Social Software Case Study
Case Study. The first case study I chose was in a book chapter written by Laru & Jarvela (2015) titled “Integrated Use of Multiple Social Software Tools and Face-to-Face Activities to Support Self-Regulated Learning: A Case Study in a Higher Education Context” in the book Seamless Learning in the Age of Mobile Connectivity. I was interested in this chapter because it focused on mobile learning to assist with the integration of social software tools in supporting a seamless learning experience. This is the type of experience I am planning on developing for the capstone project for LDT 505. Laru & Jarvela (2015) state that “In practice ,the increasing use of mobile social media in education is stitching together the formal and informal learning contexts of learners and bridging individual and social learning, which is leading towards seamless learning.” (p.472). The case study included 21 undergraduate students (76% female) in groups of 4-5 students who used RSS readers to help combine individual, group, and class feeds from multiple social software (Flikr, WordPress, and Wikispaces) in order to gather information of individual pictorial metaphors. The students then went through an individual phase where each student analyzed and reflected on the group work. Finally the students collaborated to reflect and synthesize a wiki based on their individual blog work.
Instructional Design Aspects. The conclusions by Laru & Jarvela (2015) included three main points that dealt specifically with instructional design with emergent technologies. First, the environment should be ill-structured with fuzzy guidelines to allow problem-solving of authentic nature through collaboration and constructivist methods. There is no final conclusion and each solution may have their own problems. Second, this environment needs to be supported by scaffolding. Laru & Jarvela (2015) noted Belland’s (2011) guidelines for the creation of appropriate scaffolds: (a) support problem reformulation through qualitative problem modeling, (b) do not give specific end goals, (c) enable students to make comparisons between cases, and (d) enable students to work collaboratively. Third the content should be elaborated on by having students re-visit the material in multiple ways with different conceptual interpretations through individual and collaborative methods. I agree with these instructional concepts which follow sociocultural theory with specific techniques of scaffolding and elaboration methods. The case-study design also incorporates principles of mobile learning, e.q. Looi et. al (2010) seamless learning between informal and formal contexts, Bransford et. al (2006) implicit or metacognitive learning applications, Kearney et. al (2012) framework pedagogy of personalization, authenticity, and collaboration, and Sharple (2013) learning between contexts across environments.
Regulation Theory. The article also discussed how regulation theory (self-, co-, and shared regulation) fitted into seamless learning. The authors defined co-regulation as when the individuals’ regulatory activities are supported, assisted, shaped or constrained by and with others (p. 474). Self and co-regulatory activities help with individual learners learn on their own and by the help of others. This allows for individual improvement processes along with social improvement processes. They also defined shared regulation as when groups co-construct plans or align monitoring perceptions to establish a shared evaluation of progress, they are engaged in shared regulation. Therefore, socially shared regulation of learning refers to processes by which group members regulate their collective activity. Self-regulating allows students to learn on a metacognitive level. Bransford et. al (2006) states that helping students take a metacognitive stance in their learning helps them form deep conceptual understandings and especially helpful in science learning. This type of learning is enhanced by social and cultural contexts. (p. 230-231). This goes well with my thoughts on how to integrate mobile and social learning within a science context.
Figure 24.1 Relationship between the distributed cognition system and self-regulated learning they used to inter-relate the concepts of these regulation processes: (Laru &Jarvela, (2015) p.474)
Augmented Reality Case-Study
The next article I read was Augmented Reality Simulation System Application in a Chemistry Course by Cai, Wang, & Chiang (2014). was interested in this article due to working in chemistry laboratories, so this application was relevant to my specific context that I teach. The participants in this study were junior high school students located in Shenzhen, China, that interacted with 3D models of micro-particles using markers and completed a series of inquiry-based experiments. The researchers concluded that the AR tool significantly improved learning as a supplemental tool, especially for low-achieving students and that students were more positive in using the software as a learning tool. Kamarainen, (2013) notes that AR is an “immersive” interface (Dede, 2009) utilizing mobile, context-aware technologies (e.g., smartphones, tablets), and software that enables participants to interact with digital information embedded within the physical environment (Dunleavy & Dede, in press). Cai et. al states that AR (2014) creates a seamless interface for users that combines the real world and virtual world (p.31). I think virtual realities can help students visualize and experience applications of experiential and inquiry learning situated in a virtual environment.
