Mobile Learning, Social Learning
Joanne Jacobs
Australasian Cooperative Research Centre
for Interaction Design (ACID)
Urban Learning Space Seminar 25 January 2007
1
Scope of the Seminar
• ACID and Interaction Design Principles
• Definitions and Trends
• Learning Case Studies:
– Mobile Learning with SCOOT
– Geographically dispersed learning with Indigenous
Communities
– Public issues education with Recycled Water, Daylight
Savings and Industry successes
• BREAK
• Potential of Web 2.0 in industrial contexts
• Adaptation and deployment in Scottish contexts
Urban Learning Space Seminar 25 January 2007
3
ACID
• ACID is a Commonwealth funded coalition of
Universities and companies interested in
conducting applied research for the purpose of
developing prototype methodologies and
technologies for commercialisation
• So far, major successes have included
development of an award-winning Diversionary
Therapy device for children undergoing
treatment for burns, as well as mobile phone
applications for Nokia and archives of Australian
Indigenous Heritage.
Urban Learning Space Seminar 25 January 2007
4
ACID’s Interaction Design Principles
• Strong focus on ‘Human Design Matrix’
(HDM)
– a combination of user-centred design principles
as well as understanding contexts for
deployment of technology-mediated
experiences
• Growing advocacy in ACID for ‘Experience
Design’
– derived in part from the open source
community, where collective production and
publishing is generating more positive
outcomes for participants
Urban Learning Space Seminar 25 January 2007
5
Experience Design
• Representation and simulation
(of learning content)
• Communication enablers
(for the reception of content)
• Logic design
(support for content)
• Feedback qualities
(Interaction with content)
• Identity and relationships
(representations of the user/s)
Urban Learning Space Seminar 25 January 2007
6
ACID HDM Matrix
Relationships
Dimensions
Questions
Social
Context and
participants
Who are the participants?
What cultures, practices and dispositions do they share?
What relationships develop with static and itinerant
representatives of a physical site?
How do these relationships develop?
Spatial
Site
How do they currently relate to a site as a physical social
and cultural space?
Technical
Technologies
accessed and
accessible
What relationships do they currently and potentially have
to the technology and the interaction it can provide?
Temporal
Mobility, Duration,
Rhythm of
participation
How to physical spaces fit in the context of the journey?
How long do participants remain in a geographical space
and how long do they engage in a technologymediated activity and why?
How do they spend their days (a day in the life)?
Urban Learning Space Seminar 25 January 2007
7
Designing for learning
• History of interaction and education design:
– KLA oriented
– User-centred (but still top-down approach)
• ‘Natural born cyborgs’ (Clarke 2003)
– Experience oriented, user-led design (evolving)
– Facilitating access and conversations with
alternative sources is now key
• Learning on the move needs to consider
the ‘natural use’ of mobile and social
technologies
Urban Learning Space Seminar 25 January 2007
8
Definitions and trends
… just to ensure we’re all on the same
page here…
Urban Learning Space Seminar 25 January 2007
9
Definitions 1: Web 2.0
Web 2.0
Web 2.0 is the network as platform, spanning all connected
devices; Web 2.0 applications are those that make the
most of the intrinsic advantages of that platform: delivering
software as a continually-updated service that gets better
the more people use it, consuming and remixing data from
multiple sources, including individual users, while providing
their own data and services in a form that allows remixing
by others, creating network effects through an ‘architecture
of participation,’ and going beyond the page metaphor of
Web 1.0 to deliver rich user experiences.
SOURCE: O’Reilly Radar,
http://radar.oreilly.com/archives/2005/10/web_20_compact_definition.html
For further details, see:
http://www.oreillynet.com/pub/a/oreilly/tim/news/2005/09/30/what-is-web-20.html
Urban Learning Space Seminar 25 January 2007
10
Definitions 2: Perpetual Beta
Beta, beta release, perpetual beta
A concept drawn from programming, where an
application or content document is in an
‘unfinished’ state. In the case of an application, it
usually represents the first version with all features
functional, but possibly in an unstable or evolving
state. An entity is said to be in a state of perpetual
beta when a document or service is constantly
evolving as a result of user engagement.
