eLearning attributes of mobile devices with an emphasis on smart phones and the iPad (Peter Looms at Sharefest)

Peter Olaf Looms opened this session about the attributes of mobile devices, smart phones and iPads with a suggestion that the wait and see approach is an approach but perhaps not the most positive! Do we want to be reactive or proactive? Normally the lead in time for significant developments is a couple of years...things never stay stationary.

A quick overview of mobile technologies and their use was followed by a more in-depth description of some of the uses. So, for example, Peter mentioned that iPads are often used by groups of people (3 or 4 in a group) because the size of the screen is conducive to sharing. However, the smaller device can be more convenient in some circumstances where you might not want to be conspicuous.

Image via WikipediaLaptops are seen as work devices, and iPads are not in the same league as far as the range of functionality is concerned - but the aim / use of the devices is ultimately different. There seems to be a lot of focus on products that are based around TV programmes that parents and children can interact through and with (e.g. Wallace and Grommit). Will the iPad replace the picture book? Does it empower the child to interact more (listening to a story can be pretty passive, but don't children interact actively while engaging with a picture book?

Thinking about media consumption per week (e.g. watching TV, playing console games, watching videos and DVDs) surveys can be misleading as there is either social taboos around some media consumption, or the person is truly unsure how much time they spend (an hour may pass in what seems like 5 minutes). There is a wide range of devices that young people use, but they may not have all the3 skills necessary to use them in ways efficacious to learning.
Image via Wikipedia

Human needs do not really change, but the devices around to help us fulfil them do. It is healthy to do things autonomously and it is up to us what role we wish to assign the iPad and smartphones. The end aim is always important (for example a doctor explaining something to a patient will find an iPad more useful that a smartphone because of size - and the  visual, multimedia functions of the device can empwer the doctor and the patient in establishing understanding). Look first at the context, and work out needs, and only then choose whatever is going to fulfil those needs.

.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Smart Phones, iPads, and Baby Boomers (advertisingtobabyboomers.blogspot.com)
• 3G: Does this change everything? (trak.in)
• Survey: iPad owners prefer e-books to print (macworld.com)