In my own use of mobile learning I found that the appeal is flexibility. I’m able to interact with the device and listen to podcasts or watch LinkedIn Learning videos from virtually anywhere whenever I want. I find it very easy to use mobile devices for these learning opportunities because I like the convenience and the tech, but more importantly I’m interested in technology for the sake of technology. 

The motivation to pick up the device and start the various apps is inherently there. But, what happens when it might be a concept I’m not interested in or I initially struggle with? Will I pick up my device and open the apps with the same excitement? I honestly don’t think so. The nature of the mobile device is that it’s mine and that creates the opportunity for informal learning. Learning something I may not be interested in, at least to me, has more of a formal learning feel to it. So then, how does one overcome this dilemma?

Throughout this course I’ve been reading about digital badging, social media interactions among mobile learners, and professional development. I’m interested in coming up with ways to leverage technologies learners are familiar with in order to help them build communities of learning. This familiarity, as in my own personal case, could make it easier to jump in feet first and learn about topics that may not be of interest (at first) to the learner. In “Exploring the Roles of Social Participation in Mobile Social Media Learning: A Social Network Analysis,” the authors describe how they found through their study that those members of a learning community who developed an “increased interpersonal relationship” helped them become “more central members of the learning community,” thus making them feel like they belong (Norman et al., 219). This sense of community in itself is a motivating factor that can help motivate others within the group. This freeform discussion within groups (Facebook groups is the platform used with in this study and what I intend to use within my project) helps build an environment where discussion is welcomed by all members ranging from novice to expert. In order to make an environment like this a success, the authors also suggest some form of moderation by the instructor within the group to keep the discussion on topic (Norman et al., 219). It’s also worth noting that learners within this group who start out as the center of the community (i.e., the most engaged) can become disengaged if they are challenged by the material (Norman et al., 210). Within my project, this point is also valid in that it’s important to remember that everyone has something to offer the larger group and should be monitored just like those who are noted as being engaged early on.

The second article, “Bridging the app gap: An examination of a professional development initiative on mobile learning in urban schools,” focuses on training teachers to integrate mobile apps into their curriculum. The focus is a little different than my project, but the themes and ideas throughout this study match the goal of my project. One of the themes of this paper discusses making the teachers feel more comfortable with mobile apps and offering hands-on demonstrations and other actives to help them deeply understand how these apps fit into their curriculum. This deep understanding helps them, at least those teachers who went on to use the apps in the classroom, explain their use to the learners and help them experience the apps to their fullest ability. Just like the teachers in this paper, we need our team in College of Health and Human Development to understand the ins and outs of the apps and communication processes. They may not directly teach others how to use the apps or describe the best practices we talk about in the training, but they will be there to offer guidance to newcomers to the group, setting up a community of learning that will build over time.

Finally, I wanted to get a better sense of the fundamentals of creating digital badges. It’s one thing to say “here’s a digital badge for xzy work,” but what does that really mean? In “Designing Digital Badging Programs: Findings from an Interview-Based Study with Instructional Designers” the author looked at how instructional designers created badging platforms. Within my project I’m not designing an entire badging system, but thinking about how individual badges might be added to a current badging system. The competencies required for each badge may seem appropriate now, but student feedback would be important to ensure the badges are not too easy to receive nor too difficult (Rosenberger 480). Within this article, one of the more interesting parts dealt with communication of the badges. Rosenberger notes on page 481 that a study participant noted that designers should focus on “why you want it, how to get it, and what you do afterwards.” Learners will more likely be interested in participation in the digital badges if it’s clear to them what it means. If it’s clear to them that these badges act as milestones or symbolize goals being met, they may increase motivation to complete the course. Within my project, the digital badging approach is becoming more important the more I read about it. Based on everything I’ve read to date, it seems that digital badges can certainly help those in the workplace with professional development.

Mouza, C., & Barrett-Greenly, T. (2015). Bridging the app gap: An examination of a professional development initiative on mobile learning in urban schools. Computers & Education, 88, 1–14.

Norman, H., Nordin, N., Din, R., Ally, M., & Dogan, H. (2015). Exploring the roles of social participation in mobile social media learning: A social network analysis. International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning, 16(4)

Rosenberger, K. (2018). Designing digital badging programs: Findings from an interview-based study with instructional designers. Techtrends, , 1-8. doi:10.1007/s11528-018-0349-7