Preparing Mobile Learning Strategy for Your Institution

Agnieszka Palalas, Ed.D.

mLearn2013, Doha October 2013

Objective

¤  How to design and implement a mobile learning strategy to guide the adaptation of mobile learning

¤  How to manage the organized efforts toward a comprehensive m-strategy that would align with the organization-wide academic macro-strategy

¤  How to prepare the foundations for change management

Mobile Learning Strategy

¤  Clear path to how mobile learning can be implemented

¤  Strong business case: ¤  targeted educational problems and potential solutions

¤  scope and context

¤  current state

¤  deliverables (outcomes)

¤  projected benefits

¤  key stakeholders and areas impacted

¤  roadmap with required activities, schedules, supports, resources, and costs

¤  controls and metrics to monitor the success

Background

¤  Plans to implement mobile learning

¤  Isolated m-learning projects

¤  Grassroots movement ¤  Community of practice

¤  Documented success of m-projects

¤  Need for centralized mobile learning strategy

¤  Increased interest amongst some faculty and administrators

>> Institution-wide mobile learning strategy

Limitations

¤  Fragmentation

¤  Limited resources

¤  Lack of buy-in

¤  Limited understanding of mobile learning

¤  Inadequate wireless infrastructure

Incremental Process

¤  Identify existing expertise, peer champions, and propagate examples of m-learning implementation and success

¤  Connect fragmented m-learning efforts

¤  Construct groundwork: short-term m-learning tasks and projects - immediate measurable observable results

¤  Gradually win support of faculty and management

¤  Systematically raise awareness and understanding of m-learning

¤  Optimize scarce resources, time and feedback (agile)- concurrent activities

M-strategy Development Phases

1.  Needs assessment

2.  Feedback and evidence gathering

3.  Feedback exchange and communication

4.  Infrastructure and enterprise systems

5.  Training and professional development

6.  M-learning strategy document

Concurrent

Needs Assessment

¤  Explore gap between current and desired state

¤  Establish need and preparedness, m-learning habits (analytics )

¤  Project benefits

¤  Examine ¤  expected enablers, challenges and risks ¤  resource requirements (physical/logistic, technological, human, &

monetary) ¤  current state of the IT infrastructure ¤  existing learning content and mobile applications

¤  Involve all stakeholder, including the IT department

Feedback and Evidence Gathering

¤  Collect empirical evidence

¤  Conduct m-learning pilots - who, when, how and why ¤  not too lengthy ¤  across programs ¤  well-planned, rigorous, following established pilot selection and

completion procedures ¤  prompt dissemination of findings ¤  adjustments of the strategy ¤  diverse contexts and needs ¤  students and faculty

Feedback and Evidence Gathering – Pilot Studies Focus

¤  Evaluation of existing mobile tools, materials and artifacts

¤  Creation and curation of such resources

¤  Delivery/content distribution/app provision mechanisms

¤  Maintenance and governance strategies

¤  Content strategy and pedagogy

¤  Changing roles of all actors

Feedback Exchange and Communication

¤  To maintain interest and learning, to answer “what’s in it for me?” & “what are the benefits for students?”

¤  Cross divisional information-reflection-documentation-sharing ¤  Mobile @ GBC website, email, Facebook page

¤  m-learning ambassadors (self-selected)

¤  ad-hoc meetings

¤  regular meetings of Mobile Learning Reference Group (faculty, students, IT professionals, innovation in teaching and learning representatives, senior

executives, chairs, legal/copyright experts, accessibility specialists, marketing)

Infrastructure and Enterprise Systems

¤  Appraisal of existing infrastructure

¤  Possible restructuring or updating of the current framework

¤  Technological readiness and an m-learning ecosystem that incorporates: ¤  system that provides access to m-content, helps create and maintain

the content ¤  performance and technical support ¤  mechanism of device procurement and provision (BYOD) ¤  related procedures, policies and licenses ¤  ~ mobile app management (MAM) ¤  ~ mobile device management (MDM)

Training and Professional Development

¤  Training in m-learning pedagogy, instructional design, tools and application ¤  f2f tutorials

¤  webinars

¤  materials on the m-learning website

¤  emails pointing to links and resources

¤  presentations at college-wide events

¤  two-day mobile app boot camp

M-learning Strategy Document

¤  Solid vision to communicate to executives, faculty, the IT department, ID and development teams or vendors

¤  Essence of learnings from research and evidence gathering activities + processes, timelines, and funding options for institution-wide implementation

¤  Highlight benefits supported by concrete evidence

¤  Collaborate with ed institutions and industry partners

¤  Decision-makers involved early-on in strategy creation

Key Pitfalls

1.  No dedicated m-learning resources and infrastructure

2.  No commitment to the m-learning objectives (merely following a mobility trend)

3.  Not prepared to take risk

Q&A

Thank you

aga@epluslearning.com LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/apalalas Presentations: http://www.slideshare.net/agaiza Publications: http://athabascau.academia.edu/apalalas