Handheld Learning | doug woods

Archive for the ‘Handheld Learning’ Category

Microsoft’s Stealthy Strategy for Taking Over Education Technology?

Thursday, December 1st, 2011

Image via Wikipedia

In the next 3 years or so, I would not be surprised if Microsoft were to become the dominant player in the education technology field.

Okay, so this post is going to be full of silly predictions like that.

I have sometimes argued that one thing we need for the future would be to have the same operating system, or at least the same User Interface, on our mobile devices as we have on our desktops. You will notice that I say mobile devices and desktops, that’s because I believe that in the coming years, laptops and netbooks will be hit by the rise of tablet and smartphone devices to the point where we shall have just desktops and mobile devices …. see I warned you about silly predictions!

Upto now, mobile devices have generally had a quite different operating system to desktops and other computing devices. So we see that Apple’s MacOS is quite different from their system on iPhones and iPads, similarly Samsung’s use of Android has been different from its use of Windows on its Netbooks. Some devices, such as those from Nokia or RIM have had their own operating system which has no equivalent in computers. True, we have seen a few laptops, such as some from Acer, which have had Android as a second operating system but this has generally proved unsuccessful.

So how does Microsoft fit into all this? To start, we know that Microsoft have the dominant role in Desktop operating systems with Windows. They also had a Windows mobile operating system, which was developed upto version 6.5 but this was quite a clunky system and perhaps the less said about it, the better! However, Microsoft have a new mobile operating system in the pipeline which looks much more promising. I’m not talking about Windows Phone 7, or 7.5 (mango), interesting though that looks, I’m refering to Windows 8 and its Metro UI which I have seen on both desktop and mobile devices. Windows Metro UI presents the user with the same UI on all their devices, which would be a great boon and could be particularly helpful in bringing on board any technophobic (sorry, I hate that term but you know what I mean) teachers… but could that be another silly prediction?

I say the UI would be the same rather than saying the operating system would be the same. That’s because I believe the UI would be coupled to a cloud operating system. This would have numerous advantages; it would mean that the memory of the mobile device could be devoted more to working the application being used rather than splitting it between program and operating system, it could also mean that the mobile device need only store the application to be used and not all other applications as well. This takes cloud computing to its next stage and would move us on from the simple use of the Cloud for storage and file sharing. There are, of course many other advantages of cloud computing which I shan’t go into here.

I daresay other companies, e.g. Apple, Google, are developing newer operating systems for both mobile and desktop devices, so Microsoft may not be alone in this. At the moment, though, it would seem Microsoft has a lead which it could convert to its advantage if it can release Windows 8 sooner rather than later.

I am aware that it is often argued that the use of education technology should not be led by developments in the technology but by the needs of learning. I am also aware that in the past it has been developments in technology which have spurred developments in educational practice. I have always maintained that the two, technology and pedagogy, need to work together. By having the same UI on our mobile and fixed computing devices, I feel we can help make the two work more harmoniously … another silly prediction perhaps? My feeling is that many teachers are put off technology because they have to ‘learn’ how to operate that technology and different devices and programs have, traditionally, required different skills and operating techniques. If we have the same UI then teachers, and other users, need only learn one way of operating and, once they have learned what they need then they can focus more upon the uses and application of the technology. It could also help breakdown the divide or barrier between teachers and pupils where the teacher feels, or knows, the pupils know more about how to use a computer than they do.

So could this all indicate a stealthy strategy by Microsoft or just a coincidental happenstance? Whichever way I feel it is the right approach and other manufacturers would do well to take note.

Windows 8 Brings Cloud Computing to Billions (cloud-computing.learningtree.com)
Ballmer: Windows 8 Heading to Smartphones [Update: No its Not!] (netbooknews.com)
Nokia Reveals Windows 8 Tablet Plan (informationweek.com)
Windows 8 Upgrade Planning Begins (informationweek.com)
What Microsoft’s 2012 Plans Mean for IT (news.dice.com)
Microsoft to release Office 15 beta in January (slashgear.com)
Samsung to make windows 8 tablets (thegadgets.net)

Microsofts Stealthy Strategy for Taking Over Education Technology?

