Exploring Mobile Learning: Benefits and Challenges for Geography Trainee Teachers

1. Going Mobile?Mark Jones A presentation in two parts: • Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs): the benefits, challenges and creative possibilities encountered by geography trainee teachers (a summary of small scale research 2008-2009). • Next steps - mobile learning within the wider context of ICT, considerations for HEIs and partnerships schools.

2. Digital divides: is there a generational divide ? The generation born since 1980 has been called • ‘digital natives’ (Prensky, 2001) • ‘Net generation’ (Tapscott, 1998) Students completing the UWE PGCE 2008- 2009 were born between1963 and 1987.

3. Trainee teachers assessed a PDA’s : • usefulness in supporting their organisation, learning and teaching during the PGCE course • potential value for pupils’ learning Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs): the benefits, challenges and creative possibilities encountered by geography trainee teachers

4. Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs): the benefits, challenges and creative possibilities encountered by geography trainee teachers

5. “I have used it to scribe notes during lesson observations, to take pictures of the reorganisation of the classroom, used the GPS and games coming out of W-S-M [Weston Super Mare] at the weekend and other personal use.” Trainee C Yes I have used it [the PDA] to take some images of the school I am in and the classroom displays …. I took some pupils work but the images are not that great.” Trainee A. . “I use my mobile phone on fieldtrips and my laptop in school and at home for lesson preparation.” Trainee K. “It [the PDA] is another piece of equipment; I am using others; laptop, mobile phone, paperwork .... all these need integrating Trainee H. .” Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs): the benefits, challenges and creative possibilities encountered by geography trainee teachers

6. “Using the PDA has been limited to university sessions like the mediascape and Google Earth maps. I have not experienced the use of PDAs in either placement schools.” Trainee D. “That one where we added hotspots and found them walking around outside I think that could bring anywhere in the world onto the school site for pupils to learn about.” Trainee F. . .” Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs): the benefits, challenges and creative possibilities encountered by geography trainee teachers

7. Factors affecting the trainee teachers’ use of PDAs. 14 Science trainee teachers (Wishart et al 2007) 12 Geography trainee teachers (Jones, 2009) the PDA; its ownership, functionality and educational potential preference for using alternative mobile technologies the intensity of a PGCE course the school context the university context • the socio-cultural context of the school environment; • the pressure of work on a PGCE; • other hardware availability; • certain ’killer applications, that is software applications that are so useful or desirable that they prove the value of the technology it runs on. Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs): the benefits, challenges and creative possibilities encountered by geography trainee teachers

8. The mobile telephone Watch a short history of mobile phones 2mins 47 secs. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JcnXOhrmDB8 • Now take out your mobiles -In pairs/threes • 1. What are the functions you use in order of frequency/ how often you use them? • 2. What other functions do you have function you have not used – use it . What is its purpose – why do you not use it? • 3. How do you currently use your mobile telephone in your role as a geography teacher educator?

9. Factors affecting the trainee teachers’ use of PDAs. 14 Science trainee teachers (Wishart et al 2007) 12 Geography trainee teachers (Jones, 2009) the PDA; its ownership, functionality and educational potential preference for using alternative mobile technologies the intensity of a PGCE course the school context the university context • the socio-cultural context of the school environment; • the pressure of work on a PGCE; • other hardware availability; • certain ’killer applications, that is software applications that are so useful or desirable that they prove the value of the technology it runs on. Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs): the benefits, challenges and creative possibilities encountered by geography trainee teachers

10. Mobile learning within the wider context of ICT, considerations for HEIs and partnerships schools ICT – how far have we progressed? • TDA skills test Mobile learning within the wider context of ICT, considerations for HEIs and partnerships schools.

11. The ICT skills test covers a wide range of ICT • skills using five software applications: • presentation • e-mail • text editor • spreadsheet • browser. The tests cover the core skills that teachers need to fulfil their wider professional role in schools, rather than the subject knowledge required for teaching (TDA)

12. TDA ICT Glossary for the QTS ICT Skills test in a wordle

13. Mobile learning within the wider context of ICT, considerations for HEIs and partnerships schools ICT – how far have we progressed? • TDA skills test • ICT skills audits – what are we auditing? - personal digital repertoires Mobile learning within the wider context of ICT, considerations for HEIs and partnerships schools.

