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.

Research Prologue

I’ve been doing some ad-hoc research on gesture/touch based technologies and children. Exploring what is a child’s learning curve for touch based device, their technology expectations and biases, what is the driving factor for playing with specific technologies and what does this means for GUI design, User Experience, programming, development and deployment.

I’ve discussed some of the general findings with various people at the Breaking Development conference with a lot of interest from designers and developers from Intel, Microsoft and a tech guru. The next step is to start compiling and putting some qualitative structure into my finds and sending out via this blog. Posting my findings and thoughts out there is intimidating, but a necessary part in my professional career development and personal growth.

Exciting times.