Statement About The Group Work

STATEMENT

Dear tutor

This is a statement that all the work in this blog should be considered as group cooperation, including the main posts, the video production and the mapping. In each session, the members of our group get together to have a discussion and then choose one representative to post our ideal and achievement on the group blog. We just regard this blog as a platform of putting final product, posting by whom can’t be the criterion of the contribution, since everyone make a difference and has their respective contributions in each post. In addition, the comments and communication in each session of the blog are seem not enough, because each session we do the face to face oral discussion several times, since we live very near and almost meet everyday.

Mobile learning

Mobile learning a new education way of learning knowledge. The biggest benefit of Mobile learning is that everyone can learning everywhere and anytime,just having a Mobile device in hand.

Mobile Learning: Transforming the Delivery Education and Training
1.connectivity
2.devices designed for business, not education
3.multimedia more stimulating
4.communications tool
5.access information and learning materials
6.change models should be used
7.important for educators and researchers to share
8.manageable learning chunks

Mobile learning--iPad 2 Education

As the common use of iPhone, iPad, iPod touch all over the world, mobile learning also can be a common pedagogical practice in teaching and learning.

The education part in apple website shows a great deal of apps applied in diverse subjects, including maths, languages, medicine, history, etc.

http://www.apple.com/education/apps/

The slogan of apple education is " Thousands of apps. Endless potential." With so many educational apps on the Apple Store, there is no limit to the learning possibilities at your fingertips.

Here is a video showed how to use these educational apps installed in iPad to support innovative education.

As the video showed above, iPad used in education can expand the learning experience both inside and outside the classroom. Students can track their assignments, take notes, and study for finals. Teachers can give lessons, monitor progress, and stay organized. And that’s just the beginning. I found apple has connected some innovative school to establish an apple lab, which aims to explore an efficient way for innovative pedagogy. And an Apple iPad Learning Lab can provide flexible and convenient access to technology, easily transforming any classroom into a digital learning environment.

Session 7 Activity: Mobile learning

Mobile Learning

Students of today are very comfortable with technology; computer games, iphones and iPods to them is more of an accessory than a necessity, extension of themselves. With the availability of applications, a mobile becomes a multifunction device-useful tool. In reality, I have not seen many teenagers wearing a watch – it is a single function device! Having portable technology at your fingertips, certainly would transform the way teachers teach and students learn. Students now are able to carry a whole library of reference material in their pockets with them anywhere, applications help organise student’s life and become useful study tools anywhere anytime.

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Mobile learning in schools opens up a whole range of educational opportunities for the students. Teachers of course, can implement different teaching and learning styles to accommodate their students. There are some concerns however regarding mobile learning, such issues as, devices being disruptive in class, small screens. Overall, I think that mobile learning boosts the efficiency and effectiveness of learning, it allows for more comprehensive learning experiences. As funny as it sounds, I guess mobile learning allows learners make use of their idle time to stimulate the mind and in doing so become more productive.

Which learning styles this ICT support?

This ICT supports the constructivism learning style; mobile learning is a way of communicating that creates knowledge and very much based on constructivist approach.

How could this ICT be implemented as a good cognitive tool within the learning environment?

This ICT gives the viewer information to form opinions, get curious and construct their own opinions on the subject.

How is this ICT enabling the development of creativity?

I think this ICT would appeal to the wide range of audience, it has various forms of media, I think it is creative.

References

http://www.cartoonstock.com/directory/a/apps.asp

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MlM-zNmvzeg

http://sabb46.edublogs.org/2011/01/11/mobile-learning/

The Design of Mobile Learning Materials

Here is a blog that focus on the mobile learning. I would like to share one of the passage with you. Here is the link.

http://www.mobl21.com/blog/08/designing-mobile-learning-material/

As the passage mentioned the problem of how to design a mobile learning materials. There is a list about the principals.

• create quick and simple interactions,
• prepare flexible material, that can be accessed across contexts,
• consider special affordances of mobile devices that might add to the learner experience (for example, the use of audio; or employing anonymity of the user),
• use mobile technology not just to ‘deliver’ learning, but to facilitate it,
• make use of the features in the mobile devices for voice communication, note-taking, photography, and time management.

May be we should know something about how the materials are designed, thereby take full use of the devices or apps. The mobile learning have already bring us so many conveniences. Students and teachers can gain knowledge and fun by using them. It is a way to check whether the design meet the needs and improve the learning outcomes. The blog mentioned above still have some other researches about mobile learning, hope it can help you take deeper understanding about this topic.

By Rose

Thoughts on the state of mobile learning

So much about the way we teach, learn and communicate is up for grabs. Educators are using new tools and technologies to reach their students ... but what does the future hold? How will we get there? Hear from various experts in the fields of business, education and technology who recently gathered on the campus of Abilene Christian University for ACU's Connected Summit 2011. Listen as these thought leaders share their perspectives.

The iSchool initiative (Mobile Learning)

This is a short video showing a solution to the current education problems in America by using mobile technology. If you want to learn more about the iSchool Initiative, go to the website!You can also sign up for the newsletter and join the community to collaborate with schools, students and app developers world wide!

Website: http://www.ischoolinitiative.com
Community: http://www.ischoolinitiative.ning.com
Facebook Group: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=97495185850
Follow on Twitter: http://twitter.com/iSchoolAdvocate

Session 7,Activity- Mobile Learning

Consider uses of mobile technology in your school or workplace.Upload to group blog and present in class.

I will share the experience of using mobile technology in my undergraduate college.

Background

My college offered some Distance Education, though it was a attempt in developing online learning, and has experimented with mobile learning as an integrated service of the online learning system for a long time.

However, most courses in my college are not designed to function as online interactive elearning programmes, although some parts of the courses may involve such interaction with multi-media materials, tests and assignments. The courses normally comprise intensive study, mainly of text based materials, solving problems, writing essays, submitting assignments and communicating with fellow students by e-mail or in the web based conferences. We are mainly offline when studying.

Development

When developing system solutions for mobile learning, it is assumed that we students normally will have access to a desktop or laptop computer with Internet connection. This means that the equipment and technologies used when mobile are additions to our equipment used when studying at home or at work. It is also assumed that mobile learners study in the same group as students not having access to mobile technology. Thus, the learning environment of my college was designed to cater efficiently for both situations and both types of students.

Examples

Initially my college developed solutions for mobile learning using mobile phones and PDAs with portable keyboard. Learning materials were developed mainly for downloading to the PDA and off line study, while online access to forum discussions, supplying forum messages, reading in forums and communication with fellow students and tutors and submitting assignments were handled online via mobile equipment when we were on the move. Later, my college developed and tested solutions for an “always online multi-media environment” for distance learners based on the use of PDA with access to wireless networks. It installed software and solutions that in principle made all online courses accessible independent of devices on the receiving side, e.g. most types of pocket PCs and mobile phones. One of the main challenges concerning the mobile devices was to find acceptable solutions adapted to the small screen. There is simply not enough space on a small screen for all the information found on a traditional web page.

Another problem was the limited data transfer rate and processing power found in mobile devices. When people use a mobile device with Internet connectivity, the connection speed is traditionally lower via a mobile phone.

The next step was to develop mobile learning course content and services that will enter into the mainstream and take mobile learning from a project-based structure and into mainstream education and training.

Evaluation

When using mobile technologies, we found that it was generally satisfactory for us to have the course content available to study on the Pocket PC. In addition, the following communication possibilities were seen as necessary. When mobile, we must be able to access the course forum archive to read messages,access the course forum to submit contributions to the discussions, send e-mail to peers, to the teacher and to the administration, receive e-mail from peers, from the tutor and from the administration,submit assignments by e-mail including attachments and receive assignments corrected and commented on by the tutor including attachments. In order to access e-mail and discussion forums, mobile phones with infrared connection to the PDA were used.

We found that downloading and synchronizing learning materials to the students’ PDAs caused few problems. The learning content was delivered in two versions, HTML and Microsoft Reader ebook format. As the preference for the e-book format was so clear from the first trial, in a second trial, the course applied e-book materials only.