Urban Learning Space Seminar 25 January 2007
11
Trends
• Growth in use of mobile devices
• Growth in number of blogs tracked
• Growth in peer oriented sources in
educational research and activity
Urban Learning Space Seminar 25 January 2007
12
Growth of portable mobile devices
Estimated growth of portable media devices,
Source: Parks Associates 2005,
http://www.clickz.com/stats/sectors/entertainment/article.php/3516986
Urban Learning Space Seminar 25 January 2007
13
Growth of blogs tracked
Source: Technorati State of the Blogosphere, October 2006
http://www.sifry.com/alerts/archives/000443.html
Urban Learning Space Seminar 25 January 2007
14
Growth of peer-oriented sources in
educational research
Source: Alexa Wikipedia traffic ranking
http://alexa.com/data/details/traffic_details?url=wikipedia.org
Urban Learning Space Seminar 25 January 2007
15
Case Studies in Learning
Urban Learning Space Seminar 25 January 2007
17
Case Study 1: Mobile Learning
• Learning is active
• Learning is in context
• Learning is embedded in the everyday experience
with the everyday tools.
• Learning content is dynamically received, created
and shared.
• Eliminates the gap that currently separates the
technologies of instruction and entertainment.
• Mobile learning connects people, places and
things
Urban Learning Space Seminar 25 January 2007
18
A family recently participating in the SCOOT mobile treasure hunt. This event held in
September 2006 took family groups on a discovery of facts and fictions through the
Melbourne Museum, The State Library of Victoria and Federation Square
Urban Learning Space Seminar 25 January 2007
19
Mother and Daughter participating in SCOOT 2006 at the
State Library of Victoria.
Urban Learning Space Seminar 25 January 2007
20
QUT Communication Design Students working on SCOOT
while waiting at the airport.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/scootgame
Urban Learning Space Seminar 25 January 2007
21
Mobile learning
Relationships
Dimensions
Questions
Social
student/student
student/faculty
student/lecturer
student/tutors
Who are the students of the sites?
What cultures, practices and dispositions do they
share?
What relationships develop with each other and the
supporting faculty?
How do these relationships develop?
Pedagogical
Students/learning materials
Students/learning activities
How do students interface with learning materials?
Cultural
Student/student
Students/student work
Student/visiting artists work
What kinds of expectations do the students have
relating to the cultural artefacts in the site (access,
understanding, interaction)? How might they
want to contribute culturally?
Spatial
student/site
How do they currently relate to the site (Creative
Industries Precinct)?
Technical
student/ICT
What relationships do they currently and potentially
have to the technology and the interaction it can
provide?
Temporal
Mobility, Duration, Rhythm
of Stay
How long do students stay and why? Do they return
and why?
How do they fit the various locations into their daily
lives?
Urban Learning Space Seminar 25 January 2007
22
Case Study 2: Heritage Learning
• Strong need to capture stories and history
of Indigenous Communities in Australia
• Entire languages and dialects dying out
• Culturally sensitive process – some
Indigenous communities regard various
forms of capture as ‘stealing the soul’
• Verbal or written histories not sufficient to
articulate the process of experiencing the
land (hence, experience design).
Urban Learning Space Seminar 25 January 2007
23
Demonstration: Songlines
• Digital Songlines is a living archive of
indigenous communities in Australia, built
on a gaming engine and recording details
of communities
• As Songlines is being developed, several
products are emerging as collections from
the work
DEMO: Vincent’s World, Irene’s World
Urban Learning Space Seminar 25 January 2007
24
Heritage Learning
Relationships
Dimensions
Questions
Social
participants /
participants
participants / facilitators
participants /
independent readers
Who are the participants of the sites?
What cultures, practices and ideas do they share?
What relationships develop with each other and the
supporting faculty?
How do these relationships develop?
Pedagogical
participants / ideas
participants / activities
How do participants interact with content and ideas from
their own experiences of indigenous communities?
Cultural
participants /
participants
participants / facilitators
What kinds of expectations do the participants have relating
to the engagements with Songlines? How might they want
to use Songlines as a means of supporting an ideas-oriented
cultural cohort?
Spatial
participants /virtual site
participants /actual site
How do they currently relate to the virtual space as a
separated space from their understanding of physical
spaces?
Technical
participants /ICT
What relationships do they currently and potentially have to
the technology and the interaction it can provide?
