I am interested in mobile learning for Higher Education. This level of education applies to a broader audience and affects all the audiences suggested.  Mobile content is becoming somewhat of specialized approach with research guiding the way. Hsu (2012) displays how effective the students continue the exchange of information in a concise manner, called micro-blogging. The delivery and exchange or communication of the contextualized material was well received and encourage a level communication among students and or enhanced the social learning outside of the classroom.  Could mobile learning be encouraged among faculty and student discourse with the faculty participation?  This expanded participation could be achieved with the instantaneous connections and resources available found in a mobile device.

Now, I ask this question because the resources and content available on a mobile device does not guarantee learning to occur. Arora (2010) makes many valid points about cultural views on learning and the idea of “wrong kinds of knowledge and teaching” (pg 697). She notes the issue with HiWEL providing technology without supervision or planned curriculum. To clarify, the technology provided in this paper was not mobile, but unsurpervised and provided in rural areas. The issue here is providing digitized information did not result in equitable learning gains. So, providing a mobile device with access to content does not allow someone to learn useful information for the formal educational environments with which we navigate in. The environment or delivery of the content is not the issue. The content structure and the objective of the learning situation is critical. Furthermore, the environments between formal and informal learning are now in flux with mobile technology and with the various mediums with which the content is delivered. Even school administrator, Todd Curtis, realizes the necessity to augment and redefine the learning experience for young students with the introduction of iPads into schools. As adult learners, this idea may still apply. In the webinar Garcia, a school teacher involved in implementing mobile learning, hosts and the other participates all seemed to agree mobile technology seems to call for a degree of creative latitude for the young students. The participants give many practical solutions and examples of curriculum combined with iPads throughout the webinar. Their practical experience makes them unique experts with mobile technology in a formal enviroment.

In the Martin (2012) paper, there is emphasis on chunked information being delivered. This was presented as a usability issue. But laptops and tablets have lots of visual realestate on the screens. So why is the way content delivered important?  Whether one develops content for a mobile smart phone or a tablet, people still favor chunks of organized information to be delivered on the screen.  The screenshots of the mobile module clearly show each pane as having one subject and building upon another; introduction, objective, content pages, practice and finally feedback (pg.50, Martin).  The micro-blogging could be viewed as evidence for concise delivery of information in an informal way. If the message is unclear in one micro-blog message, a request to define the message follows. Then the preceding messages build upon each other for a clear communication of information.  The users of mobile devices are requesting the chunking of information effectively, informally. The development of content is necessary to appease the students. (Hsu 2012)

The chunking of content is ideal for students to disperse what they learn over time. Sharples emphasizes this by bulleting that “learning dispersed over time: learning is a cumulative process involving connections and reinforcement amongst a variety of learning experiences (Dierking, Falk, Rennie, Anderson, & Ellenbogen, 2003) across formal and informal learning contexts” (pg 235). Highlighting this as a component of mobile learning reveals the benefit of mobile learning and the constraints mobile devices place on the delivery of information.  Furthermore, the ability to use the physical space in addition to the mobile device and connect the two to build an experience is only enhanced by structured and concise related content. One must sort the content on the mobile device and the environment with which the content is applicable, if applicable at all. (Sharples, 2009, pg 235)

Basically, what I am arguing is just giving mobile devices is not enough to guarantee learning to occur. The use of a facilitator or teacher and well-structured and developed content is necessary for any form of instruction to be delivered with mobile devices. The first step to effective mobile learning is to deliver the information in a well-thought out manner that is conducive to the goals and objectives of what is being taught. Instructional designers and teachers who creatively develop curriculum around available applications, tools, and mobile devices being used do this.

Citation

Arora, P. (2010). Hope-in-the-wall?a digital promise for free learning. British Journal of Educational Technology, 41(5), 689-702.

Garcia, A. (Producer). (2013, August 07). Planning For Effective Teaching & Learning with Mobile Devices [Web Video]. Retrieved from http://youtu.be/QNTTAuSEU04

Hsu, Y. C., & Ching, Y. H. (2012). Mobile microblogging: Using Twitter and mobile devices in an online course to promote learning in authentic contexts. The International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning, 13 (4), 211-227. Available online: http://www.irrodl.org/index.php/irrodl/article/view/1222/2313.

Martin, F., Pastore, R., & Snider, J. (2012). Developing mobile based instruction. TechTrends, 56 (5), 46-51.

Sharples, M., Arnedillo-Sanchez, I., Milrad, M., & Vavoula, G. (2009). Mobile learning: Small devices, big issues. In N. Balacheff, S. Ludvigsen, T. Jong, A. Lazonder, & S. Barnes (Eds.), Technology-enhanced learning (pp. 233-249). Dordrecht: Springer Netherlands. doi:10.1007/978-1-4020-9827-7

App Title: Science- Microcosm 3D: Bacteria, Viruses, Atoms, Molecules and Particles
Reviewer: Donny Tusler
Details:  Online Science Classroom, LLC, Last update Feb 22, 2013, VS 1.2.1. Requires iOS 4.3 or later. Compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. This app is optimized for iPhone 5.
Link: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/science-microcosm-3d-bacteria/id564731341?mt=8
Cost: Free, $2.99
Review:
This app is a science application in the educational science category. It displays high quality, 3D images or animations of microscopic items, while referencing the microscopic sizes, 10^-1 to 10^-21. Additional, written information is provided with each model.
The application could be provided on a mobile device to inspire or supplement a class discussion. Having a high quality image or animation to in a classroom to reference may enhance the delivery of content or help visualize abstract concepts.
The free introductory application introduces String Theory, the atom, protons, viruses and bacteria.  A teacher can take this content and quickly explore the science of life and its interconnectedness before delving deeply into various content. Furthermore,the paid version provides 30 images and would allow entire lessons to be introduced.

App Title: Science- Macrocosm 3D: Solar Systems, Planets, Stars and galaxies
Reviewer: Donny Tusler
Details: Online Science Classroom, LLC, Last update Feb 22, 2013, VS 1.2.1. Requires iOS 4.3 or later. Compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. This app is optimized for iPhone 5.
Link: https://itunes.apple.com/app/id572469224
Cost: Free, $2.99
Review:
This app is a science application in the educational science category. It displays high quality, 3D images or animations of planets and the universe, while referencing the macroscopic sizes, 10^0 to 10^26.
The application could be provided on a mobile device to inspire or supplement a class discussion. Having a high quality image or animation to in a classroom to reference may enhance the delivery of content or help visualize abstract concepts.
The free introductory application introduces the history of Galileo to the concept of Quasars with beautiful 3D animation to inspire students and helps connect abstract concepts visually. Furthermore, this application allows the philosophical idea of how small we are in comparison to the universe to help students gain a new perspective for them.  The paid version provides 30 images and would allow entire lessons to be introduced.

App Title: Science – Universe evolution 3D. Astronomy calendar of Solar system. Cosmic world of stars, planets and galaxies
Reviewer: Donny Tusler
Details: Online Science Classroom, LLC. Released 02 April 2013, vs 1.0. Requires iOS 4.3 or later. Compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. This app is optimized for iPhone 5.
Link: https://itunes.apple.com/ag/app/science-universe-evolution/id597334944?mt=8
Cost: Free
Review:
The application provides a unique way to view the creation and evolution of our known universe with a calendar and wonderful 3D graphic animations. Furthermore, a teacher could use this application to teach interdiciplinarily and have the students read the book the application was based on. Thus teaching the lessons along side the book, “The Dragons of Eden” by an American astrophysicist and science popularizer Carl Sagan, to enhance the story with the application and lessons.

App Title: A-Z Particle Physics
Reviewer: Donny Tusler
Details: Science Photo Library Ltd. Released: Sep 16, 2013, Version: 1.0
Requires iOS 5.0 or later. Compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. This app is optimized for iPhone 5.
Link: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/a-z-of-particle-physics/id699734844?mt=8
Cost: Free
Review: This application is design to work with “The Particles” Application for the iPad. This application is merely an interactive glossary. As a free application, It is a wonderful replacement to a book or reference manual on the subject. Furthermore, since it is meant to work with a well known and highly recommended application, “The Particles” it is likely a wonderful addition to an advance high school class or college level classroom.

