The last half of the semester for CLN647 has introduced me to various topics that relate to popular text and culture of present day. Some of the topics that were covered were screen culture which was about television and the internet, computer games and ‘game-based learning,’ but one topic that I believe was significant was mobile media and the classroom. This was week 8’s topic and it covered the possible applications of mobile devices in the classroom. In the following blog post I will discuss the essential and recommended readings on mobile media and reflect on my own new understanding of the area.
Before I completed the week 8 work, I was convinced that mobile media devices had some place in education but I did not truly see how they could be used in the best possible manner. I had a shallow understanding of mobile use as I had thought that they could be an “add-on” to current curriculum units. I was also concerned about the possible issues that could result with having mobile devices in classrooms such as inappropriate use of the mobile camera or students using the device to bully a fellow student. With all these thoughts in mind I read the readings and came across the following points.
Crook (2011) suggested that mobile media needs to be assimilated into the institution of education through means of cultural convergence. The devices themselves are not to be used as a new technological equipment, an extension of the computer but as a means for students to use in their day to day learning and socializing. The students would use such devices both as a tool for formal learning and also informal learning. I found this to be a highly interesting point as I had always thought that mobiles could be used to replace digital cameras or for students to be able to access the internet. Crook (2011) highlights that this is not using the devices in the best possible way. After reading this I was able to start thinking of the possibilities of using mobiles as cultural resources in the classroom. Students could use the mobile devices to discover new ways of completing work and also discuss with other students their group assignment. This variation on learning may assist students of today by allowing them to use a familiar technology to learn and explore the world around them. This point led to what content can be generated by the students or users.
One example of user generated content was the mobile tour which was completed by student teachers in London. The students used Mscape and GPS shell to complete a tour of a street. The tour was provided through their mobile devices and detailed the past and present history of the street. The students were required to keep an audio blog during the tour to document their learning and experience with the mobile tour. As Crook (2011) had stated the students during the tour were kept engaged as they were always referring to the mobile device for further instructions, information and to keep their audio blog. One student had said that the device had made the tour fun and exciting. Crook (2011) further detailed the positives of the tour by reminding the reader of what a traditional tour was like which is where students are expected to stand and listen to a tour guide. This often results in students becoming disinterested and disengaged, which leads to misbehavior and a lost learning opportunity. The mobile tour is really allowing the students to guide themselves, learn at their own pace and through audio blogging, to document their learning experiences.
Another example of user generated content was the German school which had students using their mobiles to make a video of photos (they took at home) of angles. This example showed a good possibility for mobile devices in that students create their own content and understanding of a topic by discovering it for themselves. This though was not a full success as the students only took videos but these videos were not viewed at the school and no reflection activity was included with the task. Reflection is a higher order thinking activity which would benefit students in becoming 21st century learners as suggested by Bloom’s taxonomy.
Overall Week 8 has removed the blindfold of uncertainty off my eyes and has shown the various possibilities of mobile devices in education. As stated by Shuler (2009) again adults are behind how children learn in present day but mobile devices are the new way of thinking in a now mobile world.
References:
Cook, J., Pachler, N. & Bachmair, B.. (2011). Ubiquitous mobility with mobile phones: A cultural ecology for mobile learning. E-Learning and Digital Media, 8 (3), 181-195.
Department of Education, Western Australia (2012). Taxonomy of Cognitive Domain: Bloom’s Taxonomy of Cognitive Process. Retrieved from the WA Department of Education website: http://www.det.wa.edu.au/curriculumsupport/giftedandtalented/detcms/navigation/for-teachers/provision/teaching—learning-models/taxonomy-of-cognitive-domain/?page=1&tab=Main
Shuler, C. (2009). Pockets of potential: Using mobile technologies to promote children’s learning. New York: The Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop