Mobile Tool of the Week: Interactive eBooks and Digital Text Books

As I am making my way through Christensen’s book I think about how difficult it can be to create these systems to support computer-based learning.  Long ago, when I was working in an instructional technology lab at The George Washington University, I was part of a small team that created a Learning Management System called Prometheus, which was later bought by Blackboard.  Programming what would be today’s equivalent of Moodle took significant time and effort.  Tools like Blackboard and Moodle are really just infrastructure that can aid in building out student-centered learning experiences, but as Christensen notes, it takes time and money to build out these resources. 

As I have been reading Christensen, my perspective has been viewed through the Learning Management System, collaborative web conferencing and lecture capture lenses – my background for the past 13 years.  But as I have been thinking about this week’s reading I came across this interesting video from McGraw-Hill Connect; they have a partnership with Blackboard where teachers and professors can use entire digital textbooks within an online course or they can select specific topics or chapters.   This video from McGraw-Hill may come close to realizing the vision Christensen describes in the book.

Will publishers provided the technology and content to help realize student centered learning?  Maybe it is too soon to say yes or no?  There will be further disruptive events and technologies that may make student centered learning more local and take it out of the hands of technology and publishing companies. 

While focusing on this week’s topics I found two articles from Campus Technology.  The first article, Reinventing the College Textbook, describes an interesting project out of Wake Forest University.  Two professors received a grant to build a non-linear textbook, which aligns with Christensen’s discussion of focusing on the different way people learn.  Quoted from the article: “It has been shown that humans learn best when they can put facts into the order that makes the best sense to them.” 

The second article is a little less interesting, but one paragraph stood out to me.  eText: Is It Ready? Are We Ready?  Discusses how universities are converting texts and reserve materials into digital formats.  As the author detailed some ideas for how eText should evolve over time, the second to last recommendation reminded me of student centered learning – where technology could identify deficiencies or opportunities for students:

“Analytics: eReader software platforms must provide analytical capabilities to serve to identify potential student learning deficiencies or opportunities. With eText we will have a means to capture data on student use of the material, areas of concern, attempts/successes/failures of content knowledge transference, time spent on task (i.e., not just online), and so on. This data may be used to offer prescriptive solutions to improve completion, retention, and GPA.”

Week 2 Thoughts on Mobile Learning - Twitter

I started using Twitter this week and found it to be very interesting from the perspective of how easy it is to use, but yet how difficult it is to post a thought in under 140 characters.  I used Twitter on both my laptop and mobile phone; I was traveling to White Plains, NY so I had some opportunities to use it.  I started with a nonsensical posting about being at the airport, just to give it a try.  But later in the day as I was reading through familiar technology blogs I noticed how easy it was to post an article or video to share with those following me; right now that is just 6 other people, maybe that will grow over time?  Now that I have 10 tweets under my belt, including tweets with links to pictures and videos, it is easier for me to understand why Twitter is so popular – it is truly easy to use, but the experience is pretty much the same on my laptop or my Nexus One. 

But that led to my next question, which would pertain to blogs in general: what value I am producing in my blogging and micro-blogging that will attract people to follow me?  I am not particularly witty or all that interesting.  I am sharing interesting content pertaining to mobile learning, e-learning and mobile technologies, but it is not as though I am producing any ground breaking content that I feel is worthy of placing up on Twitter.  Over the course of the semester I hope to do so, but not yet.

In relating my use of Twitter to the Christensen reading, tools like Twitter can be one of many resources for starting down the path of student centered learning.  Maybe Twitter allows teachers to distribute resources they come across to specific students or groups students based on their needs?  I understand Christensen argues for computer-based learning to facilitate student centered learning, but as these systems evolve, maybe a lower tech solutions would be a start down the path to student centered learning where the teacher has more control over the path they are guiding their students by using Twitter as a distribution mechanism?  One of the articles I read this week, which is linked below, discusses faculty having multiple Twitter identities.  Having multiple identities maybe provide teachers the ability distribute appropriate learning materials to students as students follow one of their teacher’s identities?