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Posted in education, Handheld Learning | No Comments »

Getting Rid of the ICT Suite

Monday, November 21st, 2011

: Image via Wikipedia

A couple of primary schools I’ve visited recently have both taken the decision to remove their ICT suites. This seems like a good idea, as you may know, I am not a great fan of the ICT suite (see this post). In the case of these two schools, though, the removal of the suites was not part of a planned process, they were removed out of necessity and in some haste; either because the school found itself short of classrooms or ‘natural’ damage (flood) meant the suite could no longer be used.

In both cases, and I’m sure in many others, the school had to look to alternatives to deliver its ICT provision. In both these cases (as, I’m sure, in others), the school opted for a banks of laptops and netbooks. Interestingly, both schools have procured two banks of laptops and netbooks with portable charging trolleys to replace one ICT suite. This has had the immediate benefit that two classes can make use of technology at the same time instead on just the one at a time that could use the old suite.

However, it has been the netbooks that have caused problems. I am not certain but I very strongly suspect that the schools purchased the netbooks because they appeared to be a cheaper version of the laptops. Big Mistake! I have nothing against netbooks but I do firmly believe that they are not laptop replacements. To use netbooks effectively requires careful planning and changes to the ways in which ICT is used.

Superficially, a netbook looks like a slimmed down laptop but it is not. Currently, a netbook has less memory and storage than a laptop, it has less power (and lower battery consumption) and lacks an optical (CD or DVD) drive. It relies far more than a laptop upon a wireless connection to access resources and services on a network (LAN or Internet), hence the term ‘net’book. If you wish to make effective use of netbooks, then you need first to ensure your wireless infrastructure is suitable for the job.

I accept that a netbook is more easily portable than a laptop and that its smaller size and lower weight may make it more suitable for younger learners. However, it would be quite wrong to see a netbook as being a laptop for younger pupils. A netbook is an item of educational technology in its own right and can be suitable for learners of any age or stage of education, it is probably better to regard it as a more portable and, certainly, a more ‘personal’ device.

So what can we learn from the experiences seen in these two schools?

First of all, replacing an ICT suite (or any major change in ICT provision) needs to be carefully planned and prepared,

Secondly, netbooks are not straightforward replacements for desktop or laptop devices

Thirdly, netbooks are not suitable only for infant or younger learners

Fourthly, adopting and using netbooks requires a full rethink and planning in how ICT is used in a school

and Fifthly, if you want to use netbooks or laptops, first ensure your wireless provision is adequate

Let me also add another question; should the school be continuing to provide this kit or should it be enabling the pupils to provide and use their own kit?

Number of computer suites (edugeek.net)
What Skills Does an ICT Co-ordinator Need? (ictineducation.org)

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Posted in Classroom Technology, Handheld Learning | 4 Comments »

iPods, iPads and SEN Learners

Monday, October 31st, 2011

Some of you will know that I used to be an SEN teacher and I still maintain an interest in using ICT to teach Special Needs learners. My attention was, therefore, drawn to a website that claimed to have information on using ipod touches and ipads with SEN learners. The work was based over in the United States, so one problem I anticipated might be that some of the apps they employed could not be available here in the UK, also, where the apps were being charged for, there would need to be some small conversion in currency necessary.

What I hadn’t expected was that there would be some technical problems viewing the information! On the website there are links to 3 presentations on the use of the devices in Special Education settings, unfortunately it was not possible to download the presentations and viewing them seemed slow. So what I eventually decided to do was to view each slide and take a screen capture of it and then place it in a PowerPoint presentation; at the same time I’d update the prices and availability in for the UK. I know, I know, it was all rather crude but it did seem to me that the presentations had some very useful information which would be well worth sharing. I also would like to congratulate the authors in their work identifying the various apps available.

What has surprised me, though, and with some annoyance are the charges being made for these apps. There seem to be only a few free apps in the selection and some seem to cost a small fortune. I am not against people earning a living but on the other hand we are talking about the needs of some of our most vulnerable members of society, surely they are entitled to free apps as much as mainstream learners? Anyway, I’ll leave you to make your own decisions on that matter.

