Clever Use of Twitter for Mobile Learning

One of the most clever integrations of social learning into mobile learning I have seen comes from Transparent Language's Byki Global for iPhone.

As with many other flashcard type language learning tools, there are screens with the word(s) plus audio, quizzes and stats, but they added a Twitter link. When pressing the Twitter icon at the bottom of the screen, the most recent tweets using that word or phrase are shown in that language. How cool is that?














If you have an iPod Touch or iPhone you can download this app free from the Apple App Store. Included are essential words and phrases in 15 languages including Chinese, Danish, Dutch, French, German, Irish, Italian, Japanese, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese (Brazilian), Russian, Spanish, Swedish, and Tagalog.

For the serious language learner, there are also single language apps available for $7.99.

Catching Up on Reading

This long weekend I have been trying to catch up on some of my reading. Following are a few sources I found that may be of interest regarding mobile learning:

• There is an interesting discussion taking place here regarding "Why use an iPod Touch instead of a netbook?"
• If you missed the Five Myths of Mobile Learning by Abhijit Kadle, you may want to add it to your reading list.
  
• If you are using an iPhone or iPod Touch in education you will want to check out the shared resources from Jonathan Nalder in Queensland. Be prepared to spend a lot of time there. Thanks Jonathan.
  

August Hot List: Mobile Learning Content

Best of Mobile Learning

August 1, 2009 to August 31, 2009

Featured Sources

The following are the top items from featured sources based on social signals.

1. The Strengths and Challenges of Mobile Learning: A Live Discussion- The Mobile Learner, August 16, 2009
2. Homework Quizes Via Phonevite- Cell Phones in Learning, August 8, 2009
3. Education’s reductionist flaw is like the digesting duck- Golden Swamp, August 22, 2009

Other Sources

The following are the top items based on social signals.

1. ACU's iPhone initiative: a year later, August 3, 2009
2. Maths and Science mobisite for “SmartLearners”, August 19, 2009
3. Using Mobile Technology to Influence Health Care Reform, August 21, 2009

Hot Topics

Mobile Learning (27)

1. The Strengths and Challenges of Mobile Learning: A Live Discussion, August 16, 2009
2. Five Myths of Mobile Learning, August 24, 2009
3. Addressing Some Critiques of Mobile Learning, August 7, 2009
4. Addressing Some More Critiques of Mobile Learning, August 21, 2009

Conferences (15)

1. The Strengths and Challenges of Mobile Learning: A Live Discussion, August 16, 2009
2. ACU's iPhone initiative: a year later, August 3, 2009
3. Personalising Learning with the iPod Touch, August 16, 2009
4. Addressing Some More Critiques of Mobile Learning, August 21, 2009

Mlearn (12)

1. The Strengths and Challenges of Mobile Learning: A Live Discussion, August 16, 2009
2. Addressing Some Critiques of Mobile Learning, August 7, 2009
3. Maths and Science mobisite for “SmartLearners”, August 19, 2009
4. Addressing Some More Critiques of Mobile Learning, August 21, 2009

mLearning (12)

1. The Strengths and Challenges of Mobile Learning: A Live Discussion, August 16, 2009
2. Addressing Some Critiques of Mobile Learning, August 7, 2009
3. Maths and Science mobisite for “SmartLearners”, August 19, 2009
4. Addressing Some More Critiques of Mobile Learning, August 21, 2009

Utilities (5)

1. Five Myths of Mobile Learning, August 24, 2009
2. Addressing Some More Critiques of Mobile Learning, August 21, 2009
3. Michael Yeap...potential PhD Candidate: Aug 28 - Definition of Usability & Mobile Learning, August 29, 2009
4. M-Learning for Students - Is It Possible? - Daydreamer, August 22, 2009

Mobile Learning K-12 Chat

Last week I participated in a "chat" for Education Week entitled "Emerging Mobile Technologies for K-12 Classrooms". Unfortunately the co-presenter had technical difficulties and was unable to connect until half way so I typed as fast as I could. ;-)

The questions were great! CoverItLive was used and the transcript is now available at http://www.edweek.org/ew/events/chats/2009/09/03/index.html.

After the session I received several requests for further information about mobile learning and disabilities which is not my area of specialty, but an interest. Recently I read a couple papers addressing this issue, but they were for conference proposals and not yet available. I went back through some of my notes and responded with the following:

• JISC in the UK has conducted a lot of mobile learning research including research on disabilities. A good place to start is http://www.techdis.ac.uk/index.php?p=9_5
• EU project including accessibility - http://motill.eu/
• Another UK initiative - http://www.rsc-northwest.ac.uk/acl/eMagArchive/RSCeMag2008/May08/accessibility_and_mobile_learning_project.html
• Also http://www.excellencegateway.org.uk/page.aspx?o=ferl.aclearn.page.id958
• Several years ago there was even a Braille reader for Pocket PCs. Take a look at the potential for those with sight issues on this YouTube video - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lUUxGvDqok4
• Also look at QR codes and the potential demonstrated by Nokia at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M1wM6nlcALA
• There are also some articles on http://mlearnopedia.com easily found by searching for disabilities.

If you are aware of other resources for mobile learning and disabilities, please add your suggestions in the comments. Thank you.