Mobile Learner Support

We’re due for a bit of an update on some of the related project strands I think, so here’s an attempt to give quick overviews on what’s happening.

L120 research study into use of Learnosity Voice Response service: The findings and discussion around this innovative use of audio eAssessment have been well received at a number of internal and external sessions. Key elements of student feedback include the “authentic” aspect of working with audio stimuli/prompts and oral responses in this way, the ability to effectively construct a dialogue between pre-recorded audio interweaved between student responses in playback, and the potential to compare with model answers.

Work is now underway by colleagues in FELS to move the development onwards from research study to pilot; from formative to summative assessment (tutor feedback online); to work on OU integration with eAssessment colleagues and Exams; providing many modes of access – mobile phone, landline, Skype, mobile app (iPhone/iPod Touch), online, and to evaluate possibilities in other discipline areas. LIO are now supporting the service licence costs of the pilots (only) as mainstreaming evaluation work is undertaken by other areas in the OU.

ePub eBook technical evaluation and format development: Work has proceeded more sporadically in this area around other priorities and a shifting external market, but is now at a stage to better complement other work being undertaken by LTS in developing a multiple ‘alternative format’ pipeline system that will deliver many different format options. The main challenge remains to ably check that the ePub ‘standard’ is actually delivered consistently across devices/apps and in how to provide instructions or canned text prompts where Structured Content includes online activities.

Mobile ‘shell’ application develelopment: Initial prototyping work to define a method for packaging web content and synchronise with (initially Android) devices is nearing completion. Further consultation will follow in providing packages of learning content for students to use as part of a trial late in 2010. LIO will continue to resource development and exploration in this area.

Mobile coordination website: Commissioned design work is now progressing in bringing together content relating to all aspects of working with mobile technologies at the Open University. The intention is to cover projects researching the pedagogy and impact of mobile learning, pilot projects offering skills development or other aspects of learner support in mobile friendly formats. In addition, provision will be made for advice on using mobile technologies at work (e.g. connecting to the OU’s network or email systems) and updates about the relevant university mobile strategies.

The site will encompass both formal and informal approaches to exploring and working with mobile technologies, primarily providing a space to aggregate content currently available in multiple locations across the university. This will be achieved in part by collating, cross-linking and embedding content from other social/media sites and project pages, including Delicious and Cloudworks.

Some parts of the web site, where appropriate, will be visible to the public, enabling us to raise awareness of the OU’s efforts in this area, but much of the information will only be visible to staff (internal and Associate Lecturers) who are logged in via their OUCU. All pages will be optimised for mobiles and searchable via the intranet. To be discussed as part of the next Mobile SIG – UPDATE: Now called mobisite

And finally…last month StudentHome mobile hit a bit of a milestone with over 10,000 unique student visits via mobile devices. So more revisions and development to follow I think!

A summary of some of the work undertaken during 2009 is also now available as a set of case studies in an article in RCETJ, following last year’s Handheld Learning conference.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, April 13th, 2010 at 2:54 pm by Rhodri Thomas and is filed under Conferences, MTech SIG, Mobile course content, Updates, mAssessment, mobisite. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.