Mobile Learning

(Notes from Training Tech Solutions Conference & Expo 2007)

Mobile Web

• Great for just in time performance support.
• The phone needs data plan to access mobile web pages.
• When looking for hosting, make sure server is WML, WMLC, or WMLS compatible.
• Websites for mobile web pages uses .mobi (instead of .com, .tv, .org, etc.)
• For sites where you offer both regular and mobile pages you can label the mobile pages with a (m.) (ie  http://m.cnn.com)
• Barcodes or RFID technology can be used to access and distribute websites to phones that have the appropriate reader/reciever. For example, scanning a barcode on a piece of paper will take you to a website in your phone. http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Datamatrix http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semacode

Types of Mobile Content

• Information, education, retention
• On the job support
• Survey, quizzes, test
• Mentoring, coaching, collaboration
• Procedures, checklists, forms
• Notifications, alerts
• Games

Best Practice

• Keep the URL short so that people are more willing to go. Long URL is a barrier to entry.
• Keep content short. Make sure is compatible for mobile learning (i.e. don’t simply convert a book to mobile and consider it learning).
• Can use some of the same technology used in podcasting for recording content. See Podcasting below.

SMS messages 

• Can only hold up to 160 characters per message
• Can be done through Outlook
• Example www.Learning-by-sms.com – Learn a new language by SMS.

Software and Services

• www.mob5.com – Create mobile web
• www.winksite.com – Create mobile web
• www.mobisitegalore.com – Create mobile web
• www.mooobl.com – Phone emulator for seeing and testing mobile web
• www.mobiode.com – Create and deliver mobile survey.
• http//mr.dev.mobi – Check to see if your current website is mobile web friendly
• www.Studycell.com – Create mobile flashcards
• www.Impatica.com Deliver PowerPoint for Blackberry
• www.Hotlavasoftware.com – Provider for mobile authoring, publishing, delivery and tracking
• www.mlearning.com – Provider for mobile authoring, publishing, delivery and tracking

Resources

• www.mlearnopedia.com

Try it Out

• My mobile website I created in session (view with a cell phone or blackberry with web access)
  http//cheese6.websiteforever.mobi or copy and paste this URL in a phone emulator at www.mooobl.com
• My mobile survey I created in session (view with a cell phone or blackberry with web access)
  http//cheese6.mobiode.mobi or copy and paste this URL in a phone emulator at www.mooobl.com

Use the Terminology

(Notes from Training Tech Solutions Conference & Expo 2007)

Much of today’s technology is used in bottom-up information exchange, where large groups of people collaborate to produce organized content (think blog, wiki). Types of content organization can be divided into the following categories and examples.

• Discovery – www.boingboing.net is one of the world’s most popular blog authored by a five people on random, strange, and unusual topics.
• Prioritizing – www.digg.com is a blog where people collectively determine the value of the content on the web to be shared.
• Collaborating – www.wikipedia.org
• Flocking – www.flashmob.com and www.meetup.com are sites where people can schedule and create meetings with people that share similar interests.
• Mapping – www.outside.in maps local points of interest, stories, and stories from people for their community.

Terminology

Here are some terms used throughout the conference that may be new to some of us.

• Mobile Web – Refers to the World Wide Web as accessed from mobile devices such as cell phones, PDAs, and other portable gadgets connected to a public network. Access does not require a desktop computer. http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mobile_Web
• Mashups – A web application that combines data and/or functionality from more than one source. http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mashups
• Web 2.0 – Refers to a perceived second generation of web-based communities and hosted services which aim to facilitate collaboration and sharing between users. http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_2.0
• Web 3D – What SecondLife likes to consider their technology to be (it’s not quite an ‘official’ term yet since I can’t find it in wikipedia…).
• MMOG – Massively multiplayer online games such as SecondLife (related to MMORPG massively multiplayer role-playing games)

Other Terms you may want to know

• RSS and RSS Reader
• Ajax
• Moblog and MoVlog
• Folksonomy (tag clouds)