Podcast Case-Study
The last article I chose was Effectiveness of Podcasts Delivered on Mobile Devices as a Support for Student Learning during General Chemistry Laboratories by Powell & Mason (2013). This study looked at six sections of undergraduate students at Abilene Christian University that used mobile devices to view podcasts in order to prepare for their first year general chemistry laboratories. Powell & Mason (2013) results showed no difference in learning outcomes between pre-lab lectures and podcast lectures between groups who used them and ones that did not. However, highly engaged participants in lecture courses were found to exhibit higher learning outcomes when part of the podcast group compared to the pre-lab lecture group (p.165). This shows that students who were highly engaged benefited from the ability to assess pre-lab podcasts. I think the addition of mobile podcasts can add personalization of learning methods at “just-the-right” time, with ready in hand devices. Personalization was one of Kearney et. al feature in the pedagogical framework for mobile learning and Pea mentioned that “hand-held” are more portable than the slimmest laptops, allowing students to use them anytime, anywhere.” (p.428)
Course Reflection
My view of mobile learning has stayed the same as learning occurring in using portable devices to learn more about the environment. However, it has expanded to include practical ways to integrate them into student learning, such as for situated, inquiry, and experiential learning. Also I learned that traditional constructivist and social theories can be applied to mobile learning to facilitate learning experiences. Finally, I realized the advantages of mobile learning in personalizing the experience, providing implicit/metacognitive experiences, creating authentic experience across contexts, and allow learning to occur at any time in formal or informal places.
References
Bransford, J., et al. Learning theories and education: Toward a decade of synergy. Handbook of Educational Psychology. Alexander, P. and P. H. Winne. Mahwah. Lawrence Erlbaum. 2006. 0805859713. pp. 209-244.
Cai, S., Wang, X., & Chiang, F. K. (2014). A case study of Augmented Reality simulation system application in a chemistry course. Computers in Human Behavior, 37, 31-40.
Kamarainen, A. M., et al., EcoMOBILE: Integrating augmented reality and probe ware with environmental education field trips, Computers & Education (2013), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2013.02.018
Kearney, M., Schuck, S., Burden, K., & Aubusson, P. (2012). Viewing mobile learning from a pedagogical perspective. Research In Learning Technology, 20:1, 1-17. doi:10.3402/rlt.v20i0/14406.
Laru, J., & Järvelä, S. (2015). Integrated Use of Multiple Social Software Tools and Face-to-Face Activities to Support Self-Regulated Learning: A Case Study in a Higher Education Context. In Seamless Learning in the Age of Mobile Connectivity (pp. 471-484). Singapore: Springer. DOI: 10.1007/978-981-287-113-8_24
Looi, C.-K., Seow, P., Zhang, B., So, H.-J., Chen, W., & Wong, L.-H. (2010). Leveraging mobile technology for sustainable seamless learning: A research agenda. British Journal of Educational Technology, 41(2), 154-169. doi:10.1111/j.1467-8535.2008.00912.x Click here for PDF. ./images/looi_48035657.pdf
Powell, C. B., & Mason, D. S. (2013). Effectiveness of podcasts delivered on mobile devices as a support for student learning during general chemistry laboratories. Journal of Science Education and Technology, 22(2), 148-170.
Pea, R. D. and H. Moldonado. WILD for learning: Interacting through new computing devices anytime, anywhere. Cambridge handbook of the learning sciences. Sawyer,K. ed. New York. Cambridge University Press. 2006. 0521607779. pp. 427-441.