Over the course of this week I tweeted the following articles I thought I would share on my blog in case you did not see these on Twitter (@bradbeecher).

This video details Stanford University’s use of mobile technologies, the team at Stanford later sold their product to Blackboard and became Blackboard Mobile:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WRw5TPVZhuw&feature=share

I read the Chronicle of Higher Education quite frequently; this is one blog they run called Prof Hacker – Tips about Teaching, technology and productivity.  I found some interesting postings here:

http://chronicle.com/blogs/profhacker/

Another article from the Chronicle, University of Western Ontario is a large publisher of case studies. Their business school will be the first major publisher to distribute cases through iTunes and the iBookstore.

http://chronicle.com/blogs/wiredcampus/quickwire-canadian-business-school-uses-itunes-to-distribute-its-case-studies/31846?sid=wc&utm_source=wc&utm_medium=en

This is an innovative use of Twitter for teaching, the entire article is good, but the last couple of sentences are very good:

http://chronicle.com/article/Twitter-Meets-the-Breakfast/127379/

I think augmented reality is pretty interest, but it is a technology still in its infancy.  This posting is not focused on education, but it does show some of AR’s potential:

http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/22/augmented-reality-app-concept-conjures-movie-scenes-shot-in-your/?a_dgi=aolshare_twitter

This is another article focused on Twitter, it discusses how professors are managing dual identities through Twitter:

http://chronicle.com/article/College-20-Academics-and/127936/

This is a bit more light-hearted, but it reminded me of Christensen’s focus on student centered learning.  If you do not have Xfinity, you can probably find this on Hulu, but once you load the link scroll ahead to 17 minutes and about 35 seconds.  This is where Lisa Simpson meets her new teacher:

http://xfinitytv.comcast.net/tv/The-Simpsons/3745/1642737557/Lisa-Simpson%2C-This-Isn-t-Your-Life/videos?skipTo=0?skipTo=0

I am adding this last link to my blog posting after I wrote the initial post.  I found this site last summer while taking EPSY 415, it is an update to Bloom's taxonomy -> Bloom's Digital Taxonomy.  I found this very interesting to review last year and I come back to this site from time to time:
http://edorigami.wikispaces.com/Bloom's+Digital+Taxonomy

Twitter App on my Nexus One...

While waiting for my delayed flight I tried using the Twitter App on my Nexus One.   This post is coming from my mobile phone and later edited once I got to a computer.

Brad Beecher (@bradbeecher) has shared a Tweet with you: "bradbeecher: Leaving DCA http://t.co/XVMnV2n."

I am on my flight now and I think I am sitting next to former Federal Reserve Chairman Paul Volcker.  Gotta go.  Flight leaving.  After arriving, it was confirmed that I was sitting next to the former Fed Chairman.

Back to mobile learning - the Twitter App on my phone was a breeze to use, in fact it let me share my tweet with my blog - hence the reference to the earlier tweet.  It is pretty interesting how all of these various apps are integrated to provided a more seamless experience for the end user.  I have no idea how an iPhone works as I find Apple's iOS exceedingly confusing to use and Android really quite simple, but Android must have some sharing API utilized by some of their built-in apps and used by 3rd party developers.  It makes sharing photos, videos, tweets, contacts and much more so easy and it appears to be interoperable.  Android is a great mobile platform, I cannot wait to get an Android tablet soon. 

Mobile Photos and Videos for Learning

There are many aspects to this topic that could be addressed for learning purposes.  I am going to focus on just a couple of perspectives. 

I was recently with my two-year old nephew and since I do not have children nor am I around children much, it was interesting to see him use my sister’s mobile phone for learning.  Part of his use of the phone was for entertain purposes (at least that is how he perceived its use), but my sister would sit with him and they would watch YouTube videos.  The videos provided a level of learning for him: they taught him how to pronounce certain words and learn new ones.  As I was thinking about the use of video in this context for my nephew, the hardware was small (a smartphone) so he could hold it in his hands, the videos were brief – only a couple of minutes long and they kept his attention, and he learned new words.  I would imagine for most parents this is not an enlightening scenario, but it was fascinating to watch.

