FACEBOOK - Mobile

Welcome to the first post in the Mobile Learning section of our Ubiquitous Learning 2.0 collaborative blog!

In this and future Mobile Learning posts, I will share some thoughts on specific emerging technologies as they relate to mobile learners.  In particular, I'd like to focus on how mobile learning is different from both classroom and online learning, and how mobile learning has specific advantages over other (non-mobile) types of learning.

For this post, I will be writing about Facebook Mobile and its impact on mobile learning.  But, because this is my first post in this blog, I thought I'd step back a minute to discuss mobile learning in general.

MOBILE LEARNING
According to Pew Research http://pewresearch.org/pubs/1315/teens-use-of-cell-phones, as of early 2008, 71% of teens ages 12-17 used a cell phone.  However, despite the ubiquitous use of cell phones by school children, many teachers and school administrators consider mobile devices as more of a distraction than learning tools.  In fact, many schools have banned cell phone and other mobile devices from their classrooms.

Here is a short clip of Dr. Elliot Soloway from the University of Michigan, who is an expert in the field of mobile learning (and a very entertaining speaker!).  Dr. Soloway argues that mobile devices need to be embraced (not banned) in the classroom:



The report Pockets of Potential: Using Mobile Technologies to Promote Children's Learning (PDF file) (a great report on mobile learning and highly worth reading when you have the time) mentions many benefits of mobile learning, including:

• Encourages "anywhere, anytime" learning
• Promotes collaboration
• Stimulates learning in real-world contexts
• Supports individualized learning
• Bridges formal and informal learning
• Helps reach underserved children in developing countries, such as countries in Africa where mobile devices are much more popular than computers

MOBILE VS. ONLINE
Today, mobile learning is similar to online learning because oftentimes students are accessing the same educational content via both media (mobile device and computer).  However, mobile learning is starting to take advantage of some mobile-specific features, including:

• Texting (anywhere, anytime)
• Taking photos and videos
• Playing podcasts and games (anywhere, anytime)
• Use as student response system (SRS) device
• Ability to read QR codes (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/QR_Code)

In the future, there will undoubtedly be other mobile features that further differentiate mobile learning from online (and classroom) learning.  And, as these features come into existence, I will (undoubtedly) blog about them here.

FACEBOOK
Now, on to our first emerging technology we are discussing on this collaborative blog: Facebook.  Facebook has built its mobile application, Facebook Mobile, to serve the needs of its mobile users.  According to Facebook, over 65 million (of the 300+ million total Facebook population) now use Facebook Mobile, up from 20 million just eight months ago.

So, how can mobile learners take advantage of Facebook Mobile?  Here are some possibilities:

Class assignments
A high school English teacher setup a Facebook page and instructed his students to use their cell phones to send photos or videos pertaining to a lesson to the Facebook page.  The students were able to see any updates to the Facebook page on their cell phones by subscribing to the Facebook page's RSS feed.
http://www.cellphonesinlearning.com/2009/05/facebook-classroom-management-projects.html

Group projects
Students can form Facebook group pages to collaborate on projects.  After a Facebook group is setup, students can join the group and receive status messages, photos, and other content via Facebook Mobile on their cell phones.

Blackboard integration
Students can receive notifications on their Facebook page about updates that occur on their course Blackboard site.  For example, if a student is interested in a specific discussion board topic in Blackboard, he/she can get instant updates about any new posts on his/her cell phone through Facebook Mobile.
http://chronicle.com/blogPost/Blackboard-Unveils-Application/3931

Games
Although Facebook has many (addictive) games on its main site, there are no games yet on Facebook Mobile.  However, there is a lot of talk about Facebook soon making mobile games available for its mobile users.  Once this happens, games with educational content will no doubt follow and can make Facebook Mobile a popular educational games provider.

Augmented Reality
Augmented Reality (AR) is a blending of the real and virtual worlds into a "mixed reality" environment.  To enter into an AR environment, you can use head-mounted displays (like glasses) or use a video device, such as a cell phone display.  Here is a fascinating AR screen device.  AR is currently being used in education in things like a virtual animated 3-D book.

As far as I know, there are not any AR applications involving Facebook yet (please comment if you know of anything though).  However, I can see one possible AR application is where a user wearing AR glasses being able to see people's Facebook status posts floating above their heads.  An educational application of this would be if, for example, students are  visiting a museum, they would be able to see what everybody else is "thinking" as they are all updating their statuses through Facebook Mobile.

FUTURE
Because both mobile learning and Facebook Mobile are in their infancy, these applications that I've mentioned above probably only scratch the surface of the possibilities of educational opportunities that Facebook (and other social networks) will be able to bring to mobile learners.

