Mobile technologies
and learning
A technology update
and m-learning project summary
Jill Attewell
Technology Enhanced Learning Research Centre
Our m-learning project partners
Mobile technologies
and learning
A technology update
and m-learning project summary
Jill Attewell
Technology Enhanced Learning Research Centre
Our m-learning project partners
Published by the Learning and Skills Development Agency
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Further information
For further information about the issues discussed in this publication
please contact:
Jill Attewell
Manager, Technology Enhanced Learning Research Centre
Learning and Skills Development Agency.
Tel +44 (0) 20 7297 9100
jattewell@LSDA.org.uk
The m-learning project and this publication were supported
by the Learning and Skills Council as part of a grant to the
Learning and Skills Development Agency for a programme
of research and development. The m-learning project was
supported by the European Commission Information Society
and Media Directorate-General (IST 2000-25270).
Contents
Preface
Section 1 Introduction 1
Section 2 Mobile phone technology update 2
2.1 Mobile phones 2
2.2 Infrastructure 4
2.3 Viruses 4
2.4 Health and safety 5
Section 3 The m-learning project 6
3.1 m-learning project platforms and systems 6
3.2 m-learning project materials 8
3.3 Learner research and systems trials 10
3.4 Key findings 12
Section 4 Lessons learned 16
4.1 Handsets and infrastructure 16
4.2 Learning materials and systems development 16
4.3 Mentor training and support 17
Section 5 The MLEARN international conferences 18
References 19
Preface
In 2001, when the m-learning project commenced, few people
knew about the concept of mobile learning or, indeed, could envisage
the potential of mobile devices for learning.
The m-learning project – funded by the European Commission,
the project partners and (in England) the Learning and Skills Council –
was considered highly innovative and unusual. It not only involved
developing learning materials to run on handheld devices in a time
of rapid technological development, but also targeted reluctant
young adult learners with poor literacy or numeracy.
I am delighted that the Learning and Skills Council has been closely
involved with this research and development project, and I am
even more delighted at the many innovative and exciting ways
that have been identified through the project for making learning
more accessible and appropriate for all learners.
Key findings from the learner research and systems trials phase
of the project are included in this publication. These findings indicate
that mobile devices can be used successfully to involve some of
the hardest to reach and most disadvantaged young adults in learning.
As a result, and especially as part of a blended learning strategy,
mobile learning has the potential to help these young people to
improve both their skills and their self-confidence and, therefore,
their life chances.
Jon Gamble
Director of Adult Learning
Learning and Skills Council
Section 1 Introduction
The aims of this publication are to:
p provide an update on the development of mobile phone technologies
with the potential for supporting and/or delivering some elements
of teaching and learning processes
p report briefly on the work and key findings of the m-learning
research and development project, which completed 3 years of work
in September 2004. Full details of the project findings can be found in
a separate research report. This report and further information about
the project is available via the LSDA (www.LSDA.org.uk) and m-learning
(www.m-learning.org) websites.
The m-learning project was funded by the European Commission’s
Information Society Technologies (IST) initiative with matched funding
from the project partners and, in the UK, the Learning and Skills Council.
There are five project partners: two university-based research units
(Ultralab at Anglia Polytechnic University in the UK and Centro di Ricerca
in Matematica Pura ed Applicata (CRMPA) at the University of Salerno
in Italy), two commercial companies (Cambridge Training and
Development Limited (CTAD) in the UK and Lecando in Sweden)
and the Learning and Skills Development Agency (LSDA) in the UK.
1
Section 2 Mobile phone technology update
2.1 Mobile phones
There are estimated to be 1.5 billion mobile phones in the world today
(Prensky, 2004). This is more than three times the number of
personal computers (PCs), and today’s most sophisticated phones
have the processing power of a mid-1990s PC.
These facts, and the range of computer-like functionality offered by
top-of-the-range devices, are leading some observers to speculate that
many people in the not so distant future will start to see the mobile phone
as an alternative to a PC. For example Jeff Hawkins, inventor of the
Palm Pilot, was recently quoted (Stone 2004) as saying, ‘One day, 2 or
3 billion people will have cell phones, and they are not all going to have
PCs … The mobile phone will become their digital life’. Sean Maloney,
an executive vice-president at Intel (also interviewed by Stone) disagrees,
on the grounds that, ‘Hundreds of millions of people are not going to
replace the full screen, mouse and keyboard experience with staring at
a little screen’. Clearly, neither view is likely to be completely objective,
but the fact that the debate is happening is an indication of how powerful
and sophisticated mobile devices are becoming.
In the m-learning project we chose to provide learners taking part in our
learner research and learning materials and systems trials with the most
sophisticated devices available at the time in an attempt to ensure that our
findings do not become out of date too quickly. We tried to focus on the
types of devices that will be owned by, or reasonably easily accessible to,
our target audience (16–24 year olds not in full-time education or training)
within 2 or 3 years of the end of the project. We are aware that the
hybrid mobile phone/personal digital assistant (or PDA) devices we used
(sometimes known as ‘smartphones’) currently make up only a relatively
small percentage of mobile phone sales. However, sales are growing and
the potential market for ‘smartphones’ is thought to be much bigger than
the handheld computers market; indeed, ‘smartphones’ overtook sales of
PDAs in 2003. Market research from Gartner, Canalys and others (quoted
by van Grinsven 2004) indicates that ‘in four to five years, global sales
of “smartphones” will reach 170 million, compared with slightly more
than 20 million this year’. Also, the very rapid and widespread adoption
of camera phones suggests that our target audience is willing to invest in
more expensive devices if they are attractive enough and offer significant
actual or perceived benefits. Sales of camera phones exceeded those
of digital cameras for the first time in 2003, when camera phone sales
increased almost fivefold from 2002, resulting in 84m unit sales.
The modern mobile phone market caters for a wide variety of customer
tastes and lifestyles. Some phones are tiny and discreet, some are chosen
for their appearance (like a fashion accessory, with alternative covers that
allow that appearance to be changed to match the owner’s outfit), some
just offer basic functionality while some others provide a wide range of
business and leisure services to their users. Manufacturers are marketing
diverse product ranges, including devices that specialise in providing
particular services or are aimed at particular users. Instead of describing
a product as a mobile phone, manufacturers often use descriptions
like ‘game deck’, ‘communicator’ or ‘mobile multimedia machine’.
2 Mobile technologies and learning
Most new phones now include some games, and
all but the cheapest models offer downloading of
additional games. There are large numbers of games
available that can be purchased and downloaded
for a few euro each. An increasing number of
mobile phone models are being marketed as games
phones. The ultimate example of this is the Nokia
N-Gage QD game deck, which is primarily a portable
games machine but can also be used as a phone.
Gamers are able to play together as well as
individually thanks to Bluetooth (a short-range
radio technology which allows electronic devices
to exchange information) and access to an online
player community service called the N-Gage Arena.
Some devices are aimed at business users and
are marketed primarily as business communications
devices. To aid e-mail communication they include
a physical qwerty keyboard and a large screen.
Examples are the BlackBerry and the Nokia 6810
and 6820 messaging devices.
Other combined business and leisure PDA/phone
hybrid machines and ‘smartphones’ include a
virtual pop-up qwerty keyboard and handwriting
recognition. They also include some or all of the
following: still, and in some cases, a video camera,
music player, radio, voice memo recording, games,
e-mail, internet, and organiser functions. Examples
are the O2 X3 and the Sony Ericsson P900.
Third generation (3G) handsets allow users of
3G services to view video content including music
videos and football game highlights. With several
new 3G services being launched in time for
Christmas 2004, the 3G phones are expected to
become more popular. However, it seems that the
next big thing in mobile phones may be television.
TV phones have recently been launched in some
gadget-loving countries (eg South Korea and Japan).
These are capable of receiving satellite TV channels
and some phones have a plug-in device that allows
playing of pre-recorded terrestrial broadcasts.
Mobile phone technology update 3
Top to bottom
Nokia N-Gage QD
BlackBerry
Nokia 7600
Sony Ericsson P900
2.2 Infrastructure
Sales of advanced handsets such as those described above and the
development of value-added non-voice services are growing. Mobile
network operators around the world are hoping to emulate the success
of operators in Japan and South Korea. Many network operators are
launching third generation (3G) networks in 2004 and 2005, and these
promise fast, broad bandwidth connections, enhanced multimedia and
advanced services such as video conferencing. However, most observers
believe that full availability and mass adoption of 3G services will take
a few more years.
Many companies are still experimenting with ways of making money
from mobile data using the current GSM or 2G networks and the so-called
2.5G networks (2.5G is 2G with faster and more efficient data transmission
resulting from transmitting messages in labelled ‘packets’, thus allowing
many users to share a single connection).
2.5G networks are enabling subscribers to access a wide selection of
new non-voice services and operators hope that consumer familiarity
built now will lead to 3G mass adoption later. Meanwhile, the performance
of 2.5G networks will be improved by the new EDGE technology. EDGE
(Enhanced Data Rates for GSM Evolution) is a technology that increases
capacity, improves quality and allows use of advanced services over the
existing GSM network. EDGE is an upgrade of the GPRS (General Packet
Radio Services) system for data transfer in GSM networks. The Norwegian
telecommunications company Telnor claim (Johnsen 2004) that the EDGE
data transfer rate is substantially faster than possible speeds using
GPRS technology and can reach between 100 and 200 kbit/s under
perfect circumstances. EDGE implementation does, however, require
upgrades to both base stations and mobile phones.