Temporal
Mobility, Duration,
Rhythm of Stay
How much time do participants spend with the interactive
space and why? Do they return and why?
How do they allocate sufficient time to accommodate
participants into their daily lives?
Urban Learning Space Seminar 25 January 2007
25
Songlines in Commercial Context
• Whilst the Songlines project is a ‘Cultural
Ark’ for indigenous heritage there ARE
commercial opportunities:
– Mining, infrastructure development and property
development require cultural heritage research
(commercial research)
– Reconciliation between culturally diverse
communities requires mediation in a shared
protocol (legal mediation and dispute resolution)
– Marketing of Australia for tourism purposes
(more visitors want an indigenous experience of
Australia than is achieved)
Urban Learning Space Seminar 25 January 2007
26
Case Study 2: Public Issues Learning
• Public education long been regarded as within the
purview of government and non-profit marketers
– These bodies aware that users increasingly seek
answers online or wish to learn at their own pace
• Public expectation of RAPID response to issues
• Public expectation of engagement and
consultation on issues
• Three examples considered:
– Queensland Water Commission
– Daylight Saving in South Eastern Queensland
– Addressing morale problems in a public hospital in
Brisbane
Urban Learning Space Seminar 25 January 2007
27
Queensland Water Commission
• Water facts:
– All water is freshly sourced in Queensland, from
catchment dams
– Current water storage in South East Queensland is at
22.9%
– In December 2008 Queensland will run out of water
– Referendum on recycled water in regional area,
Toowoomba, was rejected
• QWC set up to investigate ways to save water,
educate community and consult with community on
recycled water options
Urban Learning Space Seminar 25 January 2007
28
QWC Strategy
• Introduce a blog with Pro-blogger and Antiblogger stances on recycled water, plus
QWC-blogger (aka fence sitter)
• Write stories for press, develop podcasts
and v-casts for raising profile
• Encourage ‘network stars’ to be participants
in blog
• Enforce minimum number of posts per day
for bloggers (workflow management)
• Engage full-time moderator for governance
Urban Learning Space Seminar 25 January 2007
29
Daylight Savings in SEQ
• DLS facts:
– Queensland only state in Australia without DLS
– State is vast, with more than an hour’s difference in light
movements across the state
– History of resistance to DLS due to heat issues and
absurd suggestions from former Premier
– Current Premier said to be ‘considering’ splitting the state
in to two time zones
• Several online campaigns for state-wide adoption
ignored or failed. SEQ DLS campaign begun to
address concerns of all interested parties
Urban Learning Space Seminar 25 January 2007
30
SEQ DLS Experience
• Introduced an online petition, supported by existing
local government Councillor.
• Emailed petition to friends network. This
generated a viral marketing campaign.
• When southern states adopted DLS and problems
arise with differing time zones, media pick up the
campaign.
• After media blitz, signatures rise from a few
hundred to over 10,000 in the space of 3 weeks.
• Now, voluntary force on DLS established.
Referendum (or plebiscite) on political agenda for
2007.
Urban Learning Space Seminar 25 January 2007
31
Mater Hospital Blog
• Hospital facts:
– Divisions spread geographically over a number
of physical sites
– Departments often devoting resources to
solving the same problem quite independently
– Low morale due to success stories not being
communicated throughout the workforce
– Poor communications across specialist areas
• Mater Hospital blog and public displays set
up to address communications problems
Urban Learning Space Seminar 25 January 2007
32
Mater Blog Strategy
• Introduce a blog with representatives from various
divisions (doctors, nurses, maintenance staff,
marketing, research and patients’ advocacy).
• Install large screen public displays in staff
recreation areas to display blog posts on morphing
cycle.
• Encourage hospital workers from all divisions to
participate in blog comments through poster
education campaign sited near public displays.
• Enforce minimum number of posts per week for
bloggers, but maximum 100 words per post for fast
communication.
Urban Learning Space Seminar 25 January 2007
33
Public Issues Learning
Relationships
Dimensions
Questions
Social
participants /
participants
participants / facilitators
participants /
independent readers
Who are the participants of the sites?
What cultures, practices and ideas do they share?
What relationships develop with each other and the
supporting representatives?
How do these relationships develop?
Pedagogical
participants / ideas
participants / activities
How do participants interact with content and ideas from
their own experiences of contexts?
