Researching Informal and Mobile Learning:

Leveraging the Right Resources

Mark van ‘t HooftKent State University

Research Center for Educational TechnologyKent, OH, USA

mvanthoo@kent.edu

MIL-RM Workshop, 14 Dec 2007, WLE, London, UK

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• Learning contexts are increasingly

– volatile and flexible– connected (Roush, 2005)

– augmented (Price, 2007)

– customized (Sharples et al., 2006; Walker, 2006)

1. Rethinking Research

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• Changing nature of learning means:– process and (or over) product.

– that if learning changes, learning research (methods and strategies) should change as well.

– considering how to leverage mobile tools for this research.

1. Rethinking Research

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2. Reconsidering the Questions We Ask

We need to

ask the right questions…

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2. Reconsidering the Questions We Ask

or

fear the “no significant difference”

(Oblinger & Hawkins, 2006)

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3. Adjusting Research Methods and Strategies

Avoid the

hobbled horse race&

trivial treatment(Tinker, 2007)

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4. Using Mobile Technologies to Capture Mobile Data

• What information is of most worth?

• How do we most effectively use digital tools to gather this data?

• To what extent should learners be involved in the research design?

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5. An Example

Frequency 1550 (Waag Society)

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5.1 Reconsidering Research Questions

Different questions to consider:

• How does learning of history change when learning while mobile as opposed to learning in more traditional settings?

• How do learners assimilate their learning of Amsterdam’s history into their own lives?”

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5.2 Adjusting Research Methods and Strategies

Could use “traditional” data sources

augmented with

spatial, user, learner, and connectivity data(and use the latter to structure the former)

(Zhang, 2002)

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5.3 Leveraging Mobile Technology

Mobile devices have the capability to collect various data types and them send to a

remote database for storage and subsequent retrieval for analysis.

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6. Issues and Challenges

• Access v. privacy

• Ownership of data: whose is it, really?

• Control over the research setting

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7. Conclusion

Leveraging mobile devices for learning research goes way beyond choosing the

right tool.

http://www.rcet.org