Illustrations were considered unacceptable on the PDA. Taking notes was found to be a problem, so for the second trial it was found to be necessary to equip the us with keyboards, that actually solved the problem, including writing longer texts in connection with assignments etc. Communication via mobile phones for submitting assignments and writing messages to the course forums were found to be easy, with few problems and with acceptable costs – on the condition that texts normally were produced offline. The main aim in designing solutions for mobile learners at my undergraduate college was to maximize student freedom and to support online learners who also are mobile when studying but cannot come to my college.

Session 6 Example of Cloud Computing Solution

IBM SmartCloud Enterprise is an agile cloud infrastructure designed to provide rapid access to security-rich, enterprise-class virtual server environments, well suited for development and test activities and other dynamic workloads. Ideal for both IT and application development teams, the IBM SmartCloud delivers cloud-based services, systems and software to meet the needs of your business.

For more details:http://www-935.ibm.com/services/hk/igs/cloud-development/index.html

iCloud

:

iCloud stores your music, photos, documents, and more integrated into your apps and wirelessly pushes them to all your devices. This is the cloud the way it should be: automatic, effortless and seamless . And it keeps your email, contacts, and calendars up to date across all your devices. No syncing required. No management required. In fact, no anything required. iCloud does it all for you.

For more details:http://www.apple.com/icloud/

For more examples of cloud computing solutions: http://mite.cite.hku.hk/mod/glossary/view.php?id=8324

session 6-web 2.0 application introduce

280slides from andy on Vimeo.
Recording by Andy

A tour guide to 280 Slides! (Nebula)

Getting started: Use slide navigator to add, remove and rearrange slides in your presentation.

Pictures: One of the biggest advantages of 280 Slides is the picture with media support. You can operate the video by clicking on the pictures button. Insert pictures is no longer a complex matter, just use the inspector to search for images and add it to your presentation by simple double click!

Movies: Connect with most famous video website like You Tube and Vimeo for easy link movies to your work.

Download & Present: Simple click the download button to transform your slides to PowerPoint 2007 or ISO standard. Or you can just present your work online anywhere and anytime without to copy it to you mobile devices.

Sharing: Click the share button to share your excellent work to the world!

Features of 280 slides (By Olivia)

Using this tool you can:

• Create a powerpoint type of show from scratch online.
• Add YouTube videos and other video site movies to your slides.
• Download from 280 Slides to powerpoint, pdf, or open office.
• Import presentations made in Powerpoint.
• Present in your browser to your audience.

Session 5, Activity 2 What do you think of this Experimental Classroom?

This innovative classroom (Runrun Shaw Room 321) has been divided over three levels, with a design device to create separate smaller group discussion and foster the development of group collaboration. The whole space is designed to exploit technological practice, each zone has IT access which includes group use of PC, laptop points, external input sources, and a large LCD screen displayed on wall behind each group desk for sharing zone group work to other classmates.

The classroom also breaks the square space as traditional one, with arc-shaped wall depicting a visible curve, which separates space but links space as well. The ceiling is made up of sets of top lights, which can be controlled by Launchpad.

Compared with other two types of classroom:

[Left picture] Lecture Room (more like traditional classroom)

[Right picture] Runme Shaw Room 101 (another type of innovative room)

	Capacity	Teacher’s Role	Student’s Role	Group Discussion	Class Collaboration
RR321	Small	Facilitator &Project Guide	Active participant& Task monitor	Best (Desk is designed for group discussion)	Not very easy to communicate with classmates due to the separated space
LR	Big	Presenter& Speaker	Listener& Thinker	Not good (fixed chair and desk)	Not easy to share views to classmates in class
RM101	Small	Instructor& Consultant	Coordinator& Responder	Good (wheel chair can easily combine group discussion)	Easy to talk with classmates with the flexible wheel chair

Innovative classrooms (RR321. RM 101) integrated ICT facilities more support student learning collaboratively and actively. These kinds of space are much more suitable for small size of class to discuss and present a topic, while the traditional classroom（a blackboard. a podium and rows of chairs）is more prefer to give a lecture or seminar to multitudinous audience.

However, in RR321, the flexibility of the physical facilities and resources available in the space for students and teacher to use are not very effective, because of the space divide and the glass barriers between each level, which make the disturbance of vision and sound transmission. Furthermore, staff development and training are also crucial to the successful use of this room, whether the teaching style of their own can fit for these advanced equipment is really a question.