Implementing mobile library/mobile learning – preparing a business case

1. Implementing mobile library/mobile learning – preparing a business case Dr. Mohamed Ally Director and Professor Centre for Distance Education Athabasca University Canada New Zealand Presentation January 2010

2. The Tertiary Education Strategy 2010-2015 (Anne Tolley, Minister of Tertiary Education)

3. The Tertiary Education Strategy 2010-2015 (Anne Tolley, Minister of Tertiary Education) • The Government’s vision is for a world-leading education system that equips all New Zealanders with the knowledge, skills and values to be successful citizens in the 21st century. • A world-leading education system is an important first step towards a productive and growing economy that delivers greater prosperity, security and opportunity for all New Zealanders.

4. Provide New Zealanders of all backgrounds with opportunities to gain world-class skills and knowledge • Raise the skills and knowledge of the current and future workforce to meet labour market demand and social needs

5. Produce high-quality research to build on New Zealand’s knowledge base, respond to the needs of the economy and address environmental and social challenges • Enable Mäori to enjoy education success as Mäori

6. The National Digital StrategyNew Zealand

7. The National Digital Strategy has been developed by several departments and has been coordinated by the Ministry of Economic Development. It is a strategy about how a digital future for all New Zealanders will be created, using the power of information and communications technology to enhance all aspects of our lives.

8. Education Goals • The educational goal is to improve learner achievement in an innovative education sector, fully connected and supported by the smart use of ICT.

9. Education Goals • The education sector is committed to raising learner achievement through a networked, flexible education system offering accessible, relevant, high-quality learning opportunities to all New Zealanders to support the ongoing development of a highly-skilled national workforce.

10. Education Goals • We are developing a national standards-driven ICT infrastructure for education. Every learner, teacher, lecturer, or administrator will have access to the digital resources and services they need, wherever they are located within the education system. Repositories of relevant, high-quality digital content resources will support rich teaching, learning, and research outcomes

11. Athabasca University is an open and distance learning (ODL) university. A large percent of our students are working full-time, especially graduate students. Strategic direction of Athabasca University: enhancing open access, ensuring education available to students anywhere and anytime, recognizing that the workforce is increasingly mobile. In some programs, students own their mobile devices and are comfortable using the devices. Background

12. Classroom without walls

13. Workplace without walls

14. Countries without boundaries

15. Students • Online presence • Now generation • @ generation • Virtual generation • Social networking • Games • Digital experts • Adapt to technology quickly • Technology is second nature • Technology will become sixth sense

16. Internet • E-learning/Online learning • E-Commerce • E-government • E-collaboration • E-library

17. Globalization – Shift to Mobility • E-learning to M-learning • E-commerce to M-commerce • E-government to M-government • E-collaboration to M-collaboration • E-library to M-library • E-health to M-health • E-agriculture to M-agriculture • E-finance to M-finance

18. Worldbank – September 16, 2009 Washington, DCMobile Innovations for Social and Economic Transformation 9:00 -10:15 am Session 1: Overview of Mobile Innovations Space and Enabling Environment 10:30 -11:45 am Session 2: Mobile Innovations in Financial Services 11:45 - 1:00 pm Session 3: Mobile Innovations in Health 1:00 - 2:30 pm Session 4: Mobile Innovations in Education(Dr. Mohamed Ally) 2:30 -3:45 pm Session 5: Mobile Applications in Agriculture and Rural Development 4:00-- 5:15 pm Session 6: Mobile Innovations in Governance

19. Traditional Nomads • Group of people that continuously travel from place to place seeking food, shelter, and trade.

20. Modern Nomads • People that continuously move from place to place but can learn and work at anytime and from anywhere.

21. Nomadic Computing • According to Kleinrock, the goal of nomadic computing is to enable a consistent experience for users anywhere in the world, including as they travel from one place to another. • A nomadic environment is said to be one that is transparent to the user, regardless of location, the device and platform they're using, the available bandwidth, and whether or not they are in motion at any given time.

