Mobile technologies: Can they make learning a social activity?

1. Mobile technologies: Can they make learning a social activity? Mercy Maleko, RMIT University School of CS & IT

2. Mobile technologies… • Mobile technologies- mostly personal and portable technologies. example- mobile/smart phones, PDAs, tabletPC (e.g. iPad), laptops etc School of CS & IT

3. School of CS & IT

4. Why mobile technologies and education? • Mobile technologies and usage are exploding… • The growing use of wireless technology and mobile devices by students. This suggests that education cannot ignore the use of mobile devices in the learning process. School of CS & IT

5. Characteristics of current students- digital natives. • they are multitasking. • always on. • mobile. • they emphasize on doing rather than knowing. • have greater familiarity with typing rather than handwriting. • have zero tolerance for delay. • have 24/7 mentality. • they rely more on web as a primary source of information “Google it!” • “Staying connected” is very important. School of CS & IT

6. Mobile technologies have made students “escape” from classrooms to engage in other activities that might have no relationship with their studies. Students • become less engaged in University activities. • spend less time on campus. • have low attendance in lectures, seminars/tutorial, laboratories and even in mentoring sessions (if available). School of CS & IT

7. What should we do? • Need to develop new teaching approaches that will address the characteristics of these students to engage and inspire their learning. How? School of CS & IT

8. A Humanities lecturer is reported as having said: “I found out all my students were looking at the material in the Virtual Learning Environment but going straight to Facebook to use the discussion tools and discuss the material and the lectures. I thought I might as well join them and ask them questions in their preferred space”. Should we follow them in their preferred space? School of CS & IT

9. What takes them there? • the social interactions environment that Social Networking Sites provide motivates students to interact. • social interactions and learning do they relate? School of CS & IT

10. What do they say…? • “Learning is an activity rooted in social interactions- stresses on interactions for development of cognition - Vygotsky’s social development theory. • “Learning is a social activity”- “interactions play a fundamental role in the learning process”- Laurillards Conversational Framework. School of CS & IT

11. But… Mobile devices • are tools to expand discussions  students can communicate beyond classrooms. • provide the potential for rich social interactions which when used to enhance learning contribute +vely to the quality of education. • SNS provide interactive environments that allow learners to communicate, interact, create and share knowledge. SNS=Social networking sites School of CS & IT

12. So… We thought of coming up with a study to investigate the use of mobile devices and social networking sites to support learning of novice programmers (Mobile learning). We hope the mobile learning will motivatestudents to engage in learning, by encouraging them to interactwith themselves and with their tutors and mentors, hence make learning a more social activity. School of CS & IT

13. Mobile Learning-delivery model • Students will use their mobile devices which have access to internet and can connect to SNS. • Learning materials will be uploaded to SNS for students to self learn. • Discussions about the lectures notes, material on SNS etc will be conducted through their mobile devices via SNS. SNS=Social networking sites School of CS & IT

14. Thank You! School of CS & IT