Background
When SumTotal announced that the upcoming version of ToolBook (version 9.5) would add support for creating Elearning for the Apple Iphone, I immediately replaced my trusty 6 year old Nokia with an Iphone. The idea that one could easily create Elearning for a mobile device appealed greatly to me, I also needed a new phone - and well - it was a great excuse to buy a cool gadget.
I have now used the iPhone for a few months and it is not so much a cool gadget for me anymore but a very useful tool that I use every day. In this article I will share my experiences of using the iPhone and some thoughts on how one can use the iPhone for learning purposes.
I plan to write a few more articles on Mobile learning, the iPhone and on using ToolBook as a tool to create mobile learning so stay tuned.
The iPhone is cool
For those of you who haven’t seen or used an iPhone before here is the lowdown: It’s very cool.
Seriously, it looks cool, it feels cool, but most importantly it IS very cool because it is immensely useful and very intuitive to use by tapping, pinching and sliding your fingers over the touch screen. The screen is large enough to hold quite a bit of information and it is very crisp so it’s a pleasure to read text and pictures on the screen. This does not mean that my ideas on mobile learning expressed here can only be delivered on the Iphone, but currently the iPhone is the best choice. The outlook of the second generation iPhone (AKA the iPhone 3G) soon being made (more) readily available this statement seems even more true.
“Information anywhere”
Initially my favorite iPhone apps were weather and maps and similar but after having used it for a few months I have noticed I am using the iPhone browser more and more to learn very specific things and that this happens exactly when I need that information.
Example: To take the Peony seeds, or not?
My wife and I were at my parents place this weekend and walked in their garden. We noticed that some of my parent’s peony plants had seeds and we were just about to take some them with us, when we wondered how easy it was to grow Peonies from seeds. I took my iPhone out of my pocket and a “finger slide” and two taps later I have Google in my hand, right there in the garden. I did a Google search and quickly found a short article which we both read. It turned out to be a little more work than we were up for (it takes 3 to 5 years!), so we left the seed on the plants. But now I know something about growing peony plants from seeds. Sure I could have looked it up later when we were back from our walk - but chances are that I wouldn’t have done so because I would no longer have a need to know.
Basically I changed my behavior because of information I obtained with the help of this technology and I did so because it was readily available, the internet was in my pocket.
Information changed my behavior
Anyway the point that I am trying to make is that I am using my iPhone to get information exactly when I need it and it is not only effecting my decisions (we didn’t bother taking the seeds) but also you can be sure I won’t forget about growing peonies from seeds anytime soon.
Why did I learn so well?
(or "Bodily-Kinesthetic intelligence with Computer Assisted Learning")
If you are into Howard Gardiners “multiple intelligences” you might say that the reason I learned it so well - and is likely to retain the knowledge for a long time - is that I used a lot of my intelligences while I was learning:
- My Logical-Mathematical intelligence - to figure out what to search for in Google
- My Verbal-Linguistic intelligence - to read the article
- My Spatial intelligence - to see the seeds on the flowers
- My musical intelligence – to hear what is being read aloud from the article by my wife
- My Interpersonal intelligence (to discuss the work involved with my wife)
- And finally I used my Bodily-Kinesthetic intelligence (to touch -not only the seeds - but also the Iphone).
(Not very often do you see an examples of computer assisted learning which involves the Bodily-Kinesthetic intelligence).
You could do a similar listing if you are into learning styles (Dunn and Dunn, Kolb and many more). I’ll refrain from that here not to start a war on which – if any – learning style model to use. But In layman’s terms you could say that I was very motivated to learn and I had the opportunity to do so, in a way that involved a lot of my senses.
Usability, anyone?
I would add that it also made difference that the technology was used in a very “natural” way in the situation.
In other words to learn about flowers ; standing in a garden touching an mobile device is technology used more on humans terms, than sitting down inside in front of a computer screen typing on a keyboard, Which would be technology on technology’s terms.
Using Mobile learning on the job
Within the learning or the Elearning industry there are a few terms which we hear often. One is “on the job training”, another is “just in time training”.
Ok so it’s a bit of industry jargon but it just refers to the scenario that a person with a need to learn something to perform a task or make a decision, can access the training required when they need it and where they need it (as opposed to “should have learned it” or “will learn it in two weeks” in a training room, at home, at the office etc).
Sounds exactly like my garden example above doesn’t it?
Who can benefit from using Mobile learning with the iPhone?
Here are a few examples of who could potentially benefit from using the iPhone for learning purposes.
- Mechanics, electricians, construction workers etc needing access to technical information (building schematics, diagrams, blueprints etc) when on site.
- Sales people on the road needing access to training.
- Security people needing information on security systems while responding to an alarm.
- Medical staff needing access to patient journals
Basically, anyone who is mobile in their work that needs access to information to perform their job.
That’s it for today; I am going bit out on a limb here straying away from my usual technical topics, let me know if you liked it. You can also probably think of more examples than I’ve mentioned, I’d be very pleased if you would post your examples, feedback or suggestions in the comments below.
/Tomas Lund
Links:
Apples’ iPhone 3G. A guided Tour
Wikipedia, Learning styles
Wikipedia, Howard Gardiners multiple intelligences
Usability guru Jakob Nielsen on the iPhone
How to Grow Peonies from Seed
ToolBook 9.5 preview site