Cultural
participants /
participants
participants / facilitators
What kinds of expectations do the participants have relating
to the engagements with ideas? How might they want to use
technologies as a means of supporting an ideas-oriented
cultural cohort?
Spatial
participants /virtual site
participants /actual site
How do they currently relate to the virtual space as a means
of changing behaviours in their physical spaces?
Technical
participants /ICT
What relationships do they currently and potentially have to
the technology and the interaction it can provide?
Temporal
Mobility, Duration,
Rhythm of Participation
How much time do participants spend with the interactive
space and why? Do they return and why?
How do they allocate sufficient time to accommodate
participants into their daily lives?
Urban Learning Space Seminar 25 January 2007
34
Case Study Implications
• Mobile and social software widely identified as
desirable media for facilitation of learning, but
limited success in deployment… so far.
• Case studies in learning indicating experience
design is preferable to traditional education and
interaction design methods.
• Design of learning needs to acknowledge existing
uses of emerging technologies, and permit user
agency over experiences in order to reflect
meaningfully on learning.
Temporal costs affect acceptance, but perceived value of ongoing
social engagement is sustained across case studies.
Urban Learning Space Seminar 25 January 2007
35
BREAK
Morning Tea
(No Vegemite, I promise)
Urban Learning Space Seminar 25 January 2007
36
Web 2.0 Deployment
in commercial contexts
Or, how to use social software to
manage organisational knowledge
and promote learning
Urban Learning Space Seminar 25 January 2007
37
Items to be addressed
• Why consider adding Web 2.0
functionality to company offerings?
• What are the applications of Web 2.0?
• Possible applications of Web 2.0 in
example business areas.
Urban Learning Space Seminar 25 January 2007
38
Rise of ‘Web 2.0’
• Web 2.0 software and technologies arose as
a means of solving a publishing and accessibility
problem, whilst accommodating social
communications
• Web 2.0 not technically different from Web 1.0, just
delivering on the promise of the “markets are
conversations” ideals of technology advocates
(see The Cluetrain Manifesto)
Urban Learning Space Seminar 25 January 2007
39
What’s new about Web 2.0?
• Engaging stakeholders in decision making
• Allocating tasks based on skill sets and expertise
rather than as a role in an employment
environment
• Generative tools to denote ‘hot’ topics
• A culture of critical debate and engagement
– Produces a sense of trust in the publisher
• Evolving “correctness” of data
Urban Learning Space Seminar 25 January 2007
40
Why Web 2.0 at Your Company?
• Growing expectations among consumers
for value additions to standard content channels
• More audiences trusting ‘user-generated’
content and regard this as evaluative of
professionally produced content
• There is a need to ensure companies have a
document trail of all communications for
corporate reporting
Urban Learning Space Seminar 25 January 2007
41
Web 2.0 Applications
• Blogs, wiki and other personally developed
content, delivered as web content and through
RSS
• Content aggregators based on user-generated
content and social linkages (eg: social
bookmarking, flickr, YouTube, MySpace)
• ‘Mashups’ of multiple existing applications,
providing new meaning for consumers
Urban Learning Space Seminar 25 January 2007
42
User generated content
• Value: reduces cost of production of knowledge for
specific groups
• Value: cross-linking of expertise based on context;
provides an opportunity to grow links between
users from different disciplines
• Value: problem solving occurs through the ‘wisdom
of crowds’ concept of engaging stakeholders more
effectively
Urban Learning Space Seminar 25 January 2007
43
Example: MySpace
Business Entrepreneurs’ forum for sharing
documentation and discussion on running
new businesses with innovative solutions
Urban Learning Space Seminar 25 January 2007
44
Urban Learning Space Seminar 25 January 2007
45
Industrial adoption
• Training programs in communication and
news reporting on new strategies
• Possible company network of cooperative
firms
• Business continuity forum on solutions for
various problems
• Development of advocacy network
Urban Learning Space Seminar 25 January 2007
46
MySpace versus Google (Visits)
Source: Hitwise, MySpace Moves Into #1
47
Urban Learning Space Seminar 25 January 2007
Position
for all Internet Sites
YouTube, Flickr Reach
Source: Alexa, cited in Google, You Tube &
48
Urban Learning Space Seminar 25 January 2007
Dark
Side Of Online Video, Om Malik
Why so successful?
