Always on - Mobile Media and Education

"Always On" Mobile Phones and Pedagogical Possibilities by Mary

In a society where mobile phone ownership is growing at an exponential rate embedding mobile phone technology into the school curriculum offers rich pedagogical outcomes. The clip on the new ischool tecnology reflects some of the diverse ways in which mobile media can be dispersed into the school curriculum.

What seems unfathomable is how quickly mobile phone technology has become such an essential and normal part of everyday life. Within a decade the mobile has developed from being a portable telephone to being a handheld computer. The new Smartphones are now multifunctional and provide enough data and speed capacity to facilitate “mobile Internet access, MP3 music, photography, video, graphically advanced games, and tools such as a calculator, diary, notebook, alarm, clock, GPS, and more” (Stald, 2008, p145). The sheer capacity and potential of the mobile phone changes its role from being a medium for interpersonal communication to a system activating, “multiple forms of information exchange at a user level as well as at a technological level” (Stald, 2008, p145). 

Literature Review in Mobile Technology and Learning written by Laura Naismith, Peter Lonsdale, Giasemi Vavoula, Mike Sharples is an insightful report highlighting the potential for mobile phones in educational settings especially considering that in the near future more people will connect to the internet via their mobile phone than any other device. However, the report also reveals a stark dichotomy between the ubiquitous personal use and the notable absence of any educational use of mobile technologies. This is predominately owing to the narrow scope of traditional curriculum and the bureaucratic restrictions surrounding education policy.

Naismith et al., recommends the development of a “blended” theoretical approach to curriculum which would allow for mobile technologies to be embedded and blended with existing curriculum. As an educator it is possibly easier to develop an understanding of one theory and use this as a guide for developing student-centred learning experiences. The Situated Learning Theory posits that learning can be enhanced by ensuring that it takes place in an authentic context (Naismith et al., 2008) “Mobile devices are especially well suited to context-aware applications and the advantages to adopting mobile technology beyond the classroom is that learners can, “engage in and capture both planned and unplanned experiences” (Brown & Duguid, 1996 as cited in Hartnell-Young, Vetere, 2005, p1). “Because mobile devices don’t wed a child to the classroom or a desk, they complement just-in time and on-demand learning” (Shuler, 2009, p12).  The Situated Learning approach embraces a broad view of learning and extends beyond the classroom to incorporate home usage, encounters with friends, travel and many other experiences.

Academic and commercial sources are in agreement that mobile phone technology has evolved rapidly and is now increasingly the focus of a convergence of technologies, media formats, and content which were previously only available through a personal computer or similar platforms (Stald, 2009). The extent of convergence of new media on mobile devices is made accessible through different forms of wireless and wired connections and is referred to as the “third screen’ or “the cloud” (Stald, 2009, p144). These convergent devices offer a range of features that “lessen your need for other things, including a watch, alarm clock, calculator, camera, video camera, home stereo, television, computer, or, for that matter, a newspaper” (Corbett,2007 as cited in Shuler, 2009, p11). The advantage of “the third screen” is that information is stored on remote networks and this makes the mobile easily transportable and valuable in a wide range of different scenarios and settings. 

In the report Naismith et al., made further comment that, “There is considerable interest in exploiting the almost universal appeal and abundance of mobile technologies for their educational use” (p5).  However, the reality for most schools is that teachers have intermittent access to computer labs and access to many sites on the internet are blocked because of concerns over content or pressures from administration in relation to download costs. Shuler, 2009, corroborates with other researchers in this field and advocates for an “anywhere, anytime” learning approach which can be delivered through mobile devices (p3). The possibilities are endless and must be considered as they offer "a unique potential to advance twenty first-century skills such as collaboration, communication, and global awareness” Shuler, 2009, (p19). This has been evidenced in the Nintendo DS now referred to as a “pocket-sized laboratory” and this small device has many features that are well-suited for in-class collaboration, language support, observation recording, and creative “project-based” learning (Box, as cited in Shuler, 2009, p29).

Schools have realised the prevalence of mobile phone devices and have had to purchase metal detector test wands and swipe students before exams. The capacity of the new devices means information is at their finger tips and for many adolescents the phone is never switched off so students are able to quickly and surreptitiously access or pass on information. Unlike earlier communication devices the new technology allows for the users to be “always available for communication, information, entertainment, or, in short, for other people” (Stald, 2008, p145). The mobile is now seen of high importance with regard to teenage identity and peer relationships and there is no reason why schools cannot also tap into this "always on" mentality and  use this medium for improved collaboration and learning outcomes.

Schools do operate inside tight constraints associated with "duty of care' and this is one reasons why schools resist the incorporation of mobile devices in the classroom. Free access to the internet opens aPandora's box of questions and concerns; however, classroom bans on internet sites and social networking sites are not a realistic long-term policy. Certainly, the convergence of differing media forms and functions occurring through the mobile device certainly adds to the increasingly intense pace of communication and the intellectual and emotional experiences for young people. Hence there is a need for young people to know how to manage and to develop these specific skills and construct a personal identity that is manageable and well considered. Therefore there is a recognised need to teach young people how to operate on these sites and be in control as this is an essential skill for adolescents in all areas of their lives.

Naismith et al., in the Report, Literature Review in Mobile Technology and Learning capably deconstructs the current situation with regard to mobile technologies and education. The report findings revealed the dichotomy between the unlimited capacity and flexibility of mobile technology and the educational restraints preventing the blending and embedding of this technology with the current curriculum. The current system has endless administrative challenges and many more ill-defined challenges of how to encourage today’s educators to embrace a truly learner-centred approach to pedagogy (Naismith, 2008).

In society today there is an accepted belief that mobile phone ownership is a normal part of life and the proliferation of  smart phones means that most people will be able to access information, take photographs, record thoughts with one device, and share these with friends, colleagues or the wider world” (Shuler, 2008, p36). The benefits are just too abundant to ignore; therefore schools must consider new ways to integrate authentic learning experiences using mobile phone technology as this technology has the capacity to enable rich multimedia experiences incorporating a vast repository of skills which enhance both individual and corroborative learning.