Higher Ed
Rethinking Mobile Learning & the Promise of Flying Cars
Presented at Penn State Web Conference 2014
Mobile technology innovation and growth have outpaced and outgrown our current teaching ideals and delivery methodologies at all levels of education. We are entering into a perfect storm for m-learning. Instead of top-down transmitting models, we could engage learners with collaborative models that are already in place via text messaging, and crowd sourcing that are available via social networks. We could encourage anywhere, anytime learning through instant access to information and more satisfying inquiry for teachers and learners. What is lacking in online learning delivery is the integration of mobile for content, access to course content and creating situated learning. The future of learning opportunities lies in context-aware ubiquitous learning, leveraging peer-to-peer, personalization, and multimedia interaction. Digital is the old way of thinking. Mobile is the new way – the way we think today.
Community or Tribalism
One of the components of online communities is that regardless of anonymity or size, we tend to gravitate into tribal groups based on what we perceive as like-minded individuals and in some cases “alphas” within a group.
Have we started to form into tribal groups based on the history of posts and discourse with certain people within the course? Within the course are those you tend to post first each week and set the tone or direction of discussion. And parts of the groups that sit on the “periphery” come into the discussion after a series of posts have established a direction for the discussion.
One of the questions I would ask in terms of community building and an individuals coming into the discussion from the periphery depend their reluctance to establish a thread, are intimidated by being first, the group or the technology?