The MASELTOV AppThe MASELTOV App provides a combination of services for incident-focused support for users, structured learning and services that offer users the ability to connect and communicate with other users. Ÿ Geosocial RadarThe Geosocial Radar relies on a database of vetted volunteers who each make themselves available to provide help at self-selected times and dates throughout the year, and in particular geographical areas. If a user of the MASELTOV App is out in the city, and an issue arises that needs an immediate resolution, the user can search for assistance and the radar will return a list of available volunteers in order of their proximity, with brief information about each person. Ÿ ForumA conventional online forum is available within the MASELTOV App. This allows for asynchronous discussion between MASELTOV App users, and MASELTOV App users and volunteers. The forum can be used to chat about a range of subject matter, including language points arising from use of the language learning service or cultural points arising from use of the serious game.Ÿ Progress and feedback indicators

Progress indicators available within the MASELTOV App include a view of time spent using each service represented as a pie chart. Ÿ Language lessonsA collection of 6 'modules' that introduce language in relation to broad themes of relevance to the lives of immigrants, covering basic expressions as well as travel and transport, healthcare, education, employment and administration. Each module is divided into 3-4 'lessons', a 'situations' page and 'emergency vocabulary'. The lessons, which use text, pictures and audio include various activities and tests, and encouragement to practise language in the real world. Functionality planned for the next release of the MASELTOV App:- includes a goal setting facility, and a service which generates personalised recommendations intended to enable users to progress further in their learning.Ÿ MASELTOV App will provide users with the ability to set and store

learning goals. This will enable users to enter a free text statement about a personal goal and set a deadline for completion. In addition, the goal setting facility will provide several pre-set goals or 'challenges' which the user can choose to attempt.

Ÿ RecommendationsUsers will be prompted by recommendations of steps to take to further their learning.

Designing for informal mobile language learning in the real world

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This poster has been produced by the Open University MASELTOV team: Andrew Brasher, Agnes Kukulska-Hulme, Ann Jones, Mark Gaved, Eileen Scanlon, Lucy Norris, Jan Jones, Evaghn De Souza.

IntroductionImmigrants in Europe represent a highly heterogeneous social group, however there are common challenges to social inclusion including second language knowledge, cultural understanding, and community building with the native population. A group that has been identified as being particularly vulnerable to these challenges is young female immigrants, typified by wives who join their husbands in the new country. They are in danger of social exclusion due to missing friends, lacking a job, and not being able to communicate in the language of the host country. The EU funded MASELTOV project has developed an integrated app that incorporates services for informal situated language learning, e.g. capturing and translating signs and notices, sharing learning in social networks, and themed lessons. Underpinning this application, we have developed a model of informal learning in the real world using mobile devices: the incidental learning framework, to support the design of contextualised informal mobile language learning. In this poster we describe the model and the MASELTOV app, and how they may inform future higher education language learning designs.

The Incidental learning framework - inspired by Kolb’s learning cycleThe Incidental learning framework (Brasher et al, 2012; Gaved et al, 2013) is intended to facilitate the creation of technology rich learning opportunities for immigrants within cities. It builds on Kolb's theory of experiential learning (Kolb, 1984), often depicted as a learning cycle consisting of four steps i.e. concrete experience, reflective observation, abstract conceptualization, and active experimentation. Our conceptualisation of incidental learning is that it includes learning that happens within everyday activities. i.e. learning that is incidental to other activities, but might still be planned.In our framework the incidents represent the 'concrete experience', and the framework helps the designer envisage how the learner may be supported in

the incidents themselves, and also in reflecting, planning and learning from and in addition to the incidents. The framework represents support for learners as being provided by a 'More Able Partner' (Luckin, 2010): people, technologically-based services, or a combination of both. The framework may be used to depict learning journeys that take place over many hours or days and in many different places. A designer can use it to envision the support that a learner might need in particular situations, and how this support could be provided. In MASELTOV it has been used to envision learning journeys that the MASELTOV App's target users could take, and to inform the development of services that the app provides, e.g. a goal setting service and a recommendation service that combine use of the MASELTOV App's individual services over time and space into a coherent learning journey. The framework can show the learner's journey from one incident to another, over time. Incidents can be interspersed with reflection, planning and structured learning each of which may be triggered by the MASELTOV system. Each incident is characterised in terms of Ÿ the place the incident (and structured learning, planning or reflection) occurs; place is not just a location, but also specifies some context information,Ÿ the task(s) the learner is attempting to carry out; these can be within incidents (e.g. buying a bus ticket to a specific destination), or part of structured learning or reflection, Ÿ the tools (including content) the leaner can or does use to complete the task;Ÿ the social support that the learner can or does make use of; the learner should be supported by tools and/or people to reach the intended learning outcomes, Ÿ the learning outcomes that the learner wants to achieve, and those that the learner does achieve;Ÿ the (relative) time the incidents (or structured learning, planning or reflection) occur; as learning is a process which occurs over time, and previous learning outcomes affect the leaner's readiness for subsequent tasks, the framework must represent the relative time that learning occurs. In the framework, time is not necessarily just a specification of an instant or a measurement of a duration, it may also include contextual information e.g. 'Lunchtime'.

Active Experimentation

(planning/trying out what you have learnt)

Abstract Conceptualisation(concluding/learning from the experience)

Reflective Observation

(reviewing/reflecting on the experience)

Concrete Experience

(doing/having an experience)

Kolb’s learning

cycle

Opportunities for technology supported incidental learning within formal higher educationTo conclude we examine how features of the Incidental learning framework, and the MASELTOV App could be utilised within higher education. A learning journey may be characterised in terms of the types of learning that are undertaken during the journey. The Open University Learning Design Initiative developed an activity profile tool as an aid to planning student activity during HE course design (Galley, 2012). Considering the variation in the different types of learning activities that occur across the sequence depicted in the incidental learning framework example above, it would look approximately like the upper profile:

The height of the columns shows the proportion of the total study hours that the course designers intend that students will spend on learning activities of the 7 activity types shown (assimilative, finding and handling information, communication etc.).In most language courses at level 1 there is little emphasis on experiential and incidental learning within the activities prescribed by the course designers. For example an activity profile of a typical level 1 language course will look something like the lower profile (Open University, 2014).Thus there is scope for services such as those provided by the MASELTOV App to offer HE students opportunities and support for incidental, experiential learning in level 1 language courses. However, the opportunities that could be offered to individuals in this way would depend on both the contexts that individuals find themselves in, and their willingness to share information about their context with the App. Examples of the kind of recommendations that a MASELTOV system could make for UK based learners on a level 1 language module include Ÿ Radio or TV programmes in the relevant language accessible over the internet, on topics currently being covered in the module

Ÿ Identification of particular places to try out language learnt when travelling abroad. Furthermore, Luckin's idea of a 'More Able Partner' (Luckin, 2008) was used within the Incidental Learning Framework to describe the idea that a learner may receive support from a person, a tool, or a combination of one or more of either of these (Brasher et al, 2012, p. 25.). In conventional formal learning, the teacher is the 'More Able Partner', and the teacher acts according to a timetable set by themselves and/or their institution. In the MASELTOV App, the role of 'More Able Partner' is played by a MASELTOV App service, which can be initiated and acted upon at the time and place that an incident occurs. The service could be a wholly technologically provided service, e.g. using the MASELTOV App's TextLens: this provides image to text translation, allowing

learners to take photos on their smartphones and receive translations of the text they have captured. Alternatively, it could be a service provided by a person, enabled by MASELTOV App functionality (e.g. via the forum of GeoSocial Radar). The MASELTOV App's recommendation engine can suggest learning goals after a learner has carried out a set of specific actions. In Vavoula's typology of learning (Vavoula, 2004) a teacher's (or 'More Abler Partner's) suggestion of learning goals is in the area of 'Formal learning'. We can thus see how incidental learning supported by a smartphone can begin to bridge the gap between informal and formal learning, and see how the MASELTOV App and the incidental learning framework can influence learning design for higher education in various ways.

Institute of Educational Technology http://www.maseltov.eu

ReferencesBrasher, A.; Dunwell, I.; Akiki, O. and Gaved, M. (2012). MASELTOV Deliverable D7.1.1: Incidental Learning Framework. MASELTOV Consortium, Graz, Austria.

Galley, R. (2102), OULDI - Pedagogy Profile, http://jiscdesignstudio.pbworks.com/w/page/33031409/OULDI%20-%20Pedagogy%20Profile, accessed 17/11/2014.

Gaved, M.; Kukulska-Hulme, A.; Scanlon, E.; Jones, A.; Jones, J.; Dunwell, I.and Lameras, P. (2013). MASELTOV Deliverable Report 7.1.2: Incidental Learning Framework. MASELTOV Consortium, Graz, Austria.

Kolb, D. A. 1984. Experiential learning : experience as the source of learning and development, . Englewood Cliffs, N.J, Prentice-Hall.

Luckin, R. 210. Re-Designing Learning Contexts: Technology-Rich, Learner-Centred Ecologies (Foundations and Futures of Education). Open University (2104), Learning Design tools - Open University, http://learning-design.open.ac.uk/, accessed 10/11/2014.

Vavoula, G. 2004. KLeOS: A knowledge and learning organisation system in support of lifelong learning, Phd Thesis, The University of Birmingham, UK.

Designing for informal mobile language learning in the real world

This poster has been produced by the Open University MASELTOV team: Andrew Brasher, Agnes Kukulska-Hulme, Ann Jones, Mark Gaved, Eileen Scanlon, Lucy Norris, Jan Jones, Evaghn De Souza.Institute of Educational Technology http://www.maseltov.eu