2.3 Viruses
A computer virus, believed to be the first spread by mobile phones, has
recently been sent to anti-virus firms. No infections have been reported,
and this virus is harmless, but it is proof that mobile phones could be
at risk from virus writers. The virus, known as Cabir, infects phones and
devices running the Symbian operating system and can be passed to
other devices via Bluetooth. Requiring Bluetooth to travel significantly
restricts the threat posed by the worm as it is thereby constrained to
a radius of about 30 metres. Also, transfer is dependent upon a nearby
phone user having Bluetooth turned on and accepting the virus in spite
of it being preceded by a warning that the source of the file is unknown.
For now, the Windows operating system is still the primary target for
virus writers and they do not seem very interested in mobile devices.
Indeed, the first virus for a Palm device was detected in 2000 and
it has not, to date, resulted in a problem for PDA owners.
4 Mobile technologies and learning
2.4 Health and safety
The Independent Expert Group on Mobile Phones (IEGMP) in the Stewart
Report (Stewart 2000) recommended further research be carried out into
possible effects of mobile phone use on health. The National Radiation
Protection Board’s (NRPB) independent Advisory Group on Non-Ionising
Radiation (AGNIR: Chairman, Professor Anthony Swerdlow) subsequently
examined recent (ie post-Stewart) experimental and epidemiological
evidence for adverse health effects caused by exposure to radiofrequency
(RF) transmissions, including those associated with mobile telephone
handsets and base stations.
AGNIR has concluded (AGNIR 2003) that there is no biological evidence
for mutation or tumour causation by RF exposure, and epidemiological
studies overall do not support causal associations between exposures
to RF and the risk of cancer, in particular from mobile phone use. AGNIR
found a number of studies that suggested possible effects on brain function
at RF exposure levels comparable with those from mobile phone handset
use. However, AGNIR regarded the overall evidence as inconclusive.
AGNIR did not state that mobile phones have been proven to be
entirely risk free. It identified the limitations of the published research
and concluded that: ‘In aggregate the research published since the
Stewart report (Stewart, 2000) does not give cause for concern.
The weight of evidence now available does not suggest that there are
adverse health effects from exposures to RF fields below guideline levels,
but the published research on RF exposures and health has limitations,
and mobile phones have only been in widespread use for a relatively
short time. The possibility therefore remains open that there could
be health effects from exposure to RF fields below guideline levels;
hence continued research is needed.’ For more information see
www.nrpb.org/advisory_groups/agnir/index.htm.
The NRPB have published a further report (NRPB, 2004) and a literature
review (Sienkiewicz and Kowalczuk, 2004) which brings together the
findings of 26 reports on mobile phones and health prepared by other
national and medical bodies including an Expert Panel of the Royal Society
of Canada (Royal Society of Canada 1999), the Department of Health
in France (Zmirou et al. 2001) and the Health Council of the Netherlands
(NCN, 2002) as well as the British Medical Association’s (BMA) interim
report (BMA 2001). NRPB found that the conclusions of these studies
are very similar to those of the Stewart and AGNIR reports in relation to
possible health effects from exposure to RF from both mobile phones
and base stations. The Health Council of the Netherlands (HCN) differed
a little from the others in that this was the only report that did not consider
it necessary to recommend a precautionary approach of limiting mobile
telephone use by children. HCN concluded that ‘there is no reason to
recommend that children should restrict the use of mobile telephones as
much as possible’. In contrast the original Stewart Report (Stewart, 2000)
stated that ‘if there are currently unrecognised adverse health effects
from the use of mobile phones, children may be more vulnerable,’ and
recommended that ‘the widespread use of mobile phones by children
for non-essential calls should be discouraged.’
Mobile phone technology update 5
Section 3 The m-learning project
3.1 m-learning project platforms and systems
Platforms
A Technology Selection Roadmap, describing available and in-the-pipeline
technologies and our assessment of their potential relevance and utility,
was developed early in the project and was updated to take into account
new technologies as they emerged and to reflect our experiences.
The process of drawing up the roadmap assisted decision-making
about which hardware and software to use. When internet browsers
became available on some devices we decided that these should form
a major strand of our technology platform strategy. We believed that the
delivery of learning materials within a browser would give us a great deal
of platform independence, enabling our materials to be easily ported
between different existing and predicted devices.
In practice, we found that, because of the immature nature of standards
development and implementation in the mobile phone/PDA arena,
browser delivery has resulted in much less platform independence
than anticipated. As a result, additional development work had to be
dedicated to ensuring that learning materials designed for one phone or
PDA worked on others. Also, rather than developing one generic version
of learning materials that can be used on all platforms, we developed
some materials, or versions of materials, specifically to take advantage
of the strengths of particular platform types.