I have managed to update the first presentation here

and the second one is here

The third part is here

What I like about these presentations is that they clearly show that handheld devices can be of use in Special Education and for special needs pupils in mainstream establishments. Obviously, not all the apps in these presentations will be appropriate for each pupil or even each establishment but these presentations do give some justification for special educators to consider using these devices with their pupils.

I’ve only been able to download and test a few of the apps; the free ones, of course. They seem to work as well as you’d expect them to. I have only been able to use them on an ipod touch (3rd gen) and I would suspect that for some learners the small size of the device and the close proximity of the icons in some apps might be a problem. I do not have a ipad but the larger form factor might make this more suitable for many special needs learners. However, one thing that does strike me about the ipad is that it looks awkward or cumbersome to carry and use and this might be a problem in some circumstances. Nevertheless, either device could be held in the hand, placed on a desk or attached to a chair or wheelchair; making them quite versatile.

If you use any of the apps here or use the ipod touch or ipad in any way with special needs learners, please contact me; I would be really grateful to hear about your work and pass it on to others.

New iPod touch (elearningstuff.wordpress.com)
iPossibilities: iPods and iPads in Special Education (teachinglearnerswithmultipleneeds.blogspot.com)
Merck PSE HD – iPhone App of the Week (elearningstuff.net)

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Posted in Classroom Technology, Handheld Learning | 3 Comments »

Handheld Learning gives a Glimpse of the Future

Monday, September 19th, 2011

It is always difficult and a bit dangerous to try to predict the future of ICT in education, nevertheless, I believe that at the recent Handheld Learning Conference, we might have had a glimpse of that future. Let me try to explain what I mean.

It does not take great insight to see the timeline progression from Desktop to Laptop to Handheld device (in this timeline I’d see the netbook as a stopgap device between laptop and handheld in that it retains much of the functionality of a laptop but does not quite fit in your pocket). This would appear to suggest that the future lies in handheld devices.

I am yet to be convinced, however, that current mobile phones or gaming consoles such as the Nintendo DS or Sony PSP devices represent in any way the handheld computing devices of the future.

What is not so readily evident is the learning environment behind the devices. Originally we used standalone machines that required content to be loaded on to them before they could be used to support learning. Then the environment moved to networked machines that meant that content stored centrally within an institution could be utilised by any or all devices. With the advent of networking, came the ability to share and collaborate with other users. In time, the networks expanded and connected with other networks with the advent of the internet, thus these devices could access a vast array of information. Also at this time, we saw the learner being able to access the information from almost any device; not just those in an institution but also devices at home.

In recent years we have seen the arrival of devices that allow a user to access content while on the move. Initially, these devices were fairly limted in what they could access but the technology has been developed rapidly and the facilities of such mobile tools have expanded rapidly. The approach of the iphone with its apps store has been followed by other manufacturers and so a new type of mobile computing device has been born; one that can access and manipulate content from almost any location.

So the question must be asked, why have a device at home, a device at school and a device in your pocket that can all do the same thing? Would not just one device, which you can use anywhere, be a more sensible approach?

I know, I know… that one device does not yet fully exist; which is why I say we had a ‘glimpse’ at the Handheld Learning Conference. It was a tantalising glimpse and an exciting one and I am sure I am not the first to have had such a glimpse.

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Tags: Handheld game console, Handheld Learning, iphone, ipod touch, Mobile computers, mobile phone in school, Nintendo in school, Technology/Internet
Posted in Classroom Technology, Handheld Learning | No Comments »

Thoughts on Game Based Learning

Monday, September 12th, 2011

There was a lot to inspire at the 2010 Game Based Learning Conference, it was a shame it was only 2 days as I would have loved to have heard more from many of the presenters.

GBL

I take the view that games have always had a place in learning, so why not computer games? I guess too many people, when they think of a computer game, think of the violent war-like games that proliferate. However, as this conference showed, there is a far wider range of computer game available, many of which are suitable for education. For me, though, the bottom line comes down to having trust and faith in the teacher, can we simply not trust the teacher not to include an ‘unsuitable’ game in their teaching?

The term ‘game’ covers a wide multitude of genres from simple noughts and crosses type games (tic-tac-toe) through to complex simulations. There is clearly a wide variety of games which can be considered for their educational use. A further point that came across in the conference is that we should not just consider ‘educational’ games or games written especially for the educational market; commercial games too must be considered. The commercial game often has power to engage users in exciting storylines and game play that draws the learner in.

