Mobile Learning Blog

Introduction to Mobile Learning (15 min)

• Introduction to the current research on mobile learning and sharing of a list of resources available on the workshop blog

Mobile Learning Introduction Presentation Slides

Mobile Learning Showcase (15 min)

• Overview of a course designed for mobile access using Wordpress MU, iTunes and Blip.tv.
• ENG101 Online is a Freshman Comp I course designed in Wordpress MU, or multi-user, 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 WP Touch plugin that optimizes the site for viewing on mobile devices. The video below showcases the site on both the iPod Touch and the Blackberry Storm.

This is a quick overview of some of the features of a mobile course developed in a Wordpress MU 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.

Current Mobile Devices and how best to use them (30min)

• Participants all choose different mobile devices to research. They will fill in a matrix online to share the cost, features, pros/cons for mobile learning for each device. Discussion about which devices are most appropriate follows.
• The New Generation of Smartphones
• Grid comparison of currently available smartphone solutions
• Comparison chart for netbooks
• eBook Reader Comparison Chart
• Choose a smart phone/pmp/netbook/mp3 player and in the comments of this page post the device name, cost, service provider, features, pros/cons for use in education for that device. Provide a link to more information about the device. A good place to start might be CNET Reviews.

Creating course content for mobile delivery (40 min)

• Participants will set up Wordpress blogs to play in. Self hosted blogs are necessary, so blogs will only be temporary. They will install appropriate plugins needed to make the blog mobile accessible, and they will experiment with uploading different kinds of content to the blog: video, audio, text, quizzes, forms.

Accessing course content Using Apps (40 min)

• Participants will search, download and install apps for their smart phones or iPod Touches. They will explore how each app provides access to different types of course content. Apps include ereaders, CMS access, homework trackers, Web 2.0 apps for Facebook, Twitter, Animoto, UstreamTV, YouTube, Google, Skype, Evernote and various blogs.

Engaging students in course content (40 min)

• Participants will participate in activities using their own mobile devices (cell phones and or iPod Touch). Tools include PollEverywhere, Twitter, TextMarks, Animoto, Posterous. Activities include quizzing, blogging, discussion, polls, text updates and notetaking.