In phase 2 of the project (2003–04) we focused primarily on two
platform types:
p hybrid PDA/phone devices running the Pocket PC operating system
p hybrid phone/PDA devices running the Symbian operating system.
The PDA/phone hybrids are typically a corporate rather than personal
device and are increasingly being employed for business communication,
data access and mobile training. They are also the kind of device that
companies and institutions have started to purchase as a more convenient,
though less powerful, alternative to a laptop computer. The Symbian
phone/PDAs, although currently rather expensive for many mobile phone
owners, are perceived as a phone rather than a PDA and therefore are
more immediately attractive to the project’s target age group. We know
from a survey we carried out in phase 1 of our project that our target age
group tend to consider PDAs to be business machines and not relevant
to themselves (results from a survey conducted with 746 young people
in seven UK cities and towns).
We have also developed some learning materials for Java-enabled
mobile phones (most phones launched in the last couple of years
support Java) and some SMS (text messaging) materials that can be
used on any mobile phone.
6 Mobile technologies and learning
Systems
Learner access to m-learning project systems and materials was via
a microportal (mPortal), which consists of a series of mini web pages
with navigation pointing to:
p learning materials
p mini web Page Builder tools
p a collaborative activities tool (the mediaBoard)
p peer-to-peer communication services
(messages, chat, discussion and blogs)
p the learning management system
p simple help guides for the system
p links to places on the Web that may be helpful or interesting for our
target audience (eg alcohol, drugs and sexual health advice services,
job hunting and online learning services and dictionaries).
The mPortal also manages the ‘behind the scenes’ integration and security.
The Page Builder tools within the mPortal allow learners to create and
edit their own mini web pages for viewing on mobile devices (and also
accessible from a desktop computer) in a password-protected environment.
The pages learners create can contain a number of different elements
including text, pictures, movies, animations, audio, blogs (a short version
of the term ‘web log’, meaning a publicly accessible web-based journal),
conversations and links to any web pages chosen by the learner.
The learning management system – Intelligent Web Tutor (IWT) –
includes a repository for online learning materials and learner tracking
functionality. IWT includes access to an intelligent tutor system – Learner
Intelligent Agent (LIA) – that selects modules for learners based on their
preferences and progress to date, and a Knowledge Representation Tool
(KRT), which allows tutors to create/import/export courses and modules.
The m-learning project 7
3.2 m-learning project materials
Demonstrations of some of the learning materials developed are available
on the m-learning project website at www.m-learning.org. These can be
viewed on a PC or on mobile devices. Learners can access materials online
via the mPortal/learning management system/intelligent tutor or use
offline learning materials downloaded to the PDA/phones. We decided
to offer both online and offline access in order to provide a better user
experience (ie one in which minimal inconvenience and interruption is
caused by disruption to, or reduced quality of, signal while learners are on
the move or in remote locations). Work-in-progress learning materials have
been demonstrated at many events during the project and small groups
of learners have tested materials and provided feedback. Feedback from
sessions in phase 2 of the project has been extremely positive and
suggestions have been made for different kinds of materials that would
also be useful. For example, materials for learners at UK Adult Literacy/
Numeracy Curriculum Entry levels 1 and 2 were suggested, as most
of the materials developed by the project are designed for Entry level 3
and UK Adult Literacy/Numeracy Curriculum level 1 learners (ie those
who have basic literacy and numeracy but need assistance to develop
more comprehensive and sophisticated skills).
As reported above, the immature nature of standards development and
implementation has meant that development of one generic version to run
on all platforms is not currently possible. Therefore, we have developed
some materials, or versions of materials, specifically for particular platforms,
resulting in the categories of learning materials listed below.
Learning materials for hybrid PDA/mobile phone devices
running the Microsoft Pocket PC operating system
We decided to use the XDA II as our Pocket PC handset because of
its updated operating system, improved web browser and support for
Flash 6. The learner’s visual and audio experience, when using downloaded
materials, is similar to accessing web-based learning materials via a PC
although, of course, on a smaller screen.
Learning materials for the Sony Ericsson P800/P900 hybrid
mobile phone/PDA
We selected the P800 as our Symbian handset and soon afterwards an
upgraded version of this handset, the P900, was released. Unfortunately,
none of the Symbian phones available support Flash 6 and therefore most
of the learning materials that we developed for the Pocket PC PDA/phone
devices will not work on these phones. Also, when using the standard
web browser, supplied learning materials cannot be cached on the phone
and therefore have to be used online only. An alternative web browser,
Opera, can be installed on these phones and may solve this problem.
