The main focus of this research is on the support and enhancement of face to face teaching and learning by using wireless mobile devices (WMDs or smartphones) as a means to leverage the potential of current and emerging collaborative and reflective e-learning tools (e.g. blogs, wikis, RSS, instant messaging, podcasting, social book marking, etc…). These are often called “social software” or web2.0 tools. The research project links the use of freely available mobile friendly web2.0 tools accessed via a smartphone with the learning objectives of a variety of different tertiary education courses. The smartphone’s wireless connectivity and data gathering abilities (e.g. photoblogging, video recording, voice recording, and text input) allow for bridging the on and off campus learning contexts – facilitating “real world learning”.

The research is focusing on social constructivist approaches to education (Bijker et al., 1987; Lave & Wenger, 1991; Vygotsky, 1978; Wenger et al., 2002) and a conversational model (Laurillard, 2001, 2007) of teaching and learning. The disruptive nature of web2.0 and mobile technologies (Sharples, 2000, 2001, 2005; Stead, 2006) facilitates a move from instructivist pedagogies to social constructivist pedagogies.

The personal, social networking, and context awareness of mobile devices democratise power relationships and are best suited to open learning environments. Disruptive technologies are those technologies that challenge established systems and thinking, requiring change and are thus viewed by many as a threat to the status quo. Disruptive technologies democratise institutional learning environments challenging the established power relations between teachers and students. Mishra et al (2007) argue that “appropriate use of technology in teaching requires the thoughtful integration of content, pedagogy, and technology”.

Defining mobile learning: Context bridging
Definitions of mobile learning (mlearning) initially focused upon the mobility of the devices, and more recently the mobility of the learners. Sharples proposes a form of Laurillard’s conversational framework, excluding the teacher, to define mobile learning by its contextual and informal learning characteristics.

“The processes of coming to know through conversations across multiple contexts amongst people and personal interactive technologies” (Sharples et al., 2006). However, a key element in the conversational framework is the dialogue between teacher and student. In contrast to Sharples et al (2006), Laurillard (2007) emphasises the teacher’s input in mobile environments through good pedagogic design that facilities continuity between the face to face and remote peer learning contexts. Her definition of mobile learning incorporates the critical pedagogical design input of the teacher: “M-learning, being the digital support of adaptive, investigative, communicative, collaborative, and productive learning activities in remote locations, proposes a wide variety of environments in which the teacher can operate” (Laurillard, 2007).

It is the potential for mobile learning to bridge pedagogically designed learning contexts, facilitate learner generated contexts, and content (both personal and collaborative), while providing personalisation and ubiquitous social connectedness, that sets it apart from more traditional learning environments. Mobile learning, as defined in this paper, involves the use of wireless enabled mobile digital devices (Wireless Mobile Devices or WMD’s) within and between pedagogically designed learning environments or contexts. From an activity theory perspective, WMD’s are the tools that mediate a wide range of learning activities and facilitate collaborative learning environments (Uden, 2007).

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