App Title: LINE Tools
Reviewer: Donny Tusler
Details: NAVER Japan Corporation. Updated: Jul 08, 2013, Version: 1.2.0. Requires iOS 4.3 or later. Compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. This app is optimized for iPhone 5.
Link: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/line-tools/id580412648?mt=8
Cost: Free
Review:
This is technically a utility application. However, I find this to be the most useful application of all my choices. The developers have a wonderful collection of tools here that a teacher can use in lessons. A graduated ruler, compass, level, sound meter, stop watch and timer, magnifier, QR code reader and a unit converter all in one. Also, the protractor is the interesting. With a push of a button it becomes an augmented reality protractor that allows you to measure the degrees of an angel through your camera. Overlaying this tool on a math test, on a construction site, and maybe assess the accessibility of a building with one’s phone and showing immediate proof with a screen shot.  There are lots of possibilities with this utility pack.

I will first start with the Bransford article. This was an interdisciplinary article targeting learning from creative aspects such as neuroscience, anthropology, and a comparative understandings of the environmental influences. It effectively tackled the boundaries of Nurture versus Nature, the interactive roles they play, and gave substantial evidence with the example of language acquisition. The plasticity of “critical periods” is another example of the environment and genetics argument. I do wonder how aesthetic and emotional intensity plays on the formation of the neural networks during these hypothetical “critical periods?” Conversely, are these the triggers for the “critical periods?” This was not really explored in the Bransford  article. Furthermore, Matt Ridley discusses the genetic propensity related to language use in Genome, specifically in the use of grammatical structure. I am sorry I can’t site this, since I no longer have the book, nor the time to research it for this blog posting. But based on my understanding of the genetic propensity in the regulation of language, I ask, how can we use the example in the Bransford article universally towards learning? I must wonder, is language acquisition in the system of learning variables a significant factor to influence learning? Or just a variable in the standard and interpretations with which we assess learning?

The Brandsford article refers to the concept of children modeling and brings a relation to the mirroring neuron. I am a bit unclear as to his definition of modeling and reference to monkeys not mirroring behavior. Furthermore, the idea of perspective-taking felt a bit boot-strapped to modeling. I wonder if this is more of a cognitive process to understanding the behavior seen? Not so much, empathy, but a way of sorting what they do not understand and developing a kinesthetic association?

Next, the Brandsford article never examines the significance of pleasure in informal learning or weather the form of emotional association, being a pleasurable or stressful association, is active or inactive in nature. And on a tangent the tangent hypothesis has some major cultural bias and raises some question of culturally motivated behavior in the example of the african-american child.

Again, Brandsford article informed me about the concept of the Adaptive expert and the concept of benefiting from change. I have this believe that people resist change do the discomfort or lack of pleasure experienced and seek the minimum activity with maximum pleasure. Maybe this is a play on the efficiency versus innovation issue that was brought up.

Lots of ideas in the Brandsford article, but none seem well tied together and more of an exploration of interdisciplinary subjects that do connect with each other. Mapping out the connections in the article is a bit messy and seem to conflict with each other in various ways. The article really challenges my views, prior knowledge and the bias that I have developed from my prior knowledge.

The Sharples article had an interesting conclusion that I agree with, “ten years of research into mobile learning has revealed no single “killer application” for mobile technology in learning, but has offered promising scenarios […] ( p 246).” The unpredictability of the context of use and the idea of design needs from Naismith & Corlett mentioned in the article, inspired the thought of software on mobile devices used in unintended ways, for example, conversation on Instagram. A visual documentation blog, where people regularly initiate conversations about the photograph or between each other (p237).  This brings me to the initial conclusion statement. It is not the mobile device, application, or software that is important, but the creativity with which the users implement the learning with the mobile tool.