8 Mobile technologies and learning
Mobile phone J2ME quiz games
Java 2 Platform, Micro Edition (J2ME) allows programmers to use the Java
programming language and related tools to develop applications for mobile
wireless information devices such as mobile phones and PDAs. Currently,
most new phones support Java, and an increasingly large number of games
are being developed using J2ME and marketed to mobile users.
For our learner research and systems trials we pre-loaded these quiz games
onto the phones the learners used. They have also been made available
for downloading to any other Java-enabled phones via a WAP server.
The J2ME driving theory test game was very popular with learners who
took part in our learner research and systems trials, many of whom were
learning to drive or hoping to do so soon. Several of the other materials
developed for the ‘smartphones’ also use driving as a theme for developing
numeracy (eg stopping distance calculations).
Collaborative learning activities that use camera phones
(including the P800/P900)
The mediaBoard is an activity tool developed to facilitate collaborative
approaches to mobile learning. Multimedia messaging (MMS) is used to
add visual and audio material to a web-based multimedia map or picture.
Collaborating organisations have been experimenting with the mediaBoard
and inventing a variety of activities that it can support. Some mentors
have been very enthusiastic about the mediaBoard’s potential and groups
of learners have enjoyed trying it. Learners can also take part in mediaBoard
activities using their own basic phones and separate cameras, with the
pictures being transferred to the website later from a PC. In practice,
development of the mediaBoard was more difficult and time consuming
than originally anticipated, particularly because of significant differences
in MMS handling between service providers.
Mobile phone text messaging quizzes
We have developed an SMS quiz engine that includes an online editing
tool. We have also developed five sets of materials that match the themes
used for other learning materials and complement the use of these.
The approach consists of circulating a leaflet with reference information
on one side and a five-question quiz on the other. Learners text in their
answers and are sent a reply. This approach allows learners with the least
sophisticated mobile phones to take part in some mobile learning and
can be a useful and entertaining addition to any kind of classroom lesson
or e-learning.
Mobile phone SMS mini language course
In collaboration with Albatros, an organisation from south Italy working
for the social integration of foreign and dialect-speaking people, our Italian
partners CRMPA have designed an SMS-based basic Italian language course
that can be delivered to learners’ own low specification mobile phones.
The course structure includes 100 concepts and for each concept textual
and test dialogues have been created. The learner can send the answer
by simply replying to the SMS message with a further message. The
system tracks the answers received from learners, verifies the results
and sends them a new SMS containing test results and suggestions
for improvement.
The m-learning project 9
3.3 Learner research and systems trials
Equipment
The project purchased 90 mobile devices to be lent to learners (plus a
few more devices for development and support work) via the collaborating
organisations in all three of the partner countries. The devices acquired
included 50 O2 XDA IIs, 20 Sony Ericsson P800s and 20 Sony Ericsson
P900s. Set up, maintenance, delivery and collection and first-line support
of the devices was provided by the LSDA with all partners and O2 providing
second-line support and advice.
Research in Italy
The first phase of the Italian learner research and system trials involved
20 learners, aged 17–19 years, studying at the collaborating organisation
Amendola High School. Mentors and learners participated with enthusiasm
and many activities were organised to use the mPortal and mediaBoard.
For the second phase in Italy the collaborating organisation Albatros
used the SMS and voice basic Italian courses that they helped to create
with 33 learners. For the voice courses the potential of VoiceXML was
investigated but IVR (Interactive Voice Response) was used instead as
this allowed learners to interact with the learning management system.
Learners in this phase used their own mobile phones as well as the
more sophisticated devices provided by the project.
Research in Sweden
In Sweden, pupils learning English in a City of Stockholm school
took part in the learner research and systems trials. Training materials
and data collection instruments were translated into Swedish but
the learners used the same learning materials as learners in the UK.
Research in the UK
Eleven UK collaborating organisations (COs) have taken part in
the research/trials activities.
An induction workshop for the UK COs was held with the objectives of:
p introducing the COs to the project team
p ensuring they understood and were committed to the aims
and objectives of the project
p discussing roles and responsibilities, processes and procedures,
research methods and instruments, equipment, possible problems
and support arrangements.
A series of training workshops for the COs’ mentors followed and a
Mentors’ Manual was developed. This contained information about the
project, the learning materials and systems and how to access and use
them, advice and guidance, user IDs and passwords, URLs and support
contact details. It also contained pre- and post-activity questionnaires,
interview scripts and information about how learners could provide
feedback directly to the project team. English, Italian and Swedish
versions of the manual were produced.
10 Mobile technologies and learning
The mentors were responsible for ensuring that the learners understood
the purpose of the research and were happy to take part in research
activities. Mentors were also responsible for cascading aspects of the
training to the learners as necessary. Very simple introductory guides
to the mobile devices were developed for mentors and for learners who
might be unfamiliar with the latest technology. These were provided in
paper format in the Mentors’ Manual and videos with voice-overs were
made available via the m-learning project website.
The COs took part for varying lengths of time, between 3 and 7 weeks
and involved groups of, typically, 10 or 20 learners at a time. In some
cases intensive activities took place for a short period while in other cases
learners undertook mobile learning only on certain days of the week over a
longer period. Usually, the learners were allowed to take the devices home
with them to use whenever and wherever they pleased.
Research instruments developed and used were:
p pre-research individual CO project plans and post-research
review questionnaires
p pre- and post-research mentors’ questionnaires
p pre- and post-mobile learning mentor assessments of their learners’
abilities and attitudes
p scripts for mentor interviews with learners before and after activities
(the method of interviewing by a known and trusted person was chosen
rather than interview by project team members, or questionnaires, as the
young people involved had poor literacy and/or numeracy skills and were,
in some cases, quite vulnerable and suspicious of unfamiliar adults)
p learner feedback directly to the project team via a project mediaBoard
(text messages and/or pictures) and/or by sending messages in
the mPortal.
In addition to the use of these data collection instruments, some mentors
were interviewed face to face and/or by telephone to collect additional
unstructured or semi-structured qualitative data.
The data and the respondents in the UK, Italy and Sweden
Complete sets of data were received from a total of 128 learners
(a further 33 sets of data were received from the trials of the SMS-based
Italian language course and analysed separately). Three COs did not
return full sets of data in time to be included in the results, but verbal
and written feedback supplied by mentors and key contacts at these
organisations have been incorporated into some of the general lessons
arising from the findings.
The m-learning project 11
The learners for whom full sets of data were received had the
following characteristics:
p 51% of all respondents were female
p 49% came from educational organisations (eg further education colleges
and local authority education services)
p 55% were under 19 years of age and 45% were aged 20 or above
(based on 100 respondents for whom age data was provided)
p at least 89% were reported to have literacy or numeracy needs
(mentors did not always provide information on this)
p at least 19 learners were at risk of dropping out of education
and 59 already had
p 32 were homeless, 19 were modern apprentices, 9 were travellers
(defined as: people having a nomadic lifestyle for all or part of the year)
and 3 had been young offenders
p at least 80% of learners were unemployed.
3.4 Key findings
Key statistics
3The learners were mostly enthusiastic about mobile learning and
62% reported that they felt more keen to take part in future learning
after trying mobile learning. Of this 62% some expressed a
future preference for learning:
p with laptops (91%)
p on a PC (82%)
p using mobile devices (80%)
p with friends/people of their own age (76%)
p at college (54%).
3Just under a third of respondents (29%) were assessed by their mentors
as having developed a more positive attitude towards reading after
taking part in the research.
382% of respondents felt the mobile learning games could help them
to improve their reading or spelling, and 78% felt these could help them
improve their maths.
3Of the learners who reported using the collaborative mobile learning tools,
88% enjoyed using the mediaBoard and felt that it could help people
to learn and 74% felt the mPortal Page Builder had potential as a
tool to help learners communicate.
Analysis of the evidence collected during our research suggests that
mobile learning can make a useful contribution to attracting young people
to learning, maintaining their interest and supporting their learning
and development.
12 Mobile technologies and learning
Key observations
Mobile learning is unique in that it allows truly anywhere, anytime,
personalised learning. It can also be used to enrich, enliven or add variety
to conventional lessons or courses. Analysis of the evidence collected
during our research suggests that the use of mobile learning may have
a positive contribution to make in the following areas:
3Mobile learning helps learners to improve their literacy
and numeracy skills and to recognise their existing abilities
Although the learners were involved in mobile learning for fairly short
periods of time, some mentors reported perceived improvements in their
learners’ reading, writing and maths skills. Most improvements were
noted amongst those learners initially described as being ‘less able’ or
having ‘very limited ability’. Some of these improvements seem to have
been due to mentors, and learners themselves, not recognising existing
abilities. One mentor reported that a learner ‘perceived reading to be a
book based activity but he was able to read texts and information regarding
the device very well … perhaps his biggest barrier to reading is his
self-evaluation of his reading ability, and negative educational experience!’
3Mobile learning can be used to encourage both independent
and collaborative learning experiences
Many learners taking part enjoyed the opportunity to use the mobile
devices to learn independently of a group setting for a variety of reasons.
For example one mentor who worked with learners experiencing housing
related difficulties noted ‘he preferred to work independently, as he felt
under no pressure, and could do it all in the evenings’ and another ‘they
have said it has been great being able to use materials in private. When
they come into the centre it can be embarrassing because everyone can see
what they are doing on the computer’. Others welcomed the opportunity
to work collaboratively. For example a learner stated ‘it is good learning
and helping other people’ and ‘[it is] probably better to work together
with new technologies, someone to ask. It also puts some pressure
on you to achieve something’.