In another context for learning with mobile photos and videos falls into a research category for undergraduates, graduates and adult learners.  The power of mobile technology to capture field research, record it and transmit it back to experts for further analysis can:

·      Allow a larger group of researchers to provide their input into the significance of the data collected in the field.

·      The guidance provided to field researchers based on their photos and videos could save time, costs and add further value for researchers to refine the data they collect while they are still in the field.

·      Capturing field research with photos and video will provide a historical record of the data and allow for comparisons over time.

 Another interesting opportunity for learning with the video camera on a mobile device is utilizing augmented reality applications.  Augmented reality places a virtual overlay of data as you point the camera of your mobile device at certain objects; augmented reality applications also utilize GPS technologies and mobile data.  The learning opportunity with augmented reality is that learners could point their mobile devices at a historical object and the overlay would provide you with more information about the object; click a link and it could take you to a web page with additional information.  Take for example the historical city of Edinburgh, Scotland – augmented reality applications have been developed so that visitors can learn more about the city by pointing their mobile phone cameras at historical sites, then information about the sites appear on the phone’s screen. 

From a less academic perspective, mobile videos could provide the workforce in the field with just-in-time learning opportunities with How-To videos.  These videos could help individuals understand how to complete a task, be it something rather simple where a refresher is needed or a complex task where reviewing the steps involved will ensure successful completion. 

My last example for using mobile video and photos is what I would classify as amateur journalists, who want to share and document a story or historical event.  I think a great example of this type of journalism has been seen in the Middle East over the past few months.  While there is a desire for democracy in autocratic States, the autocrats control the media and how information is disseminated.  Mobile phones provide citizens with away to document what is happening in the streets and share their stories with the world.  

My Mobile Devices...

I do quite a bit of travel for my job with Blackboard.  I literally could not do my job if I did not have my mobile devices; they are an essential part of my life to keep in contact with colleagues, customers, family and friends.  Mobility and connectivity are a common part of my daily routine; over the past year I have seen the value of cloud computing for work, our coursework and for personal use.  I enjoy using technology and would consider myself an early adopter of new technologies.  I regularly use work and personal laptops, but I have found over the past couple of years that my mobile phone has become the most important device I use on a regular basis.   Cloud computing services makes being mobile so much easier today as services such as Gmail, Google Docs, Mobile Me, Google’s new cloud music service and many other similar services no longer tie me to one device.  If I am home I can use my personal computer to access files, documents and music, and when I travel I have a similar experience accessing the same services either on my work laptop or my mobile phone.  I use my mobile devices regularly throughout the day, my wife probably thinks I am on the computer or mobile phone too much; this is the downside to mobile technologies – they are a tool that can increase contact with others, but when we are together they are distracting and sometimes an annoyance. 

Thinking back to my undergraduate days in the mid-1990s, the discussion around technology and how to use this new service – the Internet, was about convergence.  Convergence was widely discussed about how technology was going to be used in the house as part of an ecosystem tied into appliances, security and climate control systems.  But 15 years later, these forecasts have not come to fruition.  Where convergence seems to be happening at a rapid rate is with mobile technology.  In my undergraduate days it was not conceivable that in your hand you could hold a very powerful computer that would allow you to: browse the web, take pictures, listen to music, watch movies, act as GPS and map, augment reality, send email and text messages, and act as a phone almost anywhere in the world. 

I have work with academic technologies since the late 1990s when I worked in an instructional technology lab at The George Washington University.  At that time many were trying to figure out how to best use the Internet for educational purpose.  With services like GOPHER and MOSAIC, universities understood the value of interconnecting researchers, but using these technologies for teaching and learning was still rather new.  I think we are at a similar stage with mobile technologies.  There are some great ideas for how it can be used in an educational context, but we are still in the early stages of mobile learning’s potential.  Mobile phones and tablets continue to become more powerful and operating systems become easier to use, but I do not think we have begun to tap the potential of mobile learning.

As I finish my first blog posting for EPSY 590, I want to share an interesting article I came across in Campus Technology regarding the use of Web 2.0 technologies for teaching and learning purposes.