The Reflection of the Week:
The topic of this week is mobile, wireless and ubiquitous learning. Also, we have a great speaker, Dr. Paul Kim from Stanford University, who has a numerous of work about mobile devices and works in different countries such as India, Mexico, Palestine, Rwanda, etc. He works about how mobile devices can facilitate learning and be useful for students who live in rural areas and have no opportunities to have access and use technology.
Let’s talk about the benefits of mobile devices. For me, the biggest benefit of mobile devices is that they can be used in bad economic, social and political issues. Let me give example, one of Dr. Kim article talks about Palestinian students in West Bank. He states that the students do not have access any technology and they have electric and water only two hours four a day. Mobile devices were provided to these students and Israeli students use and create their interactive storytelling. Mobile devices allowed them create their stories without any technologies like internet, web, and electric. Finally, these both Palestinian and Israeli students share their stories with each other, which should be useful to improve mutual understanding and make contributions to peace between two countries. Thus, mobile devices allow student to learn beyond classrooms and even the borders.
However, there are some points needing to be improved on mobile devices. First, there are no common operating standards created and accepted by companies for different kind of mobile devices. Battery is also a kind of barrier. Also, mobile devices should need to be more functional and usable. From perspective of learning and teaching, new studies are needed and should be conducted to integrate mobile devices into pedagogy in order to increase effectiveness of mobile devices.
The example of the Week:
There are a lot of mobile devices to use such as IPhone, BlackBerry, kindle, and recently IPad. I heard that these mobile devices decrease the selling of PC’s and laptops.
The quote of the Week:
The Future is Here; It's Just Not Widely Distributed, Yet.
William Gibson
The Future is Not Widely Distributed. Therefore, it is Not Here, Yet.
Paul Kim
The Picture of the Week:
Mobile devices provide collaborative learning between students. This picture shows two students using mobile devices.
(Source:http://ldt.stanford.edu/~educ39107/paulk/NCTI_2.pdf)
Hey Cesur,
ReplyDeleteI am happy that for the last three weeks of class Dr. Bonk gave us the opportunity to look at someone else's Web 2.0 Reflection. I like your layout of your personal reflection, example of the week, quote of the week, and picture of the week. I like how all four categories are interrelated and help to emphasize the week's topic. Kudos!
Now to comment on your content of the blog, I agree with your idea that mobile devices are great learning tools for those in rural and economic diminished areas internationally. You being from Turkey and me from Jamaica, I know we have seen our fair share of those who come from these less than pleasant backgrounds. We have seen this too right here in Bloomington.
Education is something that those who have grown-up with take for granted and do not realize how special it is until they see stories like of those who have no opportunity to get. It should not take situations like this for us to do something about spreading education locally, nationally, and internationally. These mobile devices that those that Dr. Kim ha invented and used worldwide are just beginning phases as to where he wants to be. I hope that we can take what he has taught us in one class of lecture and build from there.
Elke
Hello Cesur,
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that the most benefits of mobile devices are directed toward underserved populations. However, I think that mobiles are also influencing everyone's (those who have and have not) learning and communication activities.
In terms of batteries and charging the devices, I really liked Dr. Kim's ideas of using bicycles and kits for charging mobiles. I am sure more accessible methods will be created too.
Also, I liked that you mentioned the role of mobile devices for collaboration. However, I think there might be limitation in this area because of hardware and software design. In one of Dr. Kim's papers he discussed the conflict between controlling the device and collaboration in groups with one devices.
Overall, I think mobile devices will have bigger role in the future to facilitate learning activities.
Best,
Hesham