Thursday 4 September 2008

The mobility of learning: using mobile learning to rethink the digital divide

The mobility of learning: using mobile learning to rethink the digital divide

Mobile technologies and mobile learning have the potential to change the way in which learners can engage and interact with learning.

Gloucestershire College has been using mobile learning to enhance and enrich the learning process, for a range of learners, across the curriculum. They have developed a range of learning scenarios and activities that are integrated into the learning process and support a diverse range of learners.

Mobile technologies will be used by the participants within the workshop to examine how they can be used for learning and will also be used to feed back the outcomes from the workshop.

In this workshop, small groups of participants will examine the potential of mobile technologies and mobile learning to rethink the digital divide, including addressing the tensions between formal and informal learning, enabling access and removing exclusion, and empowering learners to take responsibility for their own learning.

The workshop introduction will provide an exploration of mobile learning and mobile technologies. Participants will discuss and debate mobile learning scenarios, and cover how they could be utilised within their own institutions, examining the potential conflict between formal learning and informal learning that mobile learning offers. They will also debate the idea and concept that mobile learning is accessible and inclusive for all learners. The small group discussion will also address how mobile learning can empower learners to take responsibility for their own learning. The groups will then feedback through a blog entry, an audio podcast or a video presentation. This feedback will be made available online to allow comment and further discussion beyond the workshop and with other conference delegates.

After the workshop, participants will have a greater understanding of the role of mobile learning in addressing the digital divide. Mobile technologies will have been used within the workshop by the participants to understand the learning scenarios, and the participants will have presented the workshop outcomes through a variety of learning technologies.

No comments: