A review of the types of mobile activities in mobile inquiry-based learning

Inquiry-based Learning is increasingly suggested as an efficient approach for fostering learners’ curiosity and motivation. It helps learners to develop their ability to work in complex and unpredictable environments making them more critical thinkers and agentic learners. Although mobile technology is a suitable support for this learning process, there is a lack of practical strategies for educational practitioners to enact the right balance between enabling the agency and supporting the students through the mobile technology. Thus, we conducted a literature review that analyzed 62 studies on mobile inquiry- based learning. The analysis focused on the level of agency supported by mobile technology. This review study provided two main results. The first result is a two-layer classification –with five types and twelve subtypes– of the most common mobile activities used in inquiry-based learning. The types and subtypes are: 1) Direct instruction formed by 1a) location guidance, 1b) procedural guidance and 1c) metacognitive guidance, 2) Access to content formed by 2a) fixed and 2b) dynamic content, 3) Data collection that consists of 3a) cooperative and 3b) collaborative data collection, 4) Peer-to-peer communication formed by 4a) asynchronous and 4b) synchronous social communications and 5) Contextual support that includes 5a) augmented experience, 5b) immersive experience and 5c) adaptive feedback. The second result consists of an analytical framework –based on six dimensions– to assess the level of agency supported by the different types of mobile activities. The learners’ agency dimensions are: 1) Goals, 2) Content, 3) Actions, 4) Strategies, 5) Reflection and 6) Monitoring. Finally, the review presents insights on how this analytical framework can be used by educational practitioners to identify mobile activities that effectively balance learners’ agency with mobile technology. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0360131517302397?via%3Dihu

Mobile-Assisted Language Learning (MALL) Applications for Interactive and Engaging Classrooms: APPsolutely!

