Mobile Learning Blog

Mobile Learning Showcase (20 min)

• Overview of 3 courses designed for mobile access using WordPress 3.1, YouTube, Dropbox, JotForm, Engrade and iSpring QuizMaker ($150). All tools are free with the exception of the quiz making tool. Also, if your school does not host WordPress on the school servers (SCC does), you will have to pay for hosting service ($5 month)
• ENG101 Online is a Freshman Comp I course designed in WordPress 3.1, a blogging platform designed to run hundreds of thousands of blogs with a single install of WordPress. The site is optimized with plugins to help mobilize the content provided on the site. The first essential plugin used is WPTouch plugin that optimizes the site for viewing on mobile devices. The video below showcases the site on both the iPod Touch and a Blackberry Storm. This site also utilizes a popular plugin called BuddyPress that embeds social networking features into the site. These features are not easily accessible via mobile devices however.

• ENG102Online.com is another mobile optimized course created in WordPress 3.1.
• ENH295Online.com is the third mobile optimized course created in WordPress 3.1. Again this site is the same with the exception that every student in this course has their own blog attached to this one. The man class blog is the hub that connects all the others.

This is a quick overview of some of the features of a mobile course developed in a WordPress blog. I cover assignments, forms, quizzes, and private discussion, viewing on both the iPod Touch and the Blackberry Storm.

Below is a quick look at the mobile course in traditional blog form on the web – what it looks like not on a mobile device. This is the same website that is shown in the Mobile Learning Course Overview (Mobile Gadgets) video above. The site is built using WordPress MU. I’ll be demoing the updated version live in the workshop and will replace the video that was here soon.

Reflect:

How can you demonstrate learning in a photo? If you can think of a way, snap a photo with your cell phone and email it to: showed*******@photos.flickr.com Title your photo: MobileMCCD. Then on your mobile device, visit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/professorcooper/ to see our workshop reflection photos.

With a BlackBerry® smartphone, educators and administrators have mobile access to the communications and information they need to get things done, whether it’s collaborating with their colleagues, doing research online or managing appointments. Mobile access to phone, email, organizer and web browsing streamlines communication on a single device.

Find tons of apps designed for your BlackBerry® smartphone in one convenient place in BlackBerry App World.

Whitepapers

• A Connected Life: A look at mobile strategies for schools, colleges and universities. A strategy paper from the Center for Digital Education (PDF)
• Exploring Mobile Learning: Part 1. A whitepaper by Judy Brown, Mobile Education Technology Strategic Analyst (PDF)

Chalk’s mLearning platform, Mobile chalkboard™, makes it easy to create media rich and interactive content, reliably push it out to a dedicated inbox and track its effectiveness.

Receive 25% off with the Mobile Learning Kick-Start Package (for organizations looking to get started with a group of less than 900 users).

Receive 30% off with the Mobile Learning Roll-Out Package (for organizations looking to target more than 1000 users).

• Find out more about Chalk’s mLearning Kick-Start and Roll-Out Packages

Imagine a classroom where students use their BlackBerry smartphone to participate. The ResponseWare application allows students to respond to interactive class questions and send their answers in real-time.

• Get a 30-day ResponseWare trial subscription
• Find out more about ResponseWare

MERLOT Mobile Search facilitates access to the 65,000+ member, higher education, community-managed collection of peer reviewed online learning materials.

• Download MERLOT Mobile Search for free