1.0 specification 1998

i-mode launched 1999

Video (3G) 1999

Global roaming 2000

Commercial 3G 2001

*Thanks to Sony Ericsson for phone images and HWW for the slide

2m Blackberries 15m mp3

players

1,600m mobiles

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Protopage

Technorati

The jigsaw – Web tools …. ?

Del.icio.us

blogs

moblogs

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Jargon buster

Blogs (or “web logs”)

• websites where new content is added sequentially.

• next generation in chat rooms, discussion boards and email distribution lists.

Many of these websites are hosted by agencies who provide free, but often limited storage space for users. Their return comes from selling increased storage and advertising on the site.

Most people use them as a form of electronic diary, recording their thoughts, ideas and journeys.

Mobile blogs (moblogs)

• similar but focus on pictures rather than text. They also link to mobile devices.

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Acronym buster

RSS – really simple syndication or rich site summary

A programmed electronic process which automatically sends information from one source (eg a website) to another (eg a digital phone or email account). Most commonly used to send information or summaries of new content on a website (eg newspaper headlines, sports results, tenders).

SMS – short message service

A service which enables you to transmit text from one digital device to another. Often referred to as texting.

MMS – multimedia messaging service

As above, but also enables the transmission of digital audio, picture and video files.

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So what do you get?• A ‘free’ platform for sending photos, audio files and video to a

website• Free platforms for managing multiple websites• Automatic updates on new entries via SMS and RSS

And the downside?

• Privacy and confidentiality concerns• Child protection• Copyright• Digital rights management – ownership and use of material• IT infrastructure – support, fire walls, return on investment• Call costs

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Mobile learning: the story so far ….• Content downloaded on to mobile devices for use in the fieldFor example: maps, product information, spreadsheets, quizzes, checklists,

standard operating procedures

• Transmission of data (sales, customer record updates, quotes, checklists) back to base

• Links to the internet for up to date informationFor example: local services, phone numbers, news, product sheets, diagrams

• Email and calendar

• Phones converged with websites (blogs or mobile blogs)

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Possible next steps …

• Training videos on demand transmitted to your device

• Problem solving through group interaction via mobile devices

• Short interactive tests sent (or pre-programmed) to the device, completed and submitted electronically to the training centre

• OH&S guides electronically embedded in the workplace and automatically sent to mobile devices when activated (RFIDs)

• Game-based simulations and scenarios played out on mobile devices

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Some ideas for engaging learners via mlearning…….

Internet site

Photos sent to website from mobile phones

All photos appear on blogsite – open for online comment and discussions

Experts assist in identification. Also send SMS with details back to original sender

MLearning - Pest Identification

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Science Excursions – Possible documentation technique

Step 1 - Photos taken on site

Step 2 - Photo sent to moblog site

Step 3 – Digital data ( images ) processed at school site

Step 4 – Students / Educators compose a digital story detailing the learning experience

Step 5 – Digital story processed and made avialable for distribution in CD format, burned to CD

extension …

GPS tagged photos added to database for further explorations.

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Workplace Assessment – Possible Documentation Technique

Step 1 - OH&S risks identified and sent to moblog for discussion and rating

Step 2 – Digital data repackaged into Top 10 risks and sent back to mobile devices

Step 3 - Workplace tasks recorded and sent to moblog for assessment

Step 4 – Further ‘byte’ sized activities sent to the phones

extension…

Site inductions using RFIDs

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Research & Development – Factors & Considerations

1. Mobile learning literature review (eg. using a del.icio.us tagging site)

2. Hardware and software comparisons (phones, PDAs, Mp3 players)

3. Gaming simulations using mobile devices

4. Pedagogy studies (behaviourist, constructivist, collaborative, connectivist learning)

5. Learning design (graphics, accessibility, technical standards, interoperability of learning objects)

6. Developing Communities of Practice (ie. Flexible Learning Framework, TALO, MobiLearn)

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Key questions to consider

• Does this new technology add value to the learning experience?

• Is the pedagogy sound?

• How much additional training or guidance is required?

• Is there are a clear cost benefit to the organisation?

• How sustainable is the whole process? Who pays?

• Why are we devoting time and resources to it? ie just because we can or because there is real value in embracing the new technology?

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Getting the right mix ….hypothesis ?

• A mobile device, with network connections and multimedia capabilities, will soon become an integral part of most people’s daily working and social lives.

• These devices offer exciting, challenging and rewarding experiences for people as they learn and develop within an organisation. The devices do not necessarily replace other learning and development experiences.

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Prove It! An online tool to recognise prior learning

www.cli.nsw.edu.au/proveit

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Our ideal world of education and training in a mobile world ?

Learner uses RPL tool to identify gaps in skills or

evidence of those skills

Learner creates digital portfolio

of evidence

Trainer assesses existing skills and then sets various tasks to

meet gaps

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Learner uses a variety of media to complete

and submit tasks

Learner may engage in face to face

workshops

Learner is assessed and given appropriate

certification

The cycle of continuous learning

continues

See

Try

Apply

Models …?

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Where in the world are we

at with mobile learning ?

http://www.touchgraph.com/TGGoogleBrowser.php?start=http://www.alexanderhayes.com/