However, we should always remember that engagement is not the same as learning. A pupils may be engaged in a game or activity but they may not necessarily be learning from it. Engagement is, however, often a pre-requisite or pre-cursor to learning and anything such as computer games that bring about engagement should be welcomed. I feel the work of Dawn Hallybone and Derek Robertson demonstrate quite clearly how games can be used to generate learning and how that learning is taken away from the computer screen and into the classroom or other learning environments.

I was intrigued by the presentation by Massimilliano Andreoletti in which he showed the different way in which young learners and adults engage in game play. The young learners adopted a more collaborative and participatory style while the adults adopted a more autonomous and individualistic style. This was intriguing and could have implications for web2.0 learning in general and , perhaps, shows the discrepancy between adult and young person learning. It is unclear, though, whether this is a difference between the generations or a maturational factor. However, it would seem to suggest that success for young learners comes about more through collaboration and sharing than through competition.

Overall, I found all the presenters at the conference had something significant to say or offer to the delegates, true, some presenters were better at presenting than others. I wouldn’t like to pick out one presenter more than others but as well as those I have already mentioned, I must make mention of Gill Penny who demonstrated the work her pupils had been doing, Tim Rylands for his usual excellence in engaging the audience, Ollie Bray, Derek Robertson and all from the Consolarium team for demonsdtrating how Scotland is leading the field in this area, and Jesse Schell for his uplifting closing speech.

What I find most interesting is the way the iPod Touch has become a gaming device. This little device is already a fantastic tool for handheld learning but now it has a wide number of game apps. Sure, not all will be suitable for educational use but that is equally true for all other devices. Where I think the iPod touch scores well is that apps generally are reasonably priced, however, where it falls down is that there is no preview or try before you buy facility on iTunes store unless you are fortunate enough to be able to download a free version then upgrade to a paid version.

For me, the Nintendo DS remains a disappointment. Even with its enlarged screen and new stylus, it still looks very plasticky, the graphics to my mind are generally unappealing and the price of games is ridiculous!

I do use a Wii at home, which also has poor graphics but is sold on its motion sensor and, let’s be honest, is good fun. I would not recommend accessing the internet on it though.

What I’d really love to see, though, would be a games console with a handheld device so that you can play a game at home, then continue it on your handheld.

Daily Spotlight on Education 03/31/2010 (coolcatteacher.blogspot.com)
Games-Based Learning: 3 Things You Need To Know About (ictineducation.org)
Minister backs ‘brain’ games role (news.bbc.co.uk)
[ #gbl10 ]: Game-Based Living: the core of new media literacies [Part 1] (edu.blogs.com)
[ #gbl10 ]: The National Gaming Curriculum: new media literacies [Part 2] (edu.blogs.com)
#SLF10 – Scottish Schools Mario Cart Competition (olliebray.typepad.com)
Consolarium (Games Based Learning Podcast) Podcast (olliebray.typepad.com)
The 5Ws and H of Playing [Video] Games in School: Part 1 – Why Play Games? (isteconnects.org)
Let’s Hear It For The Digital Pioneers (ictineducation.org)
Why are we still arguing over Gaming in Education? (l4l.co.uk)
Visualisation explains why games-based learning gets a hard time at the same time every year (edu.blogs.com)
[ #ghc GameHorizon ]: Seminal change in experience- & games-based learning with Kinect (edu.blogs.com)

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Tags: education technology, games based learning, online learning
Posted in Classroom Technology, games based learning, Handheld Learning, Transforming Learning | 2 Comments »

Put your iPad on Your Desk

Sunday, May 8th, 2011

I don’t have an iPad

300px Steve Jobs with the Apple iPad no logo4 Put your iPad on Your Desk

Image via Wikipedia

But I have seen people using them and the first thing that strikes me is just how awkward and cumbersome they seem to be.

I daresay that when people first used a mobile phone or a video camera, they may have felt that it was cumbersome but soon got used to it. The iPad is slightly different, though, because it seems cumbersome and awkward when you finish using it.

