Mobile Technology for Enhanced Professional and Personal Learning Teaching for Understanding Framework INSYS 527 Spring

g 2013 Part I. Overview Topic. This design is for a two-part workshop for educators and academic support staff to get hands-on experience using mobile technologies for their personal and professional development. The initial workshop serves to introduce participants to a variety of mobile devices, how to set personal and professional goals, and examples of how to use mobile technologies to not only capture these goals within context, but to work towards meeting these goals. This workshop would then be enhanced by a semester-long opportunity for participants to use the mobile devices and to share with each other what and how they are learning with their mobile devices. The culminating workshop at the end of the semester is a debriefing opportunity for all to discuss what worked and what didnt work, what goals they were able to meet, what mobile features they used (apps, audio, camera, etc.) and considerations for their own classroom teaching. I think that if more people who are involved in teaching had personal experience with mobile technologies to support their own learning, they would consider integrating this into their own teaching, and so this lesson is mainly created with the intention of creating the opportunity for that hands-on experience over an extended period of time. They would also become intimately aware of concepts relating to mobile computing literacy and their own professional development. The idea is to introduce participants to mobile technologies, in particular smartphones, and then to give them a taste of self-directed mobile learning. There would be a need for funding of at least 20 various devices so that participants can all have one to take home and use for an entire semester. There are current opportunities for members of the university to check out iPads for a two-week period, but for this to be successful, participants would need to have the chance to customize the device and have extended use. Participants can also have the opportunity to become familiar with a device other than the one they may already own personally (e.g. if they own an iPhone, they could check out an Android phone or tablet). As an instructional developer and a heavy smartphone/tablet user myself, I have great interest in this subject and I think that the participants who sign up to attend this workshop would also be particularly interested because they voluntarily chose to be a part of it. Since many own smartphones and there would be several types of devices available for long-term loan, I think this would spark interest and excitement in this topic. Context. This workshop would be offered to the faculty, support and administrative staff at an institution of higher education. This will be open to those who are directly involved in teaching or those who prepare materials and provide resources and services that support student learning. Part II. Design Components Understanding goals. The main goal of this project will be to provide academic staff and educators with hands-on experience in using mobile devices for professional development and personal learning. They will also encounter many computer literacy

concepts such as user guides and documentation, existing problems/bugs, troubleshooting, and finding reliable technical support. These are concepts that their students would also encounter should they choose to integrate mobile technologies into their own classrooms. 1. Participants will understand how to use mobile devices to support their own learning. a. Participants will understand the complex and multifunctional nature of mobile devices. b. Participants will understand the overlap between formal classroom learning and everyday informal learning. c. Participants will understand the functions of a variety of mobile devices, not just the one(s) they may happen to own. They will be encouraged to check out a device that is different from the one they currently own in order to gain content knowledge of a variety of devices. 2. Participants will appreciate the contextual benefits of mobile technologies. 3. Participants will understand the difference between WiFi and 3G capable devices and the impact that connectivity has on capturing learning. 4. Participants will understand the importance of choosing apps that allow for immediate capturing of goals vs. apps that allow for sharing with others. 5. Participants will understand the challenges and opportunities of using mobile technologies for personal and professional learning. 6. Participants will understand the challenges that come with using mobile devices and apps, the learning curve, how to get reliable help, etc. 7. Participants will understand the opportunities that come with being able to capture information anywhere and anytime and then share with others for multiple sources of feedback. 8. Participants will understand the debriefing process and how the rapid change of technology could impact their design choices. Understanding performances. Participants go from class discussions about what their professional goals are and how they think mobile technologies can be leveraged to meet those goals to more complex performances of actually recording goals, sharing them with others and providing feedback to other participants. Some participants will also be invited back to teach others in later workshops about what they learned and if they have continued or even incorporated this into their own classroom teaching. Although direct instruction and examples are provided in the initial workshop, participants will have a 5 month opportunity to practice and discuss with others what and how they are learning with mobile devices. They will be able to reflect during this time and especially at the culminating workshop where they discuss the challenges they came across and how they might incorporate this into their own teaching. 1. Participants must first identify their own personal or professional needs by discussion in the initial workshop. The opportunity for them to set their own goals will provide added motivation and engagement. This should involve direct instruction from the HR director about how to identify professional needs and set goals. This presentation is generally given annually during the appraisal period, but would be well suited as a part of this workshop. 2. The initial workshop will also provide a technical overview of various mobile devices, introduction to certain concepts such as WiFi, 3G/4G, mobile apps, and

