MASELTOV Deliverable D7.1.1: Incidental Learning Framework

This is the first steps towards creating an ‘Incidental learning framework’, and it is a work in progress. It is intended that the Incidental learning framework will facilitate the creation of technology rich learning opportunities for immigrants within cities. The framework will be a descriptive mechanism that permits analysis, a generative tool to support software system design, and it will facilitate the communication of learning design ideas both visually and textually. The framework focuses on incidental learning i.e. learning that is spontaneous and unplanned, in the knowledge domains of interest to the MASELTOV project including health care, culture, and language and information access. However, it provides links and triggers to structured and reflective learning to back up and deepen learning that happens incidentally. This document describes the initial version of the Incidental Learning Framework, presents a few examples of its use, and describes some conclusions and recommendations for work towards the next version of the framework including • Using the framework to develop it, • Extending the literature review, • Gathering evidence about immigrants day-to-day lives, • Running design workshop(s) using the framework

Evaluating Mobile-Centric Readiness of Higher Education Institutions: The Case of Institutional Policies and Information Systems Students

Many higher education students live and operate in mobile-centric environments. The question is whether the policies of higher education institutions (HEI) are aligned with students’ readiness for mobile technology information access and interaction. To investigate this question from a policy perspective, nine policies from the open and distance learning (ODL) university in South Africa were analysed for providing institutional mobile-centric support. Policy document analysis was used to evaluate five information and communication technology (ICT) polices and four teaching and learning policies. The analysis focused on how the policies support the provision of mobile infrastructure, technical support and learning resources. To investigate from the students’ perspective, quantitative data was captured on Information Systems students’ readiness through a survey of a total of 129 respondents from the same university. The mobile-centric readiness of students was evaluated based on factors that could affect the readiness of students in accessing and interacting with mobile-centric services. The factors investigated were infrastructure ownership, knowledge of mobile phone features and mobile phone Internet activities. The findings revealed that Information Systems students are ready to use mobile phones as tools for information access and interaction, but some inadequacies were observed in the way the policies support the students’ needs. This study proposes some recommendations on how the policies could better support students’ mobile phone information access and interaction

Modeling, Designing, and Implementing an Ad-hoc M-Learning Platform that Integrates Sensory Data to Support Ubiquitous Learning

Learning at any-time, at anywhere, using any mobile computing platform learning (which we refer to as “education in your palm”) empowers informal and formal education. It supports the continued creation of knowledge outside a classroom, after-school programs, community-based organizations, museums, libraries, and shopping malls with under-resourced settings. In doing so, it fosters the continued creation of a cumulative body of knowledge in informal and formal education. Anytime, anywhere, using any device computing platform learning means that students are not required to attend traditional classroom settings in order to learn. Instead, students will be able to access and share learning resources from any mobile computing platform, such as smart phones, tablets using highly dynamic mobile and wireless ad-hoc networks. There has been little research on how to facilitate the integrated use of the service description, discovery and integration resources available in mobile and wireless ad-hoc networks including description schemas and mobile learning objects, and in particular as it relates to the consistency, availability, security and privacy of spatio-temporal and trajectory information. Another challenge is finding, combining and creating suitable learning modules to handle the inherent constraints of mobile learning, resource-poor mobile devices and ad-hoc networks. The aim of this research is to design, develop and implement the cutting edge context-aware and ubiquitous self-directed learning methodologies using ad-hoc and sensor networks. The emphasis of our work is on defining an appropriate mobile learning object and the service adaptation descriptions as well as providing mechanisms for ad-hoc service discovery and developing concepts for the seamless integration of the learning objects and their contents with a particular focus on preserving data and privacy. The research involves a combination of modeling, designing, and developing a mobile learning system in the absence of a networking infrastructure that integrates sensory data to support ubiquitous learning. The system includes mechanisms to allow content exchange among the mobile ad-hoc nodes to ensure consistency and availability of information. It also provides an on-the-fly content service discovery, query request, and retrieving data from mobile nodes and sensors

Mobile information communication and technology use in secondary schools : a feasibility study

