Looking for a good example of mobile learning in higher education in Australia

[Simon McIntyre]

Hi everyone...

I am the leader of an Australian Learning and Teaching (ALTC) project called Learning to Teach Online http://bit.ly/d18ac5. The project is designed as a free professional development resource for teachers from any discipline worldwide. It aims to help them better understand online learning and teaching, and to help them get starting in developing their own online teaching practices - a necessary skill in today's changing society. Episodes contain a video to introduce and discuss issues and ideas, and a PDF that people can download to read about the issues in more depth.

If you do innovative work with mobile devices in the classroom in an Australian university and would consider contributing your time to our project please get in touch so we can discuss...

Hoping to hear from you soon. Thanks very much.

[Jennifer Mitchell]

Hi Simon,

I've just joined this network, so just saw your post. Your project sounds very interesting and challenging.
At Trinity College, part of the University of Melbourne, we did a 1:1 iPad trial from August to January with forty (pre-university) Foundarion Studies students, and twenty teachers. We are currently deploying iPads to the rest of the teaching staff, and if we get the final approval, will have students in our main intakes with iPads in 2012. We would be interested in taking part in your project, if you think we meet the criteria.

You mention "innovation" as a prerequisite, but, it is never very clear what innovation actually is. The activities our teachers did with students was innovative compared to what was on offer previously. But as to whether it was innovative on a larger scale is hard to determine. As we move forward, we are aiming towards innovation, but changing curriculum to support and foster innovation is a time consuming activity.

I have just finished doing an online course on designing distance learning (ironic?) and aim to work with colleagues to explore the potential of delivering aspects of our program in online / distance modes into the future.

Please get in touch if you think there is something we could contribute to your project.

Jennifer

[Simon McIntyre]

Hi Jennifer. Sounds very interesting. Unfortunately the funding for the project is now wrapping up so we can't afford to film any more interviews for the moment. However we will possibly be looking for more funding sources to continue the project in the near future. 

 

Your project sounds interesting. Can I ask what exactly you use the iPads for?

[Jennifer Mitchell]

Hi Simon, I had a look at your site. Excellent resources, and nice formats with clear information.

When we had students with iPads too, in the first few months after the iPad arrived in Australia, teachers worked with students on in-class research, real-time information gathering, and evaluation of information; students prepared written work and research presentations, used e-books for close reading and annotated text-based resources. Students also used their iPads as recorders, notebooks, as lecture response tools (eclickers) and some teachers used discipline-specific apps to shape class activities and discussions. All our students are international, and valued the recording facility to practice pronunciation and take written notes at the same time.

At the moment, we are in a transition phase, working out more that can be explored, and in 2012 we hope to be doing a lot more. Such possibilities involve teachers and students writing scripts and making films, (to take advantage of the iPad 2 camera) developing instructive screen-casts, making and editing e-books (of both subject handbooks and collections of student work), taking advantage of social media in the classroom, and building student engagement, confidence, and leadership skills by enabling them to be much more active in peer-to-peer interactions, something that the mobile device can facilitate well.

That's just a quick overview.

Hope you get some more funding. It's a great project you have, and I'll be linking our teachers with it to stimulate ideas and activities.

Jennifer

[Simon McIntyre]

Thanks Jennifer. It sounds like 2012 will be a big year! It would be great to be involved somehow on some kind of collaborative research. Maybe there could be some discussion about this side of things... Stay in touch!

[Jennifer Mitchell]

Thanks Simon, I'm always interested in collaboration and research. Will stay in touch, and let you know about the outcomes of the research we are planning. Now that the ALTC is out of the picture, were looking to ARC and an early career scholars grant.

[Simon McIntyre]

Yes we are in the same boat. We were going to apply for follow up funding to continue the Learning to Teach Online project for a bit longer, but that's the way the cookie crumbles I guess!

Jennifer Mitchell said:

Thanks Simon, I'm always interested in collaboration and research. Will stay in touch, and let you know about the outcomes of the research we are planning. Now that the ALTC is out of the picture, were looking to ARC and an early career scholars grant.