• Users want a context to exhibit
• Users wish to have their evaluations heard
• Users wish to feel part of elite, and
technologically adept networks
Urban Learning Space Seminar 25 January 2007
49
Can your company adopt?
• MySpace drives traffic through WOM
marketing and through social linkages
between participants
• Process involves providing users with a
simple interface for adding content and
allowing them to have control over content:
immediacy is crucial
• Few technological skills required to adopt;
need a decision on governance.
Urban Learning Space Seminar 25 January 2007
50
Example: Blogs and wiki
Opinion leaders in the blogosphere
and knowledge base entry creation
Urban Learning Space Seminar 25 January 2007
51
Urban Learning Space Seminar 25 January 2007
52
Urban Learning Space Seminar 25 January 2007
53
Technorati: Blog Growth
Source: Technorati, State of the Blogosphere.
Urban Learning Space Seminar 25 January 2007
54
Why so successful?
• Same as for MySpace – users still want a
context to exhibit and negotiate content
• ‘Ownership’ of content – given freely, but
recognition of authorship is often sufficient
as compensation (Creative Commons
licensing)
Urban Learning Space Seminar 25 January 2007
55
Can your company adopt?
• Blogs can be used as a form of PR, and
encourages more realistic feedback than
standard evaluative techniques.
• Blogs based on open source technology –
can be implemented at very low cost
• Wiki can be useful interface to standard
knowledge management utilities and
resources.
Urban Learning Space Seminar 25 January 2007
56
Example: podcasts and v-casts
ABC Podcasts and TelecomTV Video
Podcasts (v-casts)
Urban Learning Space Seminar 25 January 2007
57
Urban Learning Space Seminar 25 January 2007
58
Urban Learning Space Seminar 25 January 2007
59
Why so successful?
• Podcasting is successful as a “radio-killer”
application, particularly for information radio
and interviews
• Video podcasts are successful through
YouTube and as independent entities as
“video on demand”, and is more accessible
than lengthy reports and documentation to
explain complex ideas and processes.
Urban Learning Space Seminar 25 January 2007
60
Can your company adopt?
• Podcasts (video or audio) can be used as
PR
• Like blogs, podcasts can be implemented
at very low cost in terms of delivery.
Hosting costs may be affected by traffic and
storage increases as a result of this
practice
• Podcasts must be released regularly to
attract a regular audience.
Urban Learning Space Seminar 25 January 2007
61
Improving communication
• Blogs, podcasts and other Web 2.0 technologies can
permit conversations to evolve between an
organisation and its stakeholders
• Conversations are more effective facilitators of
business than common ‘information overload’
strategies
• Communication is not broadcasting; it’s not enough
to get the message out. You have to be open to
responses
Urban Learning Space Seminar 25 January 2007
62
Web 2.0ism by business area
• Business continuity and disaster recovery
• Corporate and organisational
communications
• Creative (in-house) development
• Professional development and training in
the workplace
• Educational resource augmentation in
traditional learning environments
• Corporate governance and knowledge
management
Urban Learning Space Seminar 25 January 2007
63
Business continuity (1)
• Disaster recovery and business continuity is
dependent on:
– fast responses to interruptions to operational processes
– clear and regular publishing of the status of the recovery
process
– alternative communication channels during the recovery
process
• Wiki represent a useful way of keeping the staff
informed of the situation at hand and storing
information gathered during an interrupted
process
Urban Learning Space Seminar 25 January 2007
64
Business continuity (2)
• Stakeholder engagement in scenario mapping for
file and processes losses is important to ensure
all information centres are covered in continuity
planning
• RSS feeds for blogs, wiki or other content
systems recording notices, instructions and
requirements for a scenario mapping exercise
can be a useful means of automating contact with
staff without having to have access to mailing
lists.
Urban Learning Space Seminar 25 January 2007
65
Corporate & Org Communications
• To raise awareness and trust in an organisation, it is
necessary to keep up a regular dialogue with your
workers/customers
• Blogs represent a fabulous means of releasing
information quickly and efficiently, and allowing
workers/customers to provide feedback on
information supplied in blog posts
• Surveys and categorisation of participants is
possible through blogs.