Mobile technology has allowed the traditional boundaries that exist between formal learning and informal learning to blend. The purpose of this research is to understand and describe the use of established and new “support networks” and the process of knowledge acquisition and knowledge creation in a formal learning environment. Factors affecting the design, testing and ultimate feasibility of using mobile devices such as cell phones to enhance teaching and learning in well-resourced developed, and under-resourced developing schools are identified. Findings in this study point to the general acceptance of using mobile technology as a readily available vehicle, to provide access to contents and allow learners to contribute to the collective body of knowledge from their own perspective. Copyright 2007, University of Pretoria. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of Pretoria. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the University of Pretoria. Please cite as follows: Batchelor, J 2007, Mobile information communication and technology use in secondary schools : a feasibility study, MEd dissertation, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, viewed yymmdd Dissertation (MEd (Computer Integrated Education))--University of Pretoria, 2007.Curriculum Studiesunrestricte

A implementação de mídias em dispositivos móveis: um framework para a aplicação em larga escala e com sustentabilidade em educação a distância

Tese (doutorado) - Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Centro Tecnológico, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Engenharia e Gestão do Conhecimento, Florianópolis, 2014.O desenvolvimento tecnológico e as mudanças de hábitos provocados pelo uso intensivo das tecnologias da informação e da comunicação têm criado condições para o desenvolvimento de de um novo modo de mediação educacional que vem sendo chamado de mobile learning (m-learning) ou aprendizagem com mobilidade, caracterizada pela mediação da aprendizagem por tecnologias móveis. Dado que há ainda pouco conhecimento e experiências sobre as práticas de m-learning em larga escala e em nível institucional, este trabalho teve por objetivo desenvolver um framework para apoiar a implementação de mídias móveis no ensino formal e integrado à educação superior a distância. Para a execução deste estudo adotou-se a abordagem da Pesquisa Baseada em Design (Design-Based Research), que representa um tipo de pesquisa que se desenvolve em contextos reais e concentra-se no desenho e teste de intervenções educacionais em parceria com profissionais da área de aplicação. Como processo de pesquisa, adotou-se e adaptou-se o framework DBRIEF, que orientou a execução das diversas fases da pesquisa. A fase que envolveu práticas e intervenções em ambientes reais foi realizada em três ciclos de intervenções. Os dois primeiros ciclos envolveram ações com especialistas educacionais, que culminaram na construção de uma mídia educacional móvel e na identificação de requisitos organizacionais necessários para implementá-la em larga escala. O terceiro ciclo correspondeu à entrega da mídia aos estudantes em uma disciplina real de graduação, seguida pela avaliação da experiência pelos estudantes. Os métodos e técnicas de pesquisa adotados são mistos, envolvem dados quantitativos e qualitativos, incluem pesquisa bibliográfica e documental, coleta de dados em entrevistas, questionário e registros de bancos de dados informatizados, analisados de modo interpretativo. Como resultado das intervenções identificou-se que o desenvolvimento das mídias em larga escala gera expressivo impacto sobre as estruturas organizacionais de produção de materiais didáticos. Identificou-se também que os estudantes são receptivos às mídias móveis, mas são conservadores e resistentes se estas representarem a substituição de recursos já conhecidos e provocarem a desacomodação de hábitos de estudo já instalados. As dificuldades de uso da mídia móvel pelo estudante estão relacionadas a barreiras físicas, cognitivas, socioculturais e contextuais. O framework formulado a partir da experimentação é apresentado por meio de um diagrama representativo das principais fases e atividades de implementação e de um conjunto de princípios de design que orientam a execução do processo de implementação de mídias educacionais móveis. As fases de implementação e seus respectivos princípios versam sobre: (a) o delineamento e delimitação da implementação, (b) o desenho e produção da mídia e (c) a entrega e disseminação da mídia. Os princípios de design formulados abordam aspectos tais como: (a) as decisões críticas que envolvem o processo de implementação da mídia móvel em larga escala; (b) a oferta e produção da mídia móvel de modo concomitante e concorrente com outras mídias utilizadas no contexto de aplicação; (c) os impactos sobre o modelo de ensino adotado pela instituição e sobre os stakeholders envolvidos na iniciativa; (d) as estratégias para disseminação da mídia e superação de barreiras e dificuldades dos estudantes; (e) as ações institucionais de gerenciamento de mudanças e mitigação de resistências para favorecer a implementação das mídias móveis, entre outros aspectos.Abstract : Technological development and changes in habits caused by the intensive use of information and communication technologies have created conditions for the development of an educational modality that has been called mobile learning (m-learning ) or learning with mobility, characterized by mediation learning through mobile technologies. Given that there is still little knowledge about the practices and experiences of mobile learning on a large scale and at an institutional level, this study aimed to develop a framework to support the implementation of mobile media in formal teaching integrated into distance education programs. The Design-Based Research approach was used for this study, which is a type of research that is developed in real contexts and focuses on the design and tests of educational interventions in partnership with professionals of the application area. The DBRIEF framework was adapted and adopted as a research process, acting as a guideline for the various research stages. The research stage that required practices and interventions in real environments was implemented in three intervention cycles. The first two cycles required actions of experts in education, culminating in the construction of an educational mobile media and the identification of essential organizational requirements for a large scale implementation. The third cycle corresponded to the delivery of the mobile media for students who were attending an undergradute class, followed by their own evaluation of the experience. The methods and techniques adopted for this research were mixed, involving both quantitative and qualitative data, including bibliographic and documentary research, collecting data from interviews, questionnaires and records of computerized databases, analyzed in an interpretative manner. As a result of the interventions, it was identified that the large-scale media development generates significant impact on organizational structures of educational resources production. It was also identified that students are receptive to mobile media, but are conservative and resistant if the media adoption represent the replacement of known resources and cause the disaccommodation of the usual study habits. The difficulties of using mobile media by the student are related to physical, cognitive, social, cultural and contextual issues. The framework is presented through a representative diagram of the main stages and implementation activities, as well as a set of design principles that guide the implementation process of the educational mobile media. Implementation stages and their principles deal with: (a) delineation and demarcation of the implementation, (b) design andproduction of the media and (c) delivery and dissemination of the media. The design principles formulated address aspects such as: (a) the critical decisions involving the implementation process of mobile media on a large scale; (b) the supply and production of mobile media concomitantly and concurrently with other resources used in the application context; (c) the impact on the educational model adopted by the institution and on the stakeholders involved in the initiative; (d) strategies for the media dissemination and for overcoming barriers and difficulties of students; (e) the institutional actions of change management and mitigation of resistance to facilitate the implementation of mobile media, among others

A framework for providing mobile centric services to students at higher education institutions : the case of open distance learning

In developing countries, the mobile phone market has matured in terms of subscription, penetration and mobile centric1 services. In turn, people have integrated mobile phones into their daily lives. The interaction opportunities that have evolved in business and social life have given students at Higher Educational Institutions (HEIs) grounds to anticipate similar opportunities within their learning environments. In the context of developing countries, students primarily access information through mobile phones and there seems to be a disconnection between how HEI provide informational services and how students want to access the services. Therefore, HEIs are challenged with shifting from their traditional information distribution practices into integrating mobile centric services. Literature describes several models of providing mobile centric services in learning settings but there is a paucity of research that address the disconnection between students’ mobile centric needs and expectations against the HEIs’ provision of such services. Therefore, this study proposes a Framework for providing mobile centric services to students at HEIs in Open Distance e-Learning (ODeL) context in South Africa. The potential contribution of the framework is that it can facilitate strategic planning and implementation of mobile centric services whilst ensuring the needed synergies with students and academics. The research is grounded in interpretive philosophy and was undertaken as a single case study. The case study employed mixed method design for data collection. The advantage of mixed method design is that it enables both qualitative and quantitative data to be collected from a variety of sources and triangulation of results to get a complete picture of the phenomenon under study. The research was undertaken in four phases. Phase 1 of the study was a literature analysis carried out to identify the components for providing mobile centric services that facilitate students with information access and interaction. The objective was to provide a conceptual framework that would direct the search for evidence and organise the results. Phase 2 of the study employed the conceptual framework developed in Phase 1 to identify the units of analysis and to design the data collection instruments. Phase 3 of the study focused on collecting data within a single case study with embedded units of analysis. Data collection included Policy document analysis, Tool observation analysis, Student surveys and Lecturer interviews. The data collected from the case study was analysed with the view of enhancing the components of the conceptual framework developed in Phase 1. The enhancement of the components of the conceptual framework carried out in Phase 3 directed the development of the Framework for providing mobile centric services to students at HEIs in ODeL context in South Africa as presented in Phase 4. This adds new knowledge in addressing the literature gap between the mobile centric needs and expectations of students and the provision of mobile centric services at HEIs. The framework has practical value in that its components can guide HEIs in determining the mobile centric readiness of their institutions, the needs of the stakeholders, the context of use, the identification of mobile centric resources and the managing of constraints. Mobile centric refers to the preference of accessing and interacting with information services through a mobile device such as a mobile phone.ComputingPh. D. (Information Systems