Mobile Assisted Language Learning, a specialization of mobile learning, represents a new field of the educational system, which offers new possibilities of delivering content to learners and facilitates the learning process. Mobile-assisted language learning (MALL) or m-learning which is defined as learning with mobile devices that can be utilized in any place that is equipped with unbroken transmission signals[1] has created new opportunities and challenges for educational use. It introduced a new learning model combining new types of mobile devices, wireless communication services and technologies with teaching and learning. Recent advancements in the mobile world such as the Apple IOS devices (IPhone, IPod Touch and IPad), Android devices and other smartphone devices and environments (such as Windows Phone 7and Blackberry), allowed learning to be more flexible inside and outside the classroom, making the learning experience unique, adaptable and tailored to each user [2]. Creativity, learner autonomy, collaboration and digital practices of language learners are encouraged as well as innovative pedagogical applications, like the flipped classroom, for such practices in classroom contexts are enhanced. These developments are gradually embedded in daily life and they also seem to be heralding the sustainable move to paperless classrooms. Since these varied digital technologies are increasingly viewed as a main platform for delivery, we as educators need to design our activities, materials and learning environments in such a way to ensure that learners are engaged and feel comfortable. This paper presents how apps (for Apple devices) can be integrated into teaching and learning in higher education. Current Approaches to MALL The use of mobile devices in education has become common across all educational sectors and the range of research into the use of mobile communication technologies for the purposes of language learning has been diverse. This is motivated by a search for effective pedagogical innovations and educational applications of new media since classroom instruction needs to constantly adapt to new technologies and interests. As mobile learning has gradually gained popularity, several researchers have attempted to develop models and frameworks to explain where and how mobile learning fits within the context of education to support various kinds of learning. Pereira and Rodrigues [3] presented the evolution of the learning models where mobile learning is the most recent model, which reduces the limitations of the previous models. Fig. 1. The evolution of the learning models [3] Naismith, Lonsdale, Vavoula and Sharples\u27 report [4] stated that mobile devices can support traditional pedagogical approaches as well as contemporary approaches. In their literature review, Viberg and Gronlund [5] found that the theories and models applied on MALL mostly derive from previous theories of learning such as constructivism and social constructivism. With a constructivist approach to learning, learners actively generate ideas or concepts based on their current knowledge and build on what they already know as they are encouraged to collaborate with peers to do so. Project-based learning, a constructivist approach, allows mobile technology integration in meaningful ways so that learners can explore and develop content purposefully and engage in authentic problem-based, casebased and inquiry-based learning using the most efficient mobile applications and tools such as mobile investigations or casual games. A more recent development is Siemens\u27 theory of connectivism [6] which is described as ..including technology and connection making as learning activities begins to move learning theories into a digital age . Combining connectivism with constructivist approaches offers learners an opportunity to achieve 21 st century skills such as technology-mediated multi tasking. Blended-learning approach [7] is another way to integrate mobile technology applications into classroom practice by using Learning Management System Apps or Personal Learning Environments such as blogs. The flipped classroom, where the sequence of activities or assignments is rearranged so learners watch teacher created videos outside the classroom so that they spend more time for practice in class, is conceptually grounded in active learning and student engagement theories and is made effective with MALL applications. Given that mobile technology devices and tools are still rather new and developing, using an integrated pedagogy in ways that support engagement of learners should be the driving force behind our classroom practice. MALL Apps in Language Learning Mobile technology involves the use of portable devices that are also embedded in our daily lives, such as mobile phones, smart phones, tablet PCs and other hand-held gadgets and the fact that learners are already using communication facilities and technology-related activities such as content creation on their portable gadgets has contributed to teachers\u27 efforts to integrate them into teaching and learning. These screen-based technologies are significant in educational technology as they provide many advantages like mobility of the learners and flexibility of the learning environment, connectivity and accessibility to materials, authenticity, creativity and collaborative learning. With MALL, learners are able to combine the advantages of the Internet with personalized and ongoing learning activities anytime, anywhere. Ally [8] describes mobile learning as powerful support for effective learning and performance-based assessment . Since the arrival of Apple IPhone in 2007 and the IPad in 2010, a wide range of MALL applications have been developed which are intended to enhance the learning process, create a learner-centred environment and focus on the ongoing process of learning rather than the end result. Learners increasingly lead tech-filled lives outside the classroom and mobile apps offer the ability to capture the full attention of the learners with full customization in regards to personal preferences and differentiation. There are a lot of apps available for carrying out a variety of tasks from media creation to productivity

The genesis and development of mobile learning in Europe

In the past two decades, European researchers have conducted many significant mobile learning projects. The chapter explores how these projects have arisen and what each one has contributed, so as to show the driving forces and outcomes of European innovation in mobile learning. The authors identify context as a central construct in European researchers’ conceptualizations of mobile learning and examine theories of learning for the mobile world, based on physical, technological, conceptual, social and temporal mobility. The authors also examine the impacts of mobile learning research on educational practices and the implications for policy. Finally, they suggest future challenges for researchers, developers and policy makers in shaping the future of mobile learning

Collaborative trails in e-learning environments

This deliverable focuses on collaboration within groups of learners, and hence collaborative trails. We begin by reviewing the theoretical background to collaborative learning and looking at the kinds of support that computers can give to groups of learners working collaboratively, and then look more deeply at some of the issues in designing environments to support collaborative learning trails and at tools and techniques, including collaborative filtering, that can be used for analysing collaborative trails. We then review the state-of-the-art in supporting collaborative learning in three different areas – experimental academic systems, systems using mobile technology (which are also generally academic), and commercially available systems. The final part of the deliverable presents three scenarios that show where technology that supports groups working collaboratively and producing collaborative trails may be heading in the near future

Scientific Literacy in the digital age: tools, environments and resources for co-inquiry

This paper describes some European and International projects to promote Scientific Literacy in the digital age as well as technologies, environments and resources for co-inquiry. The aim of this research is also to describe computer applications, software tools and environments that were designed to support processes of collaborative inquiry learning to promote Scientific Literacy. These tools are analyzed by describing their interfaces and functionalities. The outcomes of this descriptive research points out some effects on student learning and competences developed known from the literature. This paper argues the importance of promoting scientific citizenship not only through schools and Universities (formal learning), but also non-credit online courses and community-based learning programmes (non-formal context), as well as daily life activities, educational open digital materials through social networks (informal scenario)