22. Is mobile technology turning learners and workers into “nomads”?

23. If Yes, what is the impact on the education system and libraries?

24. What is mobile learning? Use of mobile devices such as mobile phones, handhelds, PDAs, iPhone 3G, etc to facilitate training, teaching and learning and to access electronic learning resources.

25. What is mobile Library? • Access of library information using mobile devices from anywhere and at anytime

26. Mobile Training Mobile training (M-Training) is the use of mobile technology to deliver electronic training courses and materials to workers anywhere and anytime. Workplace is becoming virtual Workers are mobile Workers telecommute

27. Why use Mobile Learning? Global impact Access from remote locations Students can learn from anywhere Students can learn at anytime Educators can share learning materials to reduce developmental cost Learning materials are easy to update

28. Why use Mobile Learning? (cont’d) Instant delivery of learning materials Updates received immediately Students already have mobile devices Cater for different learning styles Education is more learner-centered Education for all Bridge the learning divide

29. Learning Divide • Digital divide will be (is) something of the past • We now have the learning divide – those who have access to learning materials and those who do not have access

30. Empower Learners • We underestimate the ability of people in remote regions and developing countries to use technology • “Hole in the Wall” Project(Sugata Mitra)

31. Emerging Technologies in Learning Print E-learning Mobile Learning (M-learning)

32. Why Use Emerging Technology to Educate Students • Can learn from anywhere and anytime • Do not have to leave their community and family to learn • Can access up to date information and learning materials • Shy females can learn in a non-threatening environment • More people will have access to education • Students are very comfortable using ICT such as mobile phones and other mobile devices • Everyone will be trained on the emerging technologies as they use the technologies • If students miss a lesson because of family obligations, they will be able access the learning materials at a later time • Online collaboration is possible using the emerging technologies

33. Why Educate All • Both males and females have many strengths that can be developed through education • Everyone will contribute to the economy • Country will be able to compete in the global economy

34. Top 21st Century Skills for Students(Albert Browne, Verizon Foundation, U.S.A.) • Work ethics • Collaboration • Communication • Social responsibility • Critical thinking • Problem solving

35. Skills that will become important(Albert Browne, Verizon Foundation, U.S.A.) • Critical thinking • Information and communication technology • Health and wellness • Collaboration • Innovation

36. The Ultimate School in the 21st Century • Take a few minutes and write down what the ultimate school of the 21st Century would look like.

37. The Ultimate School in the 21st Century (Albert Browne, Verizon Foundation, U.S.A.) • Use of digital media • Games as a learning strategy • Mobile devices • Online courses

38. Information Explosion • Information doubles every five years • Within 5 years, it is predicted that information will double every 11 days • Over 8 billion pages of information on the web

39. Move to the Wisdom Era • Agriculture age • Industrial age • Information age • Knowledge age (21st Century) • Wisdom age (21st Century)

40. Learning/Training Model(Dr. Ally & Dr. Mahathir Mohamad, 2006) Information Acquisition Knowledge Development Knowledge Application Wisdom Knowledge Creation Skills Development

41. Strategies for Developing Education for the 21st Century • Involve both males and females in the design of learning systems (course materials, hardware, and software) • Use learning theories in education • Designing for interactive and active learning • Designing learning materials to cater for individual differences – learning style • Digitizing education • Developing curriculum using learning objects • Train educators to use learning technologies • Blended learning in education • Use emerging learning technologies (E-learning and Mobile Learning in education)

42. Looking into the Future • Build a 21st Century Education system that caters for both males and females • Keep traditional and religious values and principles • Content will be available as Open Access • Develop citizens to function in the 21st century workforce • Develop students to become future researchers in their fields • Set high standards and goals (aim for Nobel Prize)

43. Information access is a human right • All humans are entitled to get an education to meet their individual needs • Learning is a nourishment for the mind • Educators have an obligation to help prevent intellectual starvation

44. With Mobile Technology “Education for All” is within reach

45. Establish the“New Zealand Association of Mobile Learning”or “New Zealand Association of Mobile Libraries”

46. The 3rd International M-Libraries Conference will be held in Brisbane, Australia in March 2011