As I reflect on my class this semester, EPSY590 Mobile Learning in Education, I realized that my conception of mobile technology has changed direction.  When I began this course, I thought of mobile technologies as mainly social devices that were disruptive in the workplace and within the classroom, but really fun nonetheless.  In my exploration of the different applications and tools that have been developed around the purpose of education and my field, marketing, there are so many benefits that I had not explored.  Whether it be using Twitter in the classroom to promote student engagement, sharing and collaborating on research using Diigo or using Augmented Reality to extend learning to the real-time environment, I have come to realize that there are multiple purposes to mobile technologies and we must be creative in our application and use.  As educators or employees, we must be the driving force, the leaders in how to reach that next level.  The way in which we think about teaching must not remain stagnant, but move with the rapid mobility of the world we live in.

With a background and interest in psychology, naturally my immediate interests lie in human behavior and theories.  I was particularly interested in Howard Gardner's Multiple Intelligence Theory
which was discussed in the book we read, Disrupting Class (Christensen et al, 2008).  Christensen's description of our education system as a "monolithic batch system" really made me wonder how my journey in education could have been more fulfilling if I wasn't part of the monolith.  I really enjoyed applying this theory of multiple intelligences towards my advocacy project, using mobile technologies in a foreign language classroom.  My next steps, since I have graduated (yeah!), is to learn a foreign language and hopefully do so using a more multimedia approach rather than a rote memorization approach. Wish me luck! 

I was also able to tie Christensen's Disruptive Innovation Theory and think about it in terms of how we approach change.  My course previous to this one was on Change Management.  I think this is key when approaching technology.  We can't force technology into a system or "culture", a topic addressed by Edgar Schein) of education, we must do so using a process, get buy-in from teachers, administration, parents, etc.  How we implement technology usage in the classroom will determine how easily and how much it will be embraced within that environment.  I believe Christensen was getting at this idea in his discussion of "stages of disruption" and the idea that the innovation has to compete against non-consumption (where the alternative is nothing).  I do believe that edging into the system in areas where their is no alternative offering is a way to exemplify how technology can be beneficial; however, addressing the culture of the "monolithic batch system" will be the hardest and most important in the process of changing how our education system looks at learning and teaching.

On a side note, I have had the opportunity to introduce QR Codes in my workplace (marketing) and I am getting ready to have a implementation meeting with my managers on how we can use QR Codes at conferences and on brochures to add a multimedia effect to an otherwise flat marketing brochure.  Which I feel really cool to have developed this idea.  In fact I was so excited about this implementation after I explored QR codes, that I couldn't fall asleep that night... I was too busy coming up with applications for my workplace!  And I also have to mention that I have realized the power of blogging.  Without personal reflection on what you are learning, I feel like the learning is only surface level.  Blogging brought me deeper into my learning and left me with an artifact, both my own and my classmates, to reference at anytime.

Since this is my last class, I am proud of myself and relieved to have graduated; however, I am going to miss my classmates (Viva El Ocho!) and the wonderful professors at the University of Illinois.  They have guided my journey and allowed me to explore how I learn best and what my interests are rather than dictating both the concept and content.  I plan to use technology to continue my learning and growth.  Cheers to open source education, TED talks, and all the other learning opportunities that exist out there in the "cloud" of knowledge.

I have never explored the possibilities of Augmented Reality (AR).  In fact, I didn't really know what it was until I start to do some research on the topic.  To tell you the truth the whole concept seems like magic to me...even after reading and watching videos about it.  Technology never ceases to amaze me.  I am almost overwhelmed with everything I could be learning as I travel to new places each year.   

Outside of a classroom, AR provides anyone with a mobile device with some pretty cool tools for exploring the world around them.  Whether it be history you are interested in, star gazing or house shopping.  AR put layers of information into your field of vision through your mobile phone.  

I have always been interested in learning more history.  There are several really cool AR games that have been developed by Dickinson College and University of Wisconsin - Madison, respectively, to help teach students more about history in their specific area and beyond.  I selected the two below as examples of how AR brings life to the history hidden within old buildings and landmarks.

