JISC TechDis Advice and Guidance on m-Learning

Upwardly Mobile - getting started in inclusive m-learning

Upwardly Mobile is a DVD-ROM which is designed to be a practitioner resource and is aimed at both technophiles and technophobes. Within the educational community it has long been suspected that, for all the difficulties of small screens, fiddly buttons and clunky navigation, mobile learning has much to offer disabled learners. Upwardly Mobile provides teaching and lecturing staff across the UK educational sectors with information on the accessibility pros and cons of mobile learning, ideas and approaches on using mobile content created by tutors, learners and other individuals, and tips on creating and distributing mobile content.

The guidance on Upwardly Mobile is aimed at teaching and lecturing staff who want their teaching to be more engaging and inclusive, but who are working within the realities of limited time and limited budget. In putting this guidance together JISC TechDis has therefore prioritised approaches that blend mobile learning with face-to-face teaching, and that will enhance rather than ursurp normal practices. Upwardly Mobile also focuses on techniques that maximise the use of familiar technologies and software that is free and user-friendly.

Learning with mobile devices can bring many inclusion benefits, enabling learners to access content wherever and whenever they choose, and using a device they know they can operate. m-Learning therefore has vast potential to enhance learning opportunities for all, as well as levelling the playing field for learners with specific needs. JISC TechDis hopes that Upwardly Mobile will provide the educational community in the UK with inspiration to mainstream m-learning, and offer a richer palette of activities and resources to enable all teaching to become more inclusive, accessible and engaging.

This resource is available to view online now - Upwardly Mobile

m-Learning and Accessibility

This section of the JISC TechDis website explores the accessibility issues around mobile devices, focusing on Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) and mobile phones. Mobile learning can extend the benefits of e-learning (eg, access to information, access to assistive software, personalised interface) to a much wider range of teaching and learning contexts. m-Learning can also create entirely new opportunities for learners - both disabled and non-disabled.

It is appropriate to ask the question "How accessible is m-Learning?", but the answer is not necessarily simple; it needs to be understood in the context of the alternatives. For an ESOL class in a rural community centre, m-learning may involve adult learners peering at small screens, and grappling with cramped keypads; but it may be the only way of engaging the learners with video and audio clips. The accessibility issues of the kit may be more than counterbalanced by the value added to the learning experience - compared to a traditional didactic lesson.

The sections below explore the issues and opportunities afforded by m-Learning, both as an individual assistive technology tool and as a tool for creating rich teaching and learning experiences.

Mobile devices offer great new opportunities but enhanced opportunities for some may be increased barriers for others. Nonetheless it is neither ethical nor sensible to work on a "value subtracted" approach where resources are banned unless all can access them equally. More effective by far is a value added model where the tutor's repertoire of tools and techniques is used to add value to different learners in different ways. This section of the website significantly expands the JISC Innovative Practice work to which JISC TechDis contributed. In order to maximise the usefulness, the site is divided into different sections to reflect different aspects that have relevance for differing audiences.

m-Learning as an assistive technology

m-Learning makes the benefits of e-learning more portable and therefore more widely available. In addition, software and hardware peripherals are available to aid learners using mobile devices to use them more effectively. More on m-Learning as an assistive technology.

m-Learning as a teaching / learning experience

Introduction to m-Learning

What is good practice in m-Learning? Six benefits of m-Learning, three key functions mobile devices offer and a "logistics checklist" to reduce the headaches. More on the main introductory ideas.

Adding value to learners with m-Learning

m-Learning is only valuable if it adds value to the learning experience. This section looks at alternative ways value can be added (or unintentionally subtracted) and the specific accessibility challenges that may be encountered in order to begin constructing a model of "accessible m-Learning". More on adding value to learners with m-Learning

Towards a model of m-Learning accessibility

By considering the whole learning experience, not just the physical size of the device and the display, it is possible to evaluate the accessibility of the learning experience in a more holistic way. More on a model of m-Learning accessibility

Pedagogy, practice and accessibility

A good deal of the value added by m-Learning is not to do with specific technology or resources but the new things that can be done given the portability of the technology and the resources. This section examines alternative ways of using the same features of a portable device to create completely different learning experiences and argues that the more engaging the task, the more likely it is to create the motivation that reduces access barriers. More on pedagogy, practice and accessibility

m-Learning and accessibility examples

This section illustrates a number of applications of m-Learning to a range of teaching and learning contexts. In each example the pedagogical approach is discussed in tandem with the accessibility commmentary. More on m-Learning and accessibility examples.

Further Resources

MoLeNET
NIACE
JISC (Innovative practice with e-learning)
LSN samples of m-learning with accessibility commentary from JISC TechDis
Podcasting and Accessibility Article by Andrew Middleton

The AbilityNet wiki has a section on PDAs - this wiki is available here: http://abilitynet.wetpaint.com/page/PDA
Usability and Accessibility of PDAs in Education

Further links

Buttons, bells and whistles: Accessibility criteria when purchasing mobile devices

See also:
HEAT Projects - Mobile Technologies
Mobile Enabled Disabled Students Project
Using PDAs with learners
The use of Hot Potatoes with Personal Digital Assistants - PDAs
Widening access with new technologies - Stockton Riverside report (Microsoft Word - 2 MB)