Just what do you do with it when you’ve finished using it? Yes, I know, some of you have probably not got to that stage as you’ve been using it constantly, like a junkie, since you first got it and others will respond that the time to finish using it is when the battery needs recharging!

Seriously, though, unlike the iPod Touch which you can switch off and slip back into your pocket, the iPad is not so easy. I have seen some slip it into their laptop bag or into a briefcase. I guess many at home or at work may just put it down on a table or desk. I have even seen some who carry it around in their hand or even hold it in place under their arm or elbow; which doesn’t seem a very secure place to hold an expensive piece of technology.

Seeing this, my mind began to wander as to how the iPad might be used in schools. We couldn’t expect schoolchildren to carry their iPad under their arm or walk around with them in their hand all day. I guess they might keep them in their school bag or a satchel … (waits for fashion police to come and arrest him for suggesting people should go back to having satchels) … or would a teacher simply say ‘ right, children,’ (it’s a primary school!) ‘ put your iPads on your desk and look at me.’ ?

Put your iPad on your desk …

now that seems to conjure up new possibilities. With just one iPad face up on a desk or table (I’m referring to desks in deference to present government thinking!), you can have 1, 2 or up to 4 pupils working together with the one device. This is something that perhaps was not so easy with desktop computers, laptops, netbooks or even the iPod Touch (owing to its smaller screen). We could now have a small number of pupils working cooperatively together via the single device, the iPad.

I wonder, could the iPad bring about a re-emergence of board games? I know, we’ve all seen Scrabble (r) and Monopoly (r) software but, let’s be honest, they’re not quite the same when you’re playing by yourself or against the machine. Maybe, the format of the iPad could add an extra dimension to interactive boardgames?

May 2011 update,

I now do have an ipad!

and I’m fully prepared to admit that I may have been a bit wrong in my original assumptions of the device. I had considered it to be largely a ‘consumer’ product and, indeed, it could be used in that way. However, particularly with the arrival of the ipad2 (which I don’t have), I feel the ipad can be seen much more as creative tool. I also feel that its role in schools could be greater than I had at first envisaged. Ironically, this seems to be particularly so in special education, a field I know very well!

I still feel it looks and feels cumbersome, though, which is why I have a case for mine.

Making the iPad fit into your daily life (macworld.com)
Typical Day With the iPad (jkontherun.com)
BookArc for iPad cradles your iPad, so you don’t have to (macworld.com)
Review: More iPad bags and packs (macworld.com)
The Ultimate List of Stylish iPad Cases, Bags & Accessories (iphone.appstorm.net)
Got an iPad? Take Our Satisfaction Survey (technologizer.com)
More iPad Thoughts (elearningstuff.wordpress.com)
You can do what with the iPad? (elearningstuff.wordpress.com)
Is the iPad a real game changer for education? (elearningstuff.wordpress.com)
Top Weird Cases/Covers For Your iPad (chatootsboots.wordpress.com)
Wrap your iPad in Ferrari leather (tuaw.com)
The iPad and the Return of Tummy TV (adverlab.blogspot.com)
Got an Apple iPad? Here’s What to Do With It. (dancosta.typepad.com)

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Tags: Apple iPod Touch Portable Audio Device, cellular telephone, iPad, iPads
Posted in Classroom Technology, games based learning, Handheld Learning | 5 Comments »

John Davitt speaks

Sunday, May 1st, 2011

It’s always a pleasure to watch John Davitt giving his presentation. Unfortunately I missed it at this year’s Handheld Learning Conference, so it was great to see the video made available on the web.

You can find more videos of the handheld learning conference here

May 2010 update.

I’ve heard John speak a few times now and each time I seem to find something new in what he says. This is partly why I recommend anyone to go listen to him.

Below, I have listed some of the things I have got from John’s presentations. I daresay there are more I could have got and I guess other people may have got a different interpretation or message from John’s presentations, nevertheless, here is what I have got so far…

We should be using technology more creatively … no, I’ll rephrase that, we need to allow and support learners to use technology more creatively. For so long, pupils have been passive consumers (I think he actually uses that phrase) of technology, we ned to move them on to becoming creative uses of the tech. Instead of just sitting down in front of a monitor, pupils can be allowed to use a wide range ofd devices to create their own digital material and resources.

There are so many ways in which a pupil can demonstarte their work and their learning, so why, when we use technology, do we demand they use only a few? If you think about it, technology in the classroom has been very much a ‘visual’ tool, even when we consider Audio Visual or Multimedia aspects it seems that the Visual aspect dominates. Learners employ different senses and different styles of learning, even traditional teaching was not just visual, so we need to use technology in much more creative ways to reach out and support the different learning styles of individuals.

We’re each different. Some of us like our toast nicely buttered with the butter evenly spread across the slice and into each corner ( I had a girlfriend like that once, it nearly drove me mad; not her obsession with having the butter evenly spread but the fact that she was still around at breakfast time!). In the past, computers might have been seen as the preserve of neat and tidy people who liked organising databases, populating spreadsheets, or producing nicely word-processed documents. Nowadays, technology should be in the hands of everybody, not just the neat and tid, organised people. Being neat and organised, despite what your mother or your employer might think, is not a positive attribute; it is simply a personal characteristic and does not make you a better person that someone less organised or untidy.

Then there’s the story John tells about the Banda machine ( a primitive copier that used an analogue method of turning a handle to produce copies, for those of you too young to recall such a device) and how this one person had charge of the machine. It took me a while to realise any significance in this story but I do recall how in the early days, computers were seen as the territory of the IT co-ordinator in a school and no-one else was allowed to touch them without his permission or without prior signing of a book to say that you had it and signing again to say you had returned it. Nowadays, such petty empire building is not acceptable, all teachers now should have easy and ready access to technology for their lessons. In fact, we have gone much further than that, no longer should all teachers have access to technology for the lesson but all pupils should have access to, and that access should be available whereever the pupil is and wherever the learning takes place.

Okay, I’ll stop there but there is much more to be gained from listening to John Davitt or reading his book or following him on twitter. So do so!

As I right this, John is apparently on a beach somewhere, not sunning himself like any normal person would but running a training course!

Education World (flatchat.wordpress.com)
Technology Isn’t Keeping Up With Education (lockergnome.com)
Review of the RM Strategic Forum (ictineducation.org)
Technology in the classroom simms (slideshare.net)
Technology summative (slideshare.net)
Technology in the classroom! (slideshare.net)
100 ways to use a VLE – #4 Having an online chat (elearningstuff.wordpress.com)
Create, collaborate, communitcate (John Trealor, DEANZ 2010) (ictelt.blogspot.com)
Reflections on Handheld Learning: Authenticity vs Karaoke, and Magnificent Failure vs Benign Success (ictineducation.org)
Managing Change: Engaging The Teachers (ictineducation.org)
Teach with Twitter (flatchat.wordpress.com)
Ubiquitous Technology in Learning – a myth (deangroom.wordpress.com)
Reflections from Games Based Learning 2010 (#GBL10) – Introduction (olliebray.typepad.com)
[#RMForums2010] RM Strategic Forums: a vision of future of learning (8 of 10) – Panel Discussion (olliebray.typepad.com)
Risk assessing new technology (creativeict.typepad.com)
Seven types of ambiguity and new literacies (dougbelshaw.com)

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Tags: John Davitt, Technology/Internet
Posted in Classroom Technology, Handheld Learning, Transforming Learning | 2 Comments »

Archive for the ‘Handheld Learning’ Category

Microsoft’s Stealthy Strategy for Taking Over Education Technology?

Getting Rid of the ICT Suite

iPods, iPads and SEN Learners

Handheld Learning gives a Glimpse of the Future

Thoughts on Game Based Learning

Put your iPad on Your Desk

John Davitt speaks

Contact me

Follow us on Twitter

Doug Woods

Archive for the ‘Handheld Learning’ Category

Microsoft’s Stealthy Strategy for Taking Over Education Technology?

Related articles

Getting Rid of the ICT Suite

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iPods, iPads and SEN Learners

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Handheld Learning gives a Glimpse of the Future

Thoughts on Game Based Learning

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Put your iPad on Your Desk

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John Davitt speaks

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Contact me

Follow us on Twitter

Doug Woods