Mobile University Access

For those in higher education looking for examples of a campus that is providing mobile access, you might want to check out a very nice solution at Australia's Curtin University of Technology CurtinMobile.

They provide students and staff with the access and information they need via their mobile devices. The application automatically provides both an icon-based layout for current higher-end phones or a text format for older phones.

You can view it on your mobile at m.curtin.edu.au or see a video demo here.

Featured available include:

• OASIS: Access Student Email, Official Communications and more!
• Maps: Browse the campus map so you never get lost!
• News: Find out about the latest exciting news & events at Curtin
• Library: Opening hours, browse the catalogue and more
• Facilities: Information on the the gym, food and drinks and much more
• Support: Having trouble with student life? Get helpful information here
• I.T.: Find an available computer on campus
• Transport: Courtesy bus schedule and Transperth information
• People: Find Curtin Staff members
• Emergency: Emergency information and phone numbers

Google Wave and Mobile Learning

I have been experimenting with Google Wave and so far am pleased with what I see. I am not certain how much this will be used for mobile learning, but was pleasantly surprised that it works on the iPhone (although there is a warning that that browser is not supported.) It can tend to be a little slow, but usable.

Here are a couple screen shots from my iPhone.



If you have a Google Wave account, please join me on a new public Wave I created to discuss mobile learning. You should be able to find it by title "Mobile Learning" or creator Judy Brown or judycb. I have not yet figured that out. ;-) UPDATED: I just added some tags and you should be able to find it by entering "tag:mobile learning" (without the quotes) into the search box and choosing Mobile Learning Public Wave. Hope to see you there.

Update 10/15/09: I have received emails that none of the comments work to locate this Wave. I just received assistance (thanks taylorkirk) and found that the following does work.

Mobile Learning Tools #2

In January I posted a listing of tools for mobile learning and received some great comments. (Thank you)

Now I am working on presentations and workshops for upcoming conferences this Fall and Winter and have been updating a much longer listing. I know that there are several missing in the content and K-12 areas, but what else? Are you using any tools for mobile learning development or deployment that are not listed on this new listing? If so, please leave a comment below. Thank you in advance.

I hope to meet many of you in person at the upcoming conferences.

September Hot List: Mobile Learning Content

Best of Mobile Learning

September 1, 2009 to September 30, 2009

Featured Sources

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

1. The Future of Mobile and Mobile Media- The Mobile Learner, September 26, 2009
2. Why did I just buy new Nano’s to use with students?- uLearning Blog, September 18, 2009
3. Clever Use of Twitter for Mobile Learning- mLearnopedia on Blogspot, September 7, 2009
4. 3D animations for mobile devices- Ignatia Webs, September 4, 2009

Other Sources

The following are the top items based on social signals.

1. Learn 4 Life » What happens when you give a class of 8 year old children an iPod touch each?, September 18, 2009

Hot Topics

Mobile Learning (34)

1. 3D animations for mobile devices, September 4, 2009
2. A Mobile Learning Round Up of Sorts « Ubiquitous Thoughts, September 5, 2009
3. Clever Use of Twitter for Mobile Learning, September 7, 2009
4. Mobile learning – keep taking the tablets, September 8, 2009

Education (32)

1. Direct observations about where Educator’s are at., September 9, 2009
2. A map of my possible future (in 5 years time) as an educator…, September 9, 2009
3. learning elearning: PSP2 - play station portable in education, September 14, 2009
4. Learn 4 Life » What happens when you give a class of 8 year old children an iPod touch each?, September 18, 2009

Blog (23)

1. Aga Khan Development Network - AKDN Blog, September 18, 2009
2. Pontydysgu – Bridge to Learning » Blog Archive » Going mobile, September 21, 2009
3. Pontydysgu – Bridge to Learning » Blog Archive » Using mobile devices in schools, September 21, 2009
4. Panlibus » Blog Archive » Oxford University 2.0, September 24, 2009

Technology (23)