Now, in the final article of Understanding Mobile Learning from the Perspective of Self-regulated Learning, I wondered how metacognitive understanding of motivation was assessed? Also, volition was not mentioned in relation to motivation. There tends to be some form of fatigue that can be associated. Further more, the idea of SRL as described doesn’t seem possible. Because prior knowledge influences bias. I base this on a current book I have started, Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman. The book looks at the our judgment and decision making process and how they are shaped. Comparing the idea of “human beings are viewed as proactive, self-organizing, and self-regulating rather than reactive organisms soley either shaped by external environmental influences or reflexivity stimulated by genetic inner impulse (Bandura 2001; Martin 2004) (p 368)” to Kahneman’s ideas they are at odds. Human beings cannot escape environmental influences. There is a law of the universe in buddhist philosophy stating, “cause and effect” is always present. So basically, if there are multiple causes resulting in effects and being transformed by other causes and effects, there must always be an influence due to stimulus from the environment.  It is not escapable.  This article and the examples provided to me don’t allow me to reach the same conclusions or a systematic understanding of the framework provided. I would need further discussion to see the implications of the frameworks present here as influential in mobile learning.

Works read and Cite

• Bransford, J., Vye, N., Stevens, R., Kuhl, P., Schwartz, D., Bell, P., … Sabelli, N. (2006). Learning theories and education: Toward a decade of synergy. In P. A. Alexander & P. H. Winne (Eds.), Handbook of educational psychology (2nd ed., pp. 209–244). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Elerbaum Associates.
• Sharples, M., Arnedillo-Sanchez, I., Milrad, M., & Vavoula, G. (2009). Mobile learning: Small devices, big issues. In N. Balacheff, S. Ludvigsen, T. Jong, A. Lazonder, & S. Barnes (Eds.), Technology-enhanced learning (pp. 233-249). Dordrecht: Springer Netherlands. doi:10.1007/978-1-4020-9827-7
• Sha, L., Looi, C. K., Chen, W., & Zhang, B. H. (2012). Understanding mobile learning from the perspective of self‐regulated learning. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 28(4), 366-378.

The meem I designed shows the perception of a mobile devices in my life. My friends see my mobile posts, I explain to my parents I am studying mobile devices, lots of people see mobile devices as tools for games and not education and I would like to teach with mobile devices. But honestly, I think of using a mobile device to be productive, a.k.a. exercise, but it is a source of entertainment.

This should be better titled the Multiple Real Life Personas versus the Multiple Digital Personas. I am going to approach this from a unique personal perspective. I went to a potluck for gay men here in State College University. I was quite interested to meet a retired State College professor. He lived two lives, one that is heterosexual and another homosexual. He was married, had two children, and taught as a professor. The other, the homosexual persona, was hidden and actually went by a different name. In applying these ideas of identity and their roots, Gee never explored the issue of conflicting identity roles. We all maintain a façade, and that façade is often demanded as part of the participation in society. What do we think of a student who comes to class unprepared? What do we think of the Professor who comes to class unprepared? Better yet, how does the other feel when the other comes unprepared? With the “Institutional ID,” the person must be a student or a teacher or a researcher and with those roles come motives, agendas, and responsibilities. This leads to Discourse-Identities and how those D-I are managed. Furthermore, the Affinity-Identity, is a result of looking for acceptance or connection to others. This can be found online or in person. Often displays of brand names, belonging to groups, and other forms of labeling, whether done online or offline are like flags expressing what group one belongs to in hopes it will become a connection.

The unwavering identity, the Nature-Identity is another demanding role. Take my example of the elderly gay-man leading two lives. Gee’s various identities competed with each other. This competition is constantly in play and Gee’s described identities are interplaying, feeding off each other, influencing and competing based on the necessities of the individual and the society or culture that one participates in.

Now, Pea has collected data correlating various negative and positive feelings to the level of multimedia use. I just wonder, do the girls turn to the media use and outlets as a form of coping with real life abuse? This is touched upon by Turkle and the exploration of emotional development in those with more virtual connections versus real-life connections. But Pea doesn’t really look for affective factors, but claims more of an effect of media use. The argument of the chicken before the egg, maybe?

