What will learners be expected to do?

At this point in time, three weeks into my study of mobile learning, I believe that the most critical issue for the design and development of learning material for mobile learning is clearly identifying the purpose of the learning materials and why they are being designed and developed for mobile learning.

And I can now narrow this broader issue down more specifically. As I was thinking about this issue, I came across a very recent article on this very topic (via Tony Bates’s blog). According to Judy Brown, a mobile learning strategist analyst, the most critical issue to address when considering mobile learning materials is to consider what you expect learners to do with the learning materials: will they be consuming content, creating content, or both? (Brimah, T. and Fusch, D. [2010] Considering mobile learning for your institution Academic Impressions Higher Ed Impact: Weekly Analysis January 28)

This advice from Brown makes sense to me for a couple of reasons:

• The first consideration when designing any learning materials is to consider the purpose and the outcomes: what is learner expected to be able to demonstrate upon completing the course of study (or the specific learning activity).
• Some mobile devices may be fine for delivering content but inappropriate for creating content (depending on the type of content to be created).

In my initial experience with my mobile device (iPod Touch) testing it as a mobile learning device, I’ve discovered that the materials that are output from the device can be very user-friendly (e.g., a podcast from Writers & Company, a YouTube video on how to butterfly a chicken; a Wikipedia application designed specifically for the iPhone). However, input (or, in a learning situation, creating some kind of content) can be a challenge. For example, using the iPod Touch to create extended text such as might be required for a written assignment or a blog posting can be frustrating. A handheld mobile device like the iPod Touch, or iPhone, or other smartphone is fine for creating a short message (text message, tweet, etc.) or email, but trying to write a blog posting or an extended written assignment would be a chore. Therefore, when designing materials for mobile learning, determining whether the learning materials are intended primarily for consumption of content as opposed to creation of content is a critical issue.

As Judy Brown suggests in the same article, rather than trying to transfer current learning methods to a new technology, it is more helpful to try to think about the strengths of the technology and adapt the learning to drawn upon those strengths. For example, learners might more easily create content using a smartphone if the content involves photographs rather than text. Brown provides the example of students in an art class studying topography, and tasked with taking photos of various signs and uploading them for discussion with others in the class.

Brown also mentions some of the key issues that are critical to designing and developing any instructional materials. As an instructional designer, I typically start by analyzing the needs of the project, which primarily involves identifying the purpose and goals of the learning. In the instructional design process, this initial analysis leads to development of the specific learning outcomes to be achieved and the most appropriate ways to assess the learning. Using these starting points is helpful in determining the theoretical/pedagogical approach most appropriate (often, a combination of different approaches to the learning) and, thus, the learning activities that will best help the learner to achieve the learning outcomes.

Another critical issue in designing and developing materials for mobile learning is identifying the prospective learners: Who are the learners? (i.e., what is the learner profile?) What is their access to technology? Their comfort with technology? Connectivity? Can the materials be downloaded and used offline? These issues would need to be addressed at the outset to ensure that the prospective learners had the basic skills and access to the tools to be able to engage in a meaningful way with the mobile learning materials and situation.

Additionally, the type of mobile device expected to be used would certainly be an important issue in developing learning materials. Since there are many types of mobile devices, ranging from smartphones to laptops and netbooks, and now the iPad, the interface to be used to present the content would vary widely. The interface would need to be considered when designing and developing the materials to ensure that they could be delivered effectively on a variety of mobile devices.

So, while identifying the critical issue of considering what the learner is expected to do, I’ve also outlined some other equally important issues that would need to be considered when designing and developing materials for mobile learning. Undoubtedly, my thinking will change as I learn about this process over the next several weeks and read what my fellow learners have to say.

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