3Mobile learning helps learners to identify areas where they need
assistance and support
A mentor involved in the project has been working with a homeless
young adult who regularly truanted while at school and subsequently
left without any qualifications. The mentor reported that as a result of
participation in the m-learning project her client has not only developed
a greater confidence in his current reading and writing abilities but has
also been inspired to seek help to improve his mathematical skills from
the local Adult Basic Education Centre. When reporting the young adult’s
post-trial attitude to learning the mentor noted that ‘now he knows this
is something that he really needs to work on and is now ready to do so’.
3Mobile learning helps to combat resistance to the use of ICT
and can help bridge the gap between mobile phone literacy and
ICT literacy
A mentor working with a group of displaced young adults studying ESOL
(English for Speakers of Other Languages) reported that, post-participation,
a number of learners within the group who had previously avoided using
PCs actively sought them out to work on tasks such as writing letters.
In fact, for some learners, their computer skills and confidence in those
skills were enhanced to such an extent that they felt able to offer support
and assistance to their peers.
The m-learning project 13
3Mobile learning helps to remove some of the formality from
the learning experience and engages reluctant learners
The ESOL mentor felt that this aspect of traditional learning can often
be the most frightening for those who have not previously engaged
with learning. He suggested that, as most of the learners in his group
were familiar with games machines such as PlayStations or GameBoys,
they were quick to respond to using the project’s mobile devices and
likened the XDA II to a ‘turboed Game Boy’. This familiarity with apparently
similar technology helped to engage the learners within the class and
maintained their interest levels.
3Mobile learning helps learners to remain more focused for
longer periods
A mentor told our researcher: ‘The group were observed to be
remarkably focused and calm during the session when given the devices
in contrast to their normal behaviour in the sessions. They were far
more focused and gave up to two hours of time to the devices when
it is normally difficult to focus them for 15 minutes.’
It is possible that this effect was due to the novelty of using mobile devices
and whether this is the case or not will become clearer over time.
3Mobile learning helps to raise self-esteem
Loaning equipment to young adults to use in their personal environments
has resulted in other benefits not directly related to the learning experience.
In particular, there have been reports that some of the learners were
surprised and proud to be trusted with such expensive and sophisticated
technology. For example, one project mentor noted: ‘He took really good
care of it. He pointed out that because of his background no one else
would have ever trusted him with a mobile. This has meant more to him
than the actual device itself as he feels respected.’ It would seem that the
mobile devices are prized highly by the young adults who have taken part.
Allowing them personal responsibility for the care of the devices enables
them to feel trusted and seems to help to build up their self-esteem.
Another boost to some learners’ self-esteem came when they realised
that as experienced users of mobile phones they possessed useful skills
which others perceived as important. Some of these learners became
ad-hoc mentors to their peers and gained further self-esteem as a result.
3Mobile learning helps to raise self-confidence
Many mentors observed changes in their learners’ level of general
self-confidence. This was not specifically linked to the development of
their confidence in using ICT or their confidence in the areas of numeracy
and literacy, but linked to self-esteem as discussed above. For example,
a mentor supporting traveller education stated ‘low self-esteem and
lack of self confidence [was] much improved when working with others,
willing to take risks and try things out. Much gained by discussion with
others’. Another mentor reported that a learner who used the driving
theory test learning materials ‘had not tried it before but by the time
he had finished using it he was passing every time. This has given him
the confidence to go and learn to drive, as he may not have tried before
at the thought of the theory test’.
14 Mobile technologies and learning
A matter of trust
When we first discussed with COs lending the mobile devices to
the learners (and allowing them to take these away from a classroom
or centre) some expressed concerns that:
p devices would be damaged or stolen
p there would be excessive use of the phones for personal calls,
including premium rate numbers not connected to the project
p learners might be mugged
p some learners might use the devices inappropriately.
On the other hand, the project team were concerned that too much
control of the devices, and their use, would detract from mobility
and restrict use by the learners.
Based on some encouraging evidence from previous projects
where laptop computers were lent to disadvantaged young people,
the project team felt that we, via the mentors, should:
p explain carefully to the learners their responsibilities regarding
the devices and their use
p ask them to sign a statement that they understand this
(in Mentors’ Manual)
p trust them to behave well but monitor their use and set maximum limits
for calls etc beyond which phones would be blocked and could only
be unblocked via the LSDA helpdesk.
We also felt that we should make it clear to the COs that the project
would not expect them to reimburse us for lost or damaged equipment
or excess call charges.