It's an exciting time for education because of all the new ways that people are learning.  One of the most exciting of these new ways is through mobile devices.  And, that's why I'm especially happy to be able to blog about mobile learning and hopefully bring to you some interesting things to think about.  Thanks for reading (and commenting below), and please check back for future updates!

FACEBOOK - Online

It used to be that I would check my email first thing in the morning and multiple times throughout the day. In the last year or so, that obsessive email habit has been replaced by Facebook, and I am fairly certain that I am not the only one. Chances are if you are reading this Blog, you know what Facebook is. And even those who aren’t connected online in some manner have at least heard of it.

We are nearly a decade into the 21st Century, and education is evolving faster than ever before. With all the exciting bells and whistles that go along with technology, colleges and universities are doing all they can to keep up. The explosion of social networking is easily reflected here. During my spring semester in the MSIDT program at CSU Fullerton, I wrote a short term paper on education in the 21st Century. While sorting through multitudes of various articles, I came across a well written article by Tamara L. Wandel titled Colleges and Universities Want to be Your Friend: Communicating via Online Social Networking. This article addressed the reality of our society, and with that how it effects how we learn best illustrated by this quote, “…technology isn’t part of students’ lives these days. It is their lives.”

The primary purpose of social networking sites is to allow users instantaneous connectedness with likeminded individuals. Sure, it’s a great way to touch base with people you haven’t seen in 20 years, but it is also an easy way to keep in touch with the people who are a part of your here and now, which in the life of a student is 24/7. Online learning can be isolated. Instructors are encouraged to find new ways to help the online student feel less alone; make them feel as connected as if they were in the classroom.

To be perfectly honest, the idea of implementing Facebook into an online course appears daunting, but then I am not a teacher (yet). Thanks to one of my co-bloggers and good friend, Kristi, here is a site that lists 25 Facebook Apps That Are Perfect for Online Education (funny, the actual URL indicates 15 apps, but the title and article list 25…one more indication how quickly these tools and applications snowball). Here’s another one that boasts 101 Facebook Apps for Students.

From where I’m sitting, as someone with nearly a decade of experience working in distance learning and as a student in Instructional Design and Technology, and an avid Facebook user…I completely understand how Facebook has the appeal and ability to infiltrate today’s online experience, and that includes online education. Is this a good thing? I believe it is.

I came across this site 10 Privacy Settings Every Facebook User Should Know, and while it doesn't necessarily address online education and Facebook, I think it is useful information for anyone using Facebook, or any social networking site. Be careful what you post and/or allow others to see. Digital footprints can last a lifetime.

FACEBOOK - Classroom

Facebook. Everyone is on it. Ok, maybe not everyone, but over 22,000,000 college-aged students are accessing Facebook to meet their friends, post their current status, network with those who share the same interests, play online games with other facebook members, cultivate farmlands in a social utility game, share messages. In fact, students spend so much time on Facebook that one study done in 2008 claims that students who use Facebook have lower GPAs than those they don't. The study claims this is because students spend the time that they should be studying on this social networking tool.

Is there a place for Facebook in the college classroom? I believe there is. Consider this - If students are spending time on this social networking tool anyway, instructors would be wise to use this to their advantage. Instead of letting Facebook become a distraction, college instructors could use this social network as a study tool to reach out to their students and engage them in their courses. Here are a few tools on Facebook that would enhance classroom learning:

1. Groups and Status Updates. The following presentation given at the Center for Teaching and Learning Advancement at Elon University, offers instructors step-by-step instructions on how to create a group for students to join and tips on how to best use basic Facebook tools, such as status updates, events, etc.

2. Coursefeed Application. Facebook has actually created a Facebook learning community called Coursefeed. To access Coursefeed, you need to log into Facebook and start the application. Coursefeed allows instructors to sync their Blackboard courses with Facebook so students do not have to login to a separate Blackboard account, to access any open education courses that are available and allows educators to create their own course space where students can form study groups and the class can upload and share files.

3. Courses Application. This application was created by a former high-school teacher and is meant to act like a course management system similar to Blackboard. Instructors can upload and share files, have class discussions and manage a course calendar. Though many universities have a course management system already in place, this tool would be great for other learning institutions that do not have this tool available. *NOTE: I attempted to try this application out and it is apparently having some bugs in it. I think the idea is great, though, and I hope the creators can figure out the problems soon.

All of these tools that are available to classroom instructors just emphasize the idea technology and social networking tools can be a positive motivation to learning.

My advice to classroom instructors - give it a try. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain!