Update on Exploration, communication and staff development
The final update from this current round:
In addition to cross-unit discussions about the above projects and sub-projects – some for technical integration, some for knowledge-sharing as part of the Mobile Technologies Special Interest Group (SIG) or the eLearning Community programme of events from Sept 09, there are many other activities underway:
Emulators – to aid those staff who don’t have access to devices themselves for exploration, the Digilab ‘mobile zone’ equipment has been updated, and the Mac and PC desktops have also been supplemented with device/browser emulators or simulators for newer devices including Apple iPhone/iPod Touch, Google Android, Palm Pre, in addition to older Microsoft Windows Mobile 6, Sun Java Mobile and the OperaMini demos [also available online via http://operamini.com/demo ]
Knowledge-sharing sessions – an ongoing programme of activities include mobile themes, presentations and seminars. These include the eLearning Community and the Mobile Technologies SIG as well as IET Technology coffee mornings and other Faculty and Programme-initiated seminars and symposia. There is also interest in improving the online presence available to staff interested in Mobile Learning, but until this is specified and agreed further, a co-created list of teaching and learning projects is also available for updating.
Staff briefings – most recently there are two briefings that provide an update and overview of mobile learner support coordination of teaching and learning activities and LIO projects, given as part of the above knowledge-sharing sessions: IET and eLC.
Ongoing briefings are also being conducted as part of the Digilab facilities, where ‘Digibytes’ and ‘Digiquests’ can be followed, by consultation with the staff: http://digilab.open.ac.ukCross-faculty consultation – commencing September 2009, there will be broader consultation via a group established by LIO, complemented by further interaction with course managers and teaching and learning staff in each unit. Building on this will be a series of activities to better coordinate information on any ongoing teaching and learning projects that are relevant to mobile learner support. While the main thrust of activity will be to improve communication and networking, the activities will also be an opportunity to feed back new areas of innovative practice and models for e-learning (and m-learning) for wider dissemination and to LIO. Evaluating new MobileVLE designs and small-scale student trial coordination is also expected to be part of the ongoing work in this area.
IET EPD and forward planning – although there was no Educational and Professional development programme for mobile learning this year, IET have released Teaching & Learning guide on Mobile Learning by Agnes Kukulska-Hulme and Anna Page.
The intention for 2009/2010 currently is to build on the consultation outlined above by working with course teams not only to explore which elements of current provision are most appropriate to mobile learning, but also to establish ‘microchunked’ course materials and activities lending themselves best to mobile learning. There is also currently interest in further investigating mobile usability with an educational focus, the facilities within the Jennie Lee Labs being ideal for conducting focus group investigations and establishing mobile learning journals among other activities.