Inside of the classroom, AR provides educators with a convenient advantage. It brings the hands on experience into the classroom - allowing interaction with environments or objects that might not be available to that student.   The video below takes a look at how schools can use this technology.

I have been reading about different environments in which mobile devices have been deployed to deepen the learning experience.  In Mobile Learning Transforming the Delivery of Education and Training, the authors describe environments in which mobile devices give opportunities for active engagement in the individual learning process. For example, scanning QR or bar codes in a museum to provide the visitor with a more in-depth look at objects they may have a particular interest in. Using mobile tools opens the door to personal engagement with particular subjects that have intrinsic value; putting the individual at the lead and center of their own learning.  It is an example of the shift from the "Information Age" to the "Knowledge Age" that Mitchel Resnick describes in Rethinking Learning in the Digital Age.  A shift in how we think about learning and where it can occur; it's not just memorizing facts and information, deep sustained learning involves a personal engagement with the subject, a desire to develop deeper understandings of that in which stimulates our curiosities.

The Museums, Libraries, and Archives Council of the UK provides a comprehensive definition of what learning is:

Cloud computing, using virtual servers to store information, seems to be a fantastic solution to the old data infrastructure problem - too much information, no place and too much cost to store it all.  It's so easy to access information when it's just "up there" floating around waiting for us to sit at a computer and grab it; anytime, anywhere.  I like this idea.  However, what happens when the cloud goes down?  It's happened and it has a much bigger impact on businesses who's entire infrastructure is up there.    Downtime = loss of productivity.  Which is not good for businesses, nor schools.

Google Chromebook is a new configuration of the typical laptop that uses this cloud-based system.  The product, while expensive, is making its way into the classroom. Chromebooks are entirely fed off of the web - including all software programs that are running on the system.  It updates all  software on its own so that the system always runs the most up-to-date version.  It has a super quick turn on, long battery life and built-in security, so all you need to do is turn it on, pick your task and off you go.   Not to mention the unlimited data space it has; or should I say the cloud has.  It can't get much easier than that.  This makes managing a large volume of computers much easier and less costly - thus more sustainable within the classroom.  However, it seems a little odd that technically Google is in control of your computer at all times; the sole browser you can use is Google Chrome.  Are we managing our information or is it managing what information we receive?  

In a June 2011 Reuters article, there is a growing concern for new ways to hack into information when it's "up in the cloud".  Hackers don't have to make it all the way to your hard drive anymore; they grab your information as it's beamed down from the cloud.  It's a vulnerability that I think every system would face.  For the classroom, I think the infrastructure benefits far outweigh the risks of someone hacking a student history project.


We already use the cloud, this blog is in the cloud.  My email is in the cloud.  This is just the next logical step in creating a more efficient system whether it be for business or education.

The United Nation Millennium Goals for 2015 include Gender Equality and Empowerment for Women in primary and secondary education along with the goal of Universal Primary Education .  

According to a 2007 United Nations Girls Education Initiative "Make it Right" Report the disparity between boys and girls in developing nations is especially dramatic at the secondary level. 

The report outlines some staggering data on the state of girls education "in 47 out of 54 African countries, girls have a less than 50% chance of going to secondary school; average primary school completion rates for boys in sub-Saharan Africa stand at 56%, but only 46% for girls."  Faced with cultural barriers of early marriage, early childbirth, child labor and an overall lack of gender equality, girls in these developing nations need more options.  Accessibility, Acceptability and Adaptability are all outlined in the report as steps to overcome these barriers to education through challenges to government policies and practices. 

When thinking about One Laptop per Child (OLPC) in my previous post, the concept of Adaptability really stuck in my mind.  It takes time, a long time, to adapt government policy and  possibly even longer to change cultural practices, but providing a laptop to girls at the secondary education level could be a quick ticket to continued education without completely changing the current system that exists.  This is not an argument to scrap the idea of policy change and gender equality, but a push to educate now and embrace policy change when it can be achieved.

OLPC is currently planning a super thin tablet computer for 2012.  Using less than 1 watt of power, thinner than an iPhone, super durable and waterproof, they hope to meet the $75 pricepoint that was unobtainable on their laptop model.

The concept of One Laptop per Child is quite simple.  Give a person a resource to learn, a resource where there once was none, and surely your outcome will be positive.  Educational scientist Sugata Mitra's experiments with computers in India as well as with classroom students in general, (watch his TED talk here), demonstrate a new way to think about learning.  He says "Education is a self-organising system, where learning is an emergent phenomenon..."  I found this quote to be in line with what the OLPC project represents.  It represents an opportunity to create a new system in learning in locations where the "standard" educational model is not possible.  OLPC puts the power to learn in the hands of each laptop recipient.  

While the OLPC approach is a step in the right direction, many argue that the focus should be on training teachers in rural and developing nations (Tse, 2007).  OLPC has done a great job overcoming the natural challenges of adapting a computer to rural areas - solar charging, screens that can be read in the sun, etc.  Cost is still the biggest issue, the OLPC are about $200.  

This week I have been asked to review a mobile application.  Since I myself do not own a smart phone, I haven't explored the vast possibilities of apps that are available and free.  So I imagined what I would find helpful in doing what I love to do, which is travel.  Better yet, traveling by bike.  

I came across this free app, called Spotcycle, for locating rental bike docking stations in select cities (they are expanding to more).  This application brought me back to a trip we took last year to Montreal.  We explored the whole city on bikes, BIXI bikes.  Oh how I loved those bikes!  This mobile application gives you a map of all the bike dock stations in a city, the quantity of docking stations, how many bikes are left and even has a timer so you know exactly how long you have had your bike.  So you are never wondering where the next station is or whether or not you will be able to park your bike when you get there.  

The whole premise of these docking stations is that you put a credit card in a machine at the docking station, get a code, get your bike, ride around, park and lock it at your destination station, and then come back to get another bike when you are ready to move onto your next location.  It makes an excellent vehicle to get around a city without the worry of parking and traffic and everything else that comes with the joys of travel, especially in a foreign country.  While each station has a map, unless you have a photogenic memory, you need a reference to locate the next station.  No paper maps are offered, which is definitely a environmentally-friendly stance...I wouldn't expect less from the biking community.  This app fills that void.

I would really like to see it add some information perhaps on bike friendly restaurants along the paths, elevation gains from point A to point B for customers who don't want to bike uphill or perhaps the location of water fountains.  Certain pathways could be marked for "points of interest" or "scenic routes" with educational information about each area of town you are riding through.  Maybe even a podcast to listen to while you are riding that offers this information.  Really this could be expanded to include much more; however, sometimes I have to ask... Do we really need an app for everything we do?  Sometimes you learn more by just riding ... getting lost ... and finding your way however frustrating that may be.  I guess there is a time and place for both options.

QR Codes (Quick Response Codes) seem to be growing in popularity; however they have been around since the 1990's used primarily in manufacturing.  I really didn't know what they are or why they are being used until I did a little research.  Basically, they are a more complex barcode that allow a large amount of information to be stored within the coding.  These barcodes can be processed by mobile devices.  Embedded in the codes could be websites, videos, documents... any information that could provide further learning about the subject the QR code represents.  

My first reaction to these was isn't this the same as giving out a web address? In an article in Wired magazine titled The Web is Dead, the author, Chris Anderson, argues that “Sure, we’ll always have Web pages. We still have postcards and telegrams, don’t we? But the center of interactive media — increasingly, the center of gravity of all media — is moving to a post-HTML environment,” we promised nearly a decade and half ago."  I realized that these are not browsers, but ad-free spaces that have specific directed content.  As Anderson states, “One of the most important shifts in the digital world has been the move from the wide-open Web to semiclosed platforms that use the Internet for transport but not the browser for display.”

Imagine standing in front of store display full of wine.  Not being a wine connoisseur, you have no idea what to choose.   But you do have a mobile device and many of the wines have a QR Code on the tag.  Now you have access to detailed information describing the wine allowing you to make a more informed decision.  Not only is this a great marketing tool, but it has plenty of application for educational environments as well.

Educators are using codes to promote learning outside of the classroom. See an interesting plant at the arboretum or animal at the zoo, scan the QR code, now you are learning instead of just looking.  Put a QR Code on a foreign language worksheet, now students have a podcast or video to listen to the pronunciation of the language.   

Study Abroad providers, such as API, are offering their catalogs at Study Abroad fairs as a part of their "green initiative" to reduce the environmental impact of all the catalogs as well as eliminate carrying around a bunch of catalogs at these events.

They have many more possibilities for Study Abroad participants.  If QR Codes go mainstream, historical information about monuments or museums will be at your fingertips while exploring abroad.  

Students could even add a QR code to their resume.  Allowing a potential employer to meet them via a pre-recorded video.  Study Abroad participants could demonstrate their language proficiency and document their learning experiences to potential employers.

I really think that QR codes have just started to expand in their use and their possibilities will grow as more and more people recognize what can be conveyed through a simple black and white square.

Here are some links to free QR Scanning Software for Mobile Devices:

QR code-generating sites include:

As the number of mobile devices skyrockets across university campuses, so does the security risk. So do we move forward with this technology or remain within the stringent boundaries of our current IT configurations?

I think it's important to recognize the benefits of new technology, then take a step back and ask how is this going to effect my campus?  Then take forward steps to develop an action plan that will facilitate your campus security needs.

For example, Abilene Christian University (ACU) has taken mobile security to the next level.  In a Campus Technology article titled "iPhones on Campus: Network Security Goes Mobile", ACU has taken measures to develop a security system that is essentially a tracking device. It is able to pinpoint the exact location of any infected mobile device.  In order to login to the university system, all mobile devices must be registered, licensed and logged into with a passcode. 

A well-developed security plan coupled with training for campus staff and students as suggested in the video below will establish a friendly, yet secure atmosphere for mobile learning.  Mobile security doesn't need to hinder our use of technology; however, we must conceptualize the risks, establish a well-thought out plan for security, and take the time to implement the plan properly by educating those using these devices. 

Formative assessment is an active process that occurs continuously throughout instruction.  It demonstrates an alternative to summative assessment which provides overall feedback at the end of a class or project, yet fails to deliver it during the learning process in which it could be used to improve the direction of student learning.  A white paper on 21st Century Assessments composed by The Partnership for 21st Century Skills recommends the application of both formative and summative assessments.    This paper discusses the importance of an "assessment continuum" that motivates students to learn by being actively involved in their own learning process and being able to understand their learning process as it unfolds:

"21st century skills assessment must be ongoing. Students must visualize their thought process and how it aligns with a strategy to solve or complete a problem. Since students’ thought constructs are continually changing, formative assessment should be regularly given so students can see improvements in their skills and strategies, as well as knowledge transfer to parallel or related problems."

GradePad is one application that offers formative assessment tools for mobile devices.   This tool allows educators to provide formative assessments at anytime and anyplace.  It can be used to make observations about ongoing projects, presentations, performances, as well as provided final scores and rate student behaviors.  It offers many capabilities such as importing class lists, creating or sharing rubrics, and  creating assessment criteria and rating scales with the capability of exporting that data. With this tool, assessing performance, tracking improvement, and sharing that data can all be done through any device that can use iPhone Apps.

This facilitates providing feedback to a large number of students in an individualized way without having to meet face to face with each student to discuss each of the elements being assessed. Perhaps guaranteeing a better learning experience and better end product as a student is motivated to improve and reflect on their project by the feedback and direction given many times throughout the process instead of just as an end result.  Facilitating a learning continuum along with an assessment continuum.