MlearnMovingmobile

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Contents

Introduction

The Problem

1. Disconnect between technology skills of today’s learners and today’s teachers.

2. How to maximise the learning environment for academic staff.

3. How to promote mobile learning throughout the institution.



YouTube version
You and I are the last generation that has the prerogative of deciding whether or not we're going to embrace technology. But the kids we are teaching now, the ones that are under my watch in the classroom, they aren't given that same prerogative. If they don't master these skills, I'm actually dooming them to a lower level of opportunity... The thing we need to understand about the type of learners coming to us today is that not only do they have different tools, but they actually process differently. Most kids are walking around with one or two cellphones in their pocket, using them to text their friends, surf the Web, take photos, and post to their blogs. And yet as soon as they get to school they're told to turn the cellphones off. If we'd just let students work to their strengths, instead of their weaknesses, we'll start to celebrate what they can do, and what they come to the classroom with - and that is a propensity toward technology (Putt, 2007).

The Solution

Development of peer group support guided by a teaching and learning professional, i.e. a Community Of Practice, investigating the use of web2 social software tools and then mobile learning in education. This Community of Practice also provides a model for academics to use in their own student classes as they later integrate social software and mobile technologies into their courses.


YouTube version

Communities of Practice

"Communities of practice are formed by people who engage in a process of collective learning in a shared domain of human endeavor" (Wenger, 2005).

Social Constructivism

Image:D2Dfinal.jpg


Constructivism is based on the work of Piaget (1973), Dewey (1916) and Bruner (1966). According to these theorists, knowledge is constructed from our own experiences, and facilitated by teachers. The learner learns by being involved in the learning process, constructing new concepts from simple ideas and previous experiences. Social Constructivism is an extension of constructivism, and is attributed to Vygotsky (1978), according to whom the social context is very important in constructing knowledge. Vygotsky argued that learning is a collaborative process of students actively constructing their knowledge through interaction with their peers and teachers while engaging with the learning tasks. According to Vygotsky the role of the teacher is to create and maintain the Zones of Proximal Development (Head & Dakers, 2005) – an environment that will help move the learner from their current understanding to a potential deeper level.

Characteristics of COPs

The three characteristics of Communities of Practice

  • The Domain – the shared interest.
  • The Community – some form of regular group relationship.
  • The Practice – the development of a shared repertoire of resources, involving time and sustained interaction.

Legitimate Peripheral Participation Lave and Wenger assert that passive community members learn from the active members of the community, and are gradually brought into an active role in the community.


Social Software and COPs

This emerging class of flexible, boundary-spanning tools has been called social software by its proponents. The label points to the user's ownership of their software-mediated experience and to the ways that the software bridges between the individual and the group. Easy publication and easy group formation, driven by individuals, are key phrases in this new frame for online collaborative technologies (Wenger et al., 2005).

The Technology Steward

Communities of Practice can be enhanced with the use of appropriate communications technologies when under the guidance of a Technology Steward. The Technology Steward (Wenger et al., 2005) is a member of the community with a grasp of how and what technologies can enhance the community. They act as a guide to the rest of the community as the community learns to utilize and benefit from technology.

Case Studies

Dummies2Delight


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Table 1. Topics covered in the Dummies2Delight COP.
TopicExamples
Interactive use of LMS’sBlackboard and Moodle
Social Software in Tertiary educationAn overview of current technologies
Bloggingwww.blogger.com
Image Bloggingwww.flickr.com, picasaweb.google.com
Instant MessagingAIM, MSN
RSS and aggregatorswww.newsgator.com
WikisMediawiki, www.wikispaces.com
PodcastingiTunes, www.podomatic.com
ePortfoliosELGG
Digital Video YouTube, BlipTV, iMovie
Mobile ComputingSMS Blogging via www.letmeparty.com

Institution Wide Model

Examples


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DipLSD

BDesign

Discussion

Some of the key issues in the success of a COP that have been identified include the importance of:

  • The Technology Steward to guide the group
  • Developing quality partnerships between the Technology Steward and teaching staff
  • Dedication and peer support of the group
  • Communication
  • Choosing achievable goals
  • Team building/nurturing
  • Involving senior management
  • Reflection
  • Recognition of the uniqueness of each COP group

Conclusions

The use of a Communities of Practice model for creating academic peer support groups to investigate the integration of social software and elearning and mobile technologies into tertiary education has proven to be more successful and a better use of resources than general workshops for academic staff. IT phobic tertiary academics have been transformed into educational technology evangelists, and the participation of senior management in COPs has created a buzz throughout the institution. Academics who have participated in COPs feel better prepared for today’s technology adept learners. While still in early days, the uptake throughout the institution of COPs for educational technology is encouraging, and leading to collaborative projects between CTLI, academics and students. Staff who previously struggled with integrating technology into their pedagogical approaches are now implementing mobile learning projects with students, and thus we are seeing the awareness and uptake of mobile technologies in tertiary learning increase at Unitec. Key to the models success is its flexibility: recognizing that every COP formed is unique, requires negotiable content, motivational goals, and appropriate access to resources. Every COP will require a different approach for nurturing and motivation, however it must also be recognised that not all starting members will finish. Finally, the guidance of a Technology Steward is critical in establishing and guiding each COP in their investigation and use of technology.

References

Attwell, G. (2006). The wales-wide web. What is a PLE? The future or just another buzz word? Retrieved 1 July, 2006, from http://www.knownet.com/writing/weblogs/Graham_Attwell/entries/6521819364

Bruner, J. (1966). Toward a theory of instruction. Cambridge: Belknap Press of Harvard University.

Cochrane, T. (2006a). Dummies2delight intro video. from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-jn0HBIkF_U

Cochrane, T. (2006b). Dummies2delight symposium presentation video. from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kUuJ-gW_vuc

Cochrane, T., Meldrum, R., Keesing-Styles, L., Cliffin, P., & Hand, L. (2006a). Dummies2delight: A community of practice investigating technology in tertiary education & social software. from http://ltxserver.unitec.ac.nz/mediawiki/index.php/Dummies2Delight

Cochrane, T., Meldrum, R., Keesing-Styles, L., Cliffin, P., & Hand, L. (2006b). Dummiesdelight. from http://ltxserver.unitec.ac.nz/mediawiki/index.php/DummiesDelight

Cochrane, T., Meldrum, R., Keesing-Styles, L., Cliffin, P., & Hand, L. (2006c). Dummiespathway. from http://ltxserver.unitec.ac.nz/mediawiki/index.php/DummiesPathway Dewey, J. (1916). Democarcy and education: The Macmillan Company.

Farmer, J. (2004, 5-8 December). Communication dynamics: Discussion boards, weblogs and the development of communities of inquiry in online learning environments. Paper presented at the 21st ASCILITE Conference: Beyond the comfort zone, Perth.

Glogoff, S. (2005). Instructional blogging: Promoting interactivity, student-centered learning, and peer input. Innovate, 1(5), http://www.innovateonline.info/index.php?view=article&id=126.

Head, G., & Dakers, J. (2005). Verillon's trio and wenger's community: Learning in technology education. International Journal of Technology and Design Education, 15, 33-46.

Kaplan-Leiserson, E. (2004). Rss: A learning trend. Retrieved 4 April, 2005, from http://www.learningcircuits.org/2004/may2004/0405_Trends.htm

Lave, J., & Wenger, E. (1991). Situated learning: Legitimate peripheral participation. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

O'Reilly, T. (2005). What is web 2.0: Design patterns and business models for the next generation of software. Retrieved March, 2006, from http://www.oreillynet.com/pub/a/oreilly/tim/news/2005/09/30/what-is-web-20.html

Piaget, J. (1973). To understand is to invent. New York: Viking Press.

Prensky, M. (2005). Engage me or enrage me: What today's learners demand. Educause Review, 40(5), 60-65.

Putt, S. (2007, March/April). Get with the program. TUANZ Topics, 17, 35-38.

Vygotsky, L. (1978). Mind in society. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

Wenger, E. (2005, 14 October). Communities of practice: A brief introduction. Retrieved 17 July, 2006, from http://www.ewenger.com/theory/index.htm

Wenger, E., McDermott, R., & Snyder, W. (2002). Cultivating communities of practice: A guide to managing knowledge. Boston: Harvard Business School Press.

Wenger, E., White, N., Smith, J., & spa, K. R.-. (2005). Technology for communities. Retrieved 14 July, 2006, from http://technologyforcommunities.com/

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