Designing citizen science tools for learning: lessons learnt from the iterative development of nQuire

This paper reports on a 4-year research and development case study about the design of citizen science tools for inquiry learning. It details the process of iterative pedagogy-led design and evaluation of the nQuire toolkit, a set of web-based and mobile tools scaffolding the creation of online citizen science investigations. The design involved an expert review of inquiry learning and citizen science, combined with user experience studies involving more than 200 users. These have informed a concept that we have termed ‘citizen inquiry’, which engages members of the public alongside scientists in setting up, running, managing or contributing to citizen science projects with a main aim of learning about the scientific method through doing science by interaction with others. A design-based research (DBR) methodology was adopted for the iterative design and evaluation of citizen science tools. DBR was focused on the refinement of a central concept, ‘citizen inquiry’, by exploring how it can be instantiated in educational technologies and interventions. The empirical evaluation and iteration of technologies involved three design experiments with end users, user interviews, and insights from pedagogy and user experience experts. Evidence from the iterative development of nQuire led to the production of a set of interaction design principles that aim to guide the development of online, learning-centred, citizen science projects. Eight design guidelines are proposed: users as producers of knowledge, topics before tools, mobile affordances, scaffolds to the process of scientific inquiry, learning by doing as key message, being part of a community as key message, every visit brings a reward, and value users and their time

Supporting location-based inquiry learning across school, field and home contexts

Here we explore how technology can be applied to support inquiry learning spanning a range of contexts. The development process of a location-based inquiry learning toolset is presented for a secondary school GCSE Geography project. The design framework used and the process of participatory development is discussed with regard to the co-development of the activities and tools involved in an inquiry project. The lessons learned relate to the formation of a motivational context for the inquiry; the role of personal data collection in the field; the use of bridging representations across field and classroom activities; and the development of flexible, re-usable tools to support and bridge sequences of activities

Mobilising teacher education: a study of a professional learning community

This paper reports on a study of a community of university educators that investigated the introduction of mobile technologies into their learning and teaching. The study was conducted by a subgroup of that community. Given the ubiquity of mobile devices, members of the community felt they needed to develop expertise in mobile learning so that they could incorporate it into their teaching. They studied their own learning, supported by a critical friend who evaluated the community's functioning and activities, providing valuable feedback. Activities of this group were informed by and focused on: development of awareness of the potential of mobile devices for learning; construction of action plans within the community; and implementation of these plans. They also included investigating best-practice approaches by interviewing experts in the field, exploring the literature on mobile learning and then initiating and testing some mobile learning pedagogies in the context of their own teacher education subjects. The community met regularly to discuss emerging issues and applications. The paper shares some of the findings gained from studying the community, and discusses the challenges and constraints that were experienced. The authors conclude with recommendations for professional learning communities aiming to learn about technology-mediated teaching practices

Challenges in personalisation: supporting mobile science inquiry learning across contexts

The Personal Inquiry project (PI) aimed to develop and implement personal inquiries in secondary schools in order to motivate engagement in scientific inquiry through its focus on inquiries of personal interest to young learners. This paper describes the authors’ experiences working with teachers in one school over three years, iteratively developing the nQuire toolkit* and pedagogical support across different inquiries which can be used in and across different contexts, ranging from the classroom to field trips and at home. As nQuire is web based, and can be accessed in different locations and on a range of networked devices it supports mobile inquiry learning and is the main resource for bridging between contexts. This paper discusses issues related to developing personal inquiries in schools, working across different contexts and focusing on three aspects of personalisation: choice, personal relevance and learner responsibility. It discusses the challenges faced when developing personalised inquiries in science, both in more traditional classroom contexts and in the less formal environment of an after school club. Drawing on technology supported inquiries from both these contexts it reflects on some of the constraints and tensions in providing learners with choice in their inquiries, identifying both the constraints and successes