Experience suggests that this was the right approach. We have had
some loss and damage but, in the context of our learners (including some
very disaffected young people) and the locations in which the devices
were used, we believe this was kept at an acceptable level. We lent
devices to 216 young people and six XDAs were stolen (representing
less than 3%). A further two devices (less than 1%) were damaged.
There was some excessive use for non-project activities and when
this occurred we temporarily blocked phones and issued warnings
that resulted in improved behaviour.
There has only been one reported case of inappropriate use of a device
to access a pornographic website. Unfortunately, we were not able to
find a way to prevent such access during our learner research and
system trials. O2 was not able to provide a block and we could not
find a ‘net nanny’-type tool from any other source. However, the tools
necessary to restrict website access have recently become available
and these will be very important for future projects, particularly projects
involving learners under the age of 18.
The m-learning project 15
Section 4 Lessons learned
In addition to the findings of the learner research and system trials we
have learned much during the project. This section summarises a few of
these lessons in the areas of handsets and infrastructure, learning materials
and systems development, and mentor training and support.
4.1 Handsets and infrastructure
Mobile phones and PDAs are no longer just for chatting and organising
contacts and diaries, they are now pocket-sized computers and as such
have the ability to deliver learning objects and provide access to online
systems and services. However, network infrastructure has not quite
kept up with handset development, users’ expectations or industry hype.
As a result, bandwidth is not yet good enough for substantial online learning
and coverage and signal problems are still barriers in many areas and
when travelling. Therefore, a mixture of online learning and learning using
materials downloaded onto handheld devices for use offline is necessary.
4.2 Learning materials and systems development
Although delivering materials in a browser helps, it does not offer full
platform independence and there are still standards issues. We have
found that it helps to use software layers to insulate learning materials
from device-specific features.
An iterative approach to development is best, and developing learning
materials specifically for mobile learning is better than re-using materials
developed for delivery to a PC.
Attempting to deliver a monolithic mobile learning system is too inflexible
in view of the heterogeneous mixture of hardware and services available
and the desirability of facilitating blended approaches to learning delivery,
particularly for our target audience.
It is important to be aware that, when delivering learning or offering
support services to someone’s mobile phone, we are encroaching
on their personal space.
A flexible, collaborative and pragmatic approach to development works well
in an environment where the technologies are new and standards are
evolving. This is aided by working collaboratively within a small consortium.
16 Mobile technologies and learning
4.3 Mentor training and support
For our target audience mentor enthusiasm and involvement seem
to be very important for successful mobile learning.
Organisations need to make time for training. Training needs analysis is
important for mentors/facilitators, as mobile literacy and confidence varies.
Longer training, ongoing access to advice and proactive support in the
beginning are all helpful for mentors.
Fast response to mentor (and learner) problems is crucial to avoid
disillusionment and stalling momentum. Proactive support, including
contacting mentors to ask if they have any problems or need any help,
encourages mentors to be more proactive too and can identify issues
before they become serious problems.
Mentors, and most learners, need training in the use of PDAs and the
more complex hybrid devices. Appropriate and varied support materials
are helpful but we observed mixed results from the cascade model.
Lessons learned 17
Section 5 The MLEARN international conferences
Partners within the m-learning project consortium contributed to the
first international mobile learning conference – MLEARN 2002. LSDA
hosted and co-chaired the very successful MLEARN 2003 international
conference, which the m-learning project organised in collaboration with
the MOBIlearn project. After the conference, following a process of
peer reviewing and editing, papers based on the presentations were
published by LSDA in the form of a book Learning with mobile devices:
research and development (Attewell and Savill-Smith 2004).
We have continued to collaborate with MOBIlearn in the organisation of
MLEARN 2004, which was held in Rome in July 2004. Partner colleagues
were involved in the programme committee and submitted their own papers.
LSDA advised on various aspects of organisation; Jill Attewell, LSDA,
co-chaired the conference; and Jill and Tamatha Webster won one of
the best paper awards for ‘Engaging and supporting mobile learners’.
MLEARN 2004 attracted a worldwide audience including delegates
from Australia, New Zealand, the USA and South Africa as well as from
many European countries.
Conference delegates were very keen to ensure that the annual
international conference continues to provide an opportunity for
researchers and developers in this new field to meet and share experiences,
achievements and ideas. Several offers to host MLEARN 2005 were
received and potential hosts were invited to submit proposals to the
MLEARN 2004 conference chairs.
When all proposals had been reviewed, a proposal was accepted
from a consortium of South African universities – Tshwane University
of Technology, the University of South Africa and the University
of Pretoria – to host MLEARN 2005 in Cape Town in October 2005.
The MLEARN 2004 conference chairs are contributing to the
organisation of MLEARN 2005 and will be co-chairs in Cape Town.
For more information please see www.mLearn.org.za