The problem is as read these perspectives, the arguments are sound. However, isolated to the individual context. The quantified study cannot reveal the roots or the causation of the negative feelings. Even Turkle’s ideas of online personas and exploring alternated identities do not reveal causation factors for one to seek those alternate identities.

I use the term Gee mentioned, but did not focus on, “Core identity.” Our various cultures, social, institutional systems, and families create expectations, but inconsistantly acceptance and respect. The gay man fears judgment and rejection in a society, institution and family.   In this day and age, he could create an online persona and even socialize online to meet others in real life. Media seems to be revealing to me the various issues our cultures, families and institutions. The virtual world is leaving and providing binary trails of what we are not getting from the real world.

Take for instance, the student or professor faking their preparedness for class. The student fakes it, in fear of retribution or judgement. The Professor does this to maintain a persona required of their I-Identity. The student and professor never have a chance to forgive or develop trust or understanding for each other, basically find an honest connection. Is ignoring this mature, immature, respecting another, disrespecting another. My example can be various and with no definitive answer. The answer is a cultural one.

My philosophical question of Sherry Turkle is, do you think people can be more honest with their feelings and thoughts online than in real life? Tumblr for instance has many people blogging various identies, A-I, I-I, N-I and engage in online D-Is. But when a person online says they feel alone, abandoned, sad or depressed, but cannot express it in the real world with people, what do we say? Is this person finding support online or turning to online support because they are finding a disconnect in the real world? This disconnect is possibly created by our cultures, institutions, the discourse they are forced to engage in, and even by nature. Society and people reinforcing those prejudice based on the institution, social circles and nature are causing a problem. Virtual connections, whether via a mobile device or computer are solutions people are seeking to manage the problem or escape them. I agree with Turkle’s observation that technology is increasing the option for validation (p.128).

However, Turkle pointing out that technology increases the options and technology should be managed or “put in its place” does not deal with the issues in society. Technology is bringing it out, documenting, and making the issues in our society more apparent. Turkle just has no idea how to attempt to solve issues in our society with technology. Technology will only advance and we as a society need to learn to manage how we use technology. People look for honest, true connections with others and technology is just another tool for them to use. But as long as people choose manipulate others with various façades then we never find honesty between people.

I give my own personal experience to show how technology can enhance communication in and amongst real life interaction. I had dinner, here in State College, with fellow Asian friends and I posted on FaceBook a picture of our meal. After we all disbanded after spending four hours, celebrating each others company over food, in typical Asian fashion, we all went home or used mobile devices to thank our host once again. Continuous gratitude is another Asian tradition.  This turned into long posts under the picture of the food. The use of digital stickers to visual express our gratification of the evening and food. We joked we were having a sticker war. A person who was part of the online conversation was next to me the entire time. We talked and laughed at the stickers as we were online with the others on our mobile devices. A form of hybrid online and real life communication was occurring. This desire to continue a discourse amongst friends is very positive and was enhanced by the technology even when we were next to each other.

We are bias with the conclusions we find with studies. They don’t probe towards causation factors. They just reveal things. Interpretation of the data may reveal the bias of the one that interprets the data through their lens. We must explore multiple perspectives. Technology is neither negative or positive, but just a tool. People are complex and not easily generalized.

Works Read:

Gee, J. P. (2000/2001). Identity as an analytic lens for research in education. Review of Research in Education, 25, 99-125.

Pea, R., Nass, C., Meheula, L., Rance, M., Kumar, A., Bamford, H., Nass, M., Simha, A., Stillerman, B., Yang, S., & Zhou, M. (2012). Media use, face-to-face communication, media multitasking, and social well-being among 8- to 12-year-old girls. Developmental psychology. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1037/a0027030.

Turkle, S. (2008). Always-on/always-on-you: The tethered self. In  J. E. Katz (Ed.), Handbook of mobile communication studies (pp. 121-137). Cambridge, MA: MIT Press. Retrieved from http://web.mit.edu/sturkle/www/pdfsforstwebpage/ST_Always%20On.pdf.