14. Is there a generational divide ? Based on 7-18 year olds Green and Hannon (2007, p.11) identify a number of different user ‘types’,’ • Digital pioneers were blogging before the phrase had been coined • Creative producers are building websites, posting movies, photos and music to share with friends, family and beyond • Everyday communicators are making their lives easier through texting and MSN • Information gatherers are Google and Wikipedia addicts, ‘cutting and pasting’ as a way of life’ “… many of the young people we spoke to moved through a number of these types and combined them in different ways” (Green and Hannon 2007, p11)

15. 3 1 2 6 4 5 8 7 9 12 13 11 10 14 15 Weblink to a full listing of free online materials http://www.enquiringminds.org.uk/try_it/digital_tools/?cost=1&stage=0&tag_id=0&orderby=ASC&ajax=false&x=41&y=19

16. Mobile learning within the wider context of ICT, considerations for HEIs and partnerships schools ICT – how far have we progressed? • TDA skills test • ICT skills audits – what are we auditing? - personal digital repertoires • University - generic and subject specific workshops Mobile learning within the wider context of ICT, considerations for HEIs and partnerships schools.

17. Source: http://tpack.org/

18. Mobile learning within the wider context of ICT, considerations for HEIs and partnerships schools ICT – how far have we (really) progressed? • TDA skills test • ICT skills audits – what are we auditing? - personal digital repertoires • University - generic and subject specific workshops • Each year’s cohort - (personalised e-learning / e-teaching) • TDA Characteristics for provision and use of ICT in ITT Mobile learning within the wider context of ICT, considerations for HEIs and partnerships schools.

19. e-learning e-creativity e-communication e-teaching e-confidence e-capability e-consumption e-production e-nough m-learning m-creativity m-communication m-teaching m-confidence m-capability m-consumption m-production m(e)-nough …and now for some es and ms

20. To what extent do teachers and teacher educators: A future where teachers are ‘confident pedagogical innovators with new technology’ (Becta 2008, p.21). • annually evaluate the ICT repertoire that trainee teachers are exposed to during ITT, both in schools and at university • provide modelling and practice for trainee teachers during ITT if mobile devices are to be used productively as part of learning and teaching (Naismith et al, 2004). • create opportunities for trainee teachers’ to develop confidence, competence and the ability to critically evaluate new and emerging forms of digital technologies e.g. mobile devices is crucial (Mitchell, 2007).

21. Reference list Becta (2008) Analysis of emerging trends affecting the use of technology in education: Research to support the delivery and development of Harnessing Technology: Next Generation Learning 2008–14. Available from: http://partners.becta.org.uk/index.php?section=rh&catcode=_re_rp_02&rid=16448 [Accessed 10 August 2009] Mitchell, D. (2007) GTIP Think Piece: ICT in Geography Available from: http://www.geography.org.uk/projects/gtip/thinkpieces/ictinsecondarygeography/ [Accessed 9 August 2009] Naismith, L., Lonsdale, P., Vavoula, G. and Sharples, M. (2004) Futurelab Series Report 11: Literature Review in Mobile Technologies and Learning. Bristol: Futurelab. Prenksy, M. (2001a) Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants. On the Horizon, 9(5), 1-6. Tapscott, D. (1998). Growing up Digital: The Rise of the Net Generation. New York: McGraw-Hill. Wishart, J., Ramsden, A. and McFarlene, A. (2007) ‘PDAs and handhelds: ICT at your side and not in your face’, Technology, Pedagogy and Education 16 (1), 95-110.

22. 5. How might digital technologies develop in the future? The future of mobile phones: A remote control for you life In the near future, your mobile phone will be so powerful it'll guide you through your whole life, says William Webb It is 2025. Your mobile is now much more than just a communication device - more like a remote control for your life. You still call it a "mobile" from habit, but it is an organiser, entertainment device, payment device and security centre, all developed and manufactured by engineers. On a typical day it will start work even before you wake. Because it knows your travel schedule it can check for problems on the roads or with the trains and adjust the time it wakes you up accordingly, giving you the best route into work. It can control your home, re-programming the central heating if you need to get up earlier and providing remote alerts if the home security system is triggered. It is your payment system - just by placing the phone near a sensor on a barrier, like the Oyster card readers in use on London transport, you can pay for tickets for journeys or buy items in shops. With an understanding of location, the mobile can also provide directions, or even alert the user to friends or family in the vicinity. Source: The independent article by W. Webb, May 14 2007.