Abstract

The Mobile Learning Showcase focuses on a small selection of critical mobile examples related to the needs of corporate partners provided by the integrated research programme. An important feature of the showcase is that the work presented from our partnership be available as a working prototype for our corporate partners to see working and (ideally) to trial. Most of the examples we have presented here have managed to fit this tough criterion.

Overview

“ In this work package we aim to expand professional learners’ engagement with best of European Interactive Media research. We aim to use research in our Academy of partners to create powerful new media activities that is themselves are both a research output and a direct an marketable shared asset in our Competence Centre”.

This showcase aims to inform professional learners in our community about the potential of small devices and ubiquitous computing for new models of learning and knowledge work. It seeks to find lessons for the professional learner from a wide range of current mobiles research work within our consortium and beyond. It is not intended to replicate the work of major ubiquitous-centred projects such as Mobilearn, and MLearn but rather to collect a specific set of working examples from our partnership could show the impact of the technology for the short to medium term use of professional partners. It should be noted that the anticipated impact of 3G mobile solutions has been less prominent in our showcase than was originally envisaged.

The work to date has aimed to integrate a range of research samples into our portal. Examples of each system are presented on the website and the researchers from each project have presented their work to part of our community, via physical events (such as our Thematic workshop) or virtual events (such as our FlashMeetings). A significant peer-reviewed virtual event is planned for 2005.

There are broadly four categories of case study which have been included within the portal to date. Each appears to have significant potential for professional learners. Case studies have ONLY been included if they have a downloadable component or some interactive or working demonstration online that a professional learner could use to understand the potential significance of the concept presented. As we have already noted, this is a tough criterion.

The first broad category is that of “Interactive Media on the move”. This covers the broad topic of access to learning objects on small devices. This concept is particularly relevant for professional learners who may need to acquire skills in the field. The second broad category covers those samples that offer novel ubiquitous concepts for learning. These include new activities that can empower the learner in ways that desk-bound applications cannot and that offer a real possibility of a new mobile pedagogy. The third collection of samples include demonstrations of the power of “Ubiquitous Presence” to transform learning. These examples show how mobiles that ‘know your state, or location, or activity’ can empower learners to act differently. Finally, there is a general class of systems that are simply to do with “empowering ubiquitous communication” so that learners can get access to each other or to dynamic sources (such as news) more effectively.

Contact: Kevin Quick