1. Learn 4 Life » What happens when you give a class of 8 year old children an iPod touch each?, September 18, 2009
2. Mobile Phones - So Much More Than a Phone | New Learning Playbook, September 6, 2009
3. Direct observations about where Educator’s are at., September 9, 2009
4. Aga Khan Development Network - AKDN Blog, September 18, 2009

Devices (21)

1. 3D animations for mobile devices, September 4, 2009
2. Pontydysgu – Bridge to Learning » Blog Archive » Using mobile devices in schools, September 21, 2009
3. Learn 4 Life » What happens when you give a class of 8 year old children an iPod touch each?, September 18, 2009
4. Mobile Phones - So Much More Than a Phone | New Learning Playbook, September 6, 2009

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.

Forum Mobile Learning: Are we there yet?

Last Friday I participated in a Mobile Learning Forum at the 25th Annual Distance Teaching & Learning Conference along with Richard Culatta and Gary Marrer. It started at 8:00 am and continued through both the first and second sessions. Most of the attendees were in discovery or planning stages for mobile learning, but the questions and discussions were excellent.

I have posted my opening and closing slides as one presentation in Slideshare. Richard has information on his presentation and spoof mLearning ad here. Gary's slides are also on Slideshare.

Enjoy.

July Hot List: Mobile Learning Content Communily

Here is the monthly top ten list for cc.mlearnopedia.com from July. Enjoy...

Top Posts

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

1. Collecting visual information mobilely- Golden Swamp, July 23, 2009
2. Wikipedia Mobile Officially Launches- mLearning is Good, July 17, 2009
3. What I believe about learning- uLearning Blog, July 4, 2009
4. New Learning in India & Africa: Student Cell Phones- Cell Phones in Learning, June 30, 2009
5. Cell Phones in Education Part 3: Capturing the Moment- The Mobile Learner, July 20, 2009
6. Testing students as nodes releases them from class notches- Golden Swamp, July 22, 2009
7. Mobile Learning Assessment – same…different then other course assessment?- MobileDot, July 16, 2009
8. Gathering of Educators using ubiquitous devices- uLearning Blog, July 16, 2009
9. New Stats on Mobile Usage Continue to Reflect Mobile as Gateway to the Web- mLearning is Good, July 15, 2009
10. Let others find your most read blogposts via PostRank- Ignatia Webs, July 7, 2009
11. The Blue Brain waves patterns to educators- Golden Swamp, July 14, 2009
12. June Hot List: Mobile Learning Content Community- mLearnopedia on Blogspot, July 5, 2009
13. Mobile Phones vs. Computers- The Mobile Learner, July 4, 2009

Top Other Items

The following are the top other items based on social signals.

1. Futures of Learning, July 1, 2009
2. Go Mobile! Interview with Steve Vosloo, July 1, 2009

Hot Topics

Mlearn (14)

1. mLearning at the Tipping Point, July 16, 2009
2. Go Mobile! Interview with Steve Vosloo, July 1, 2009
3. Gathering of Educators using ubiquitous devices, July 16, 2009
4. Mobile Learning in India, July 25, 2009

mLearning (14)

1. mLearning at the Tipping Point, July 16, 2009
2. Go Mobile! Interview with Steve Vosloo, July 1, 2009
3. Gathering of Educators using ubiquitous devices, July 16, 2009
4. Mobile Learning in India, July 25, 2009

Mobile Devices (16)

1. Wikipedia Mobile Officially Launches, July 17, 2009
2. What I believe about learning, July 4, 2009
3. New Stats on Mobile Usage Continue to Reflect Mobile as Gateway to the Web, July 15, 2009
4. Futures of Learning, July 1, 2009

Future (15)

1. Futures of Learning, July 1, 2009
2. What I believe about learning, July 4, 2009
3. Education Online Now » Blog Archive » Are Mobile Classrooms The Future?, July 1, 2009
4. Mobile Learning in India, July 25, 2009

Devices (19)

1. Gathering of Educators using ubiquitous devices, July 16, 2009
2. Futures of Learning, July 1, 2009
3. Wikipedia Mobile Officially Launches, July 17, 2009
4. What I believe about learning, July 4, 2009