allow participants to discuss their own familiarity and use of mobile devices. As a class, we will brainstorm a list of professional goals (become a better speaker, attend various conferences, etc.) and speculate how mobile technologies could be used to help meet those goals. Emphasize the benefit of being able to capture needs and goals at the same time that one recognizes the need, not only during the annual performance appraisal. This is where mobile devices come in. 3. Examples will be given of how a smartphone or other mobile device can be used to record/capture ones personal and professional development needs. Participants will be invited to add to this list: a. Using a note-taking app. There are many free ones that come as default apps on most smartphones. There are also apps that can be downloaded from the providers App store such as Notability ($2.99) or Penultimate (Free). b. Using a voice recording app. Many smartphones also come with a voice recorder that can be used even if an idea pops up while driving or if talking is preferable to writing these thoughts down. Audio Memos, for example, is a free app that can be downloaded from the iTunes or Android app store. c. Using a shared document. There will be a shared Google document which participants can edit using the Google Drive mobile app. Even if participants record their personal needs on one of the previously mentioned ways, they can choose to additionally share some of their identified needs with others using this Google document. This can lead to possible collaborations if they see that other colleagues have similar needs or issues. I will also be able to monitor this document and identify common issues, make arrangements to address certain needs that arise by designing additional workshops, contacting individuals for one-on-one support, or forward these needs to others that can provide assistance. 4. After the needs are identified, participants can then look for ways or activities to meet those needs. Although there will be no required activities, a number of examples will be provided in the initial workshop to help participants use their mobile devices to work towards meeting their goals. For example: Whenever you have some spare time, search Google to research topics that you have identified as gaps in knowledge. Search for and download podcasts on particular topics of interest. These can be accessed even when you do not have internet connectivity. Over time, build a list of websites, papers and books recommended by colleagues. You can then download these and read when you have time, or listen during a long commute. Sites like Audible provide thousands of audiobooks. The Google Drive document mentioned earlier is also a place where participants can add which activities they have found helpful or which ones they plan to do to meet those goals they identified. Other participants, as well as the instructor of the workshop can also give suggestions on how their colleagues can meet those needs. (If someone writes they want to improve presentation skills, someone else might recommend a book or video to watch on the topic). 5. At the end of the semester, there would be a culminating workshop where everyone returns the devices and discusses what they learned, how they

recorded their needs and how they worked towards meeting them. Problems they came across, what they would do differently, if they have changed the way they now use their personal device, etc. This could also be a time for them to reflect on how they might incorporate mobile technologies into their own classrooms or context. 6. The shared document will continue to be available and participants will be encouraged to continue adding to this and helping others with their lifelong learning goals. This same document will be used for future workshops so that the new participants can see what others have done in the past and seasoned learners will be invited to come and speak to new participants about their experiences during these workshops and since then. Ongoing assessment. There will be both formative and summative assessments built into the design. The first few performances involve group discussions. These informal conversations serve as formative assessment for students to self-evaluate as they listen to others views of mobile technologies, some of the issues they foresee and comparing these ideas with their own. The shared google document is another method of formative assessment and reflection as students see what others goals are, determine common goals and collaborate to meet professional needs. The instructor will also see what kind of goals the participants are setting, what are common gaps in knowledge, and can use this information to improve future workshops, create new workshops, and give feedback to participants during the 5 months that they will be involved. The summative assessments include the actual lists/recordings that participants create as well as their final presentations about what they did, some of the goals they set, and how they used the technology to meet them. References Perkins, D., & Unger, C. (1999). Teaching and learning for understanding. In C. Reigeluth (Ed.), Instructional-design theories and models: A new paradigm of instructional theory (Edition III) (p. 91-114). Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum.