LTC to Develop Mobile Learning Portal - August 31st, 2009

What small electronic device in a purse or pocket near you can take a photograph, e-mail a friend, play a song, surf the Web, and oh yes, make a phone call? Of course, it’s the latest generation of cell phones, dubbed “smart phones,” and these examples are only a few of the myriad possible features and capabilities available on mobile devices today. And with research indicating that over 90% of college students own a cell phone and over 30% can access the Web with their phones, is it any wonder that educators have begun to explore the use of these rich features to improve education?

Educators are particularly excited by the possibilities of mobile learning. Wireless mobile devices allow instructors to both send information to and solicit information from students. In classes, instructors can poll students to gather real-time response data, or gather feedback throughout a semester. Students can receive course materials and announcements, check grades, and collaborate with classmates. The near-ubiquity of mobile devices greatly reduces the funding needed for hardware. And because students’ personal lives are now so infused with technology, these methods allow students to learn in the same ways they socialize with friends or seek entertainment.

The Learning Technology Center (LTC) has always been interested in developing educational uses for new technologies such as mobile devices. In 2006, before smart phones were prevalent, Ken Tothero, LTC External and Special Projects Coordinator and member of the College Technology Vision Plan Committee, initiated an ITAC-funded project to develop educational uses for personal digital devices (PDA), such as the Palm and Pocket PC. While several applications were developed, Ken realized during this time that technology trends were rapidly moving away from PDAs toward mobile smart phones. The project’s focus was shifted to concentrate on mobile Web-accessible devices. A classroom fleet of iPod Touches was purchased and development was begun on a mobile-capable version of the Presidential Timeline, an NEH-funded Web site that the LTC developed in partnership with the presidential libraries. Mobile versions of two Vision Award projects, Dr. Paul Resta’s Online Assessment system and Dr. Dan Robinson’s Team-Based Testing system, were also created.

The LTC’s interest in mobile learning mirrors that of several other departments on campus. In 2009, the LTC joined with the Colleges of Liberal Arts and Fine Arts and the Division of Instructional Innovation and Assessment to submit a joint proposal for an ITAC-funded Mobile Learning Initiative. The project received $73,000 in funding. The goal of the collaboration is to combine resources and share ideas to promote mobile learning across campus. As the College of Education’s portion of the project, the LTC will develop a portal, available to mobile devices, that provides access to a suite of Web-based applications that include the College of Education e-Portfolio system and tools for blogs, wikis, Web site development, and text messaging. These resources will be configured to support graduate courses as well as the teacher preparation cohorts.

As the Learning Technology Center and the College of Education boldly forge the way to mobile learning, there will be many questions to answer. How can the technology best be used to increase student learning? Will mobile devices take the place of laptops? Learning the answers will undoubtedly lead to more efforts to improve education at the College of Education at the University of Texas at Austin.

—Laurie Caldwell, LTC Communications Coordinator

Related Sites:

• LTC External and Special Projects