Urban Learning Space Seminar 25 January 2007
66
Creative development
• Increasingly, there are a range of skill sets
required for creative developers to collaboratively
develop campaigns across a range of delivery
platforms.
• Stakeholder engagement in the production
process for campaigns is a cost reduction
mechanism.
• Using wiki and file management galleries to share
information, edit content and annotate rich media
is a truly interactive process for creative content
production.
Urban Learning Space Seminar 25 January 2007
67
Professional development
• In training programs, keeping a sense of cohesion
among participants and reselling new training
programs is paramount for Rowland
• The use of social software tools as a means of
engaging participants in training programs and
sustaining an alumnus after the event is a logical
means of value adding existing programs and
ensuring that you do not lose touch with the
participants
• Participants actually begin to contribute content and
maximise their overall learning experience.
Urban Learning Space Seminar 25 January 2007
68
Limitations of current deployment
• Many organisations are seeking to deploy Web
2.0 facilities, but are having bad experiences or
limited success with the technologies
• This is primarily due to limitations in design of
deployment
– Often deployed as ONE WAY COMMUNICATION
– Dominantly still driven by the business; no public
advocacy being promoted (thus reducing trust in the
firm)
– Delayed feedback systems discourage participation.
No registration processes for instant authorship evident
(thus reducing ‘stickyness’)
Urban Learning Space Seminar 25 January 2007
69
Next steps
• Need to consider workshopping the
implementation of Web 2.0 software and
processes for business areas. This
involves evaluating:
– Value to be generated from user-generated
content
– Integration with existing knowledge
management architecture and processes
– Governance considerations
Urban Learning Space Seminar 25 January 2007
70
Costs
• Planning costs (time for staff and
facilitators)
• Software costs
• Maintenance costs
• Mining costs (data management)
Urban Learning Space Seminar 25 January 2007
71
Planning costs
• What Web 2.0 applications would be
useful?
• What management processes will need to
be applied to these applications?
• What capacity do we have to manage?
• What performance metrics will apply to
these applications?
(Including satisfaction with the scope and
functionality of tools among clients)
Urban Learning Space Seminar 25 January 2007
72
Software costs (1)
• Blogging/wiki software:
– WordPress, MediaWiki and several other
software solutions are free, open source
technologies.
– Cost for implementation = 1 day per software
package to install and integration with
organisational web servers; 1-2 days training in
use; ongoing staff cost of governance and
moderation (% time based on traffic and
complexity of installation)
Urban Learning Space Seminar 25 January 2007
73
Software costs (2)
• Rich media production (podcasts and
v-casts) involve cost of hardware for
recording and media editing software
– Near broadcast quality audio production studio
for under $1000 (editing software such as
Audacity is free)
– Flash video production involves digital video
hardware, staff with skills in video production
and software for editing or outsourced
production
Urban Learning Space Seminar 25 January 2007
74
Maintenance and Mining
• These are dependent on the governance regime
agreed in the implementation phase of the
applications, and the costs of integrating with
existing knowledge management architecture and
processes
• Regular updates to software and processes will be
necessary for these technologies due to the speed
of change in the field.
Urban Learning Space Seminar 25 January 2007
75
Web 2.0 Implications
• Revolution in production based on user-led
approach, differing from user-centred design
(‘Experience Design’)
• Most of the value to be derived from Web 2.0 can
be adapted for a series of contexts, commercial
and non-commercial
• Scotland well-placed to take advantage of
research and production at the Glasgow School of
Art Digital Design Studio to create world-leading
products and services that combine interactivity
with life-long learning and active citizenship.
Urban Learning Space Seminar 25 January 2007
76
Solving the problems together
• Break into groups with reps across areas of
expertise
• Come up with one innovation in either of
– Traditional education
– Public issues education
– Heritage education
• Consider what issues may arise, and
devise a solution
Urban Learning Space Seminar 25 January 2007
77
Any questions?
Joanne Jacobs
Project Manager, ACID
Private Consultant, UserLed.com
Ph: +61 7 3868 3134
Mob: +61 419 131 077
Email: joanne@joannejacobs.net
Blog: http://joannejacobs.net
Book: Uses of Blogs,
Available for order from Amazon
Urban Learning Space Seminar 25 January 2007
78