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CoSN 2015: Chris Dede and Julie Evans on 8 Essentials for Success in Mobile Learning

Dr. Chris Dede from Harvard University and Julie Evans from Project Tomorrow shared information from a paper they wrote for Qualcomm on 8 Essentials for Mobile Learning Success.


Part 1: Quick Overview of 4 Essentials

Purposeful Planning for Mobile Device Usage
1976 the "Little Professor Calculator" was introduced. Today's mobile devices have much more power and capabilities obviously
3 Contexts for Learning
1. Classrooms
     -Presentation and Discussion
2. Richly Contextualized Real World Learning
     -Internships, apprenticeships
     -Anyplace, Anytime
3. Learning Communities
     -Interpretation and Transfer
     -Tweeting, or in a game interacting with others
Face to Face, Virtual and Blended conceptualizations of learning environments. Mobile devices allow us to inter-relate these concepts


Community-Social Media

  • Sharing
  • Thinking
  • Co-Creating

Dede showed that the "Conversation Prism is hard to keep up with. 


Evans then talked about the 4 essentials

1. Purposeful Planning for Device Usage
Are we asking the right questions?
Example: Key Goals from Onslow County Schools
     -Improve Math Literacy
     -Change Student perceptions around math abilities
     -Increase out of school access
     -Stimulate changes in teacher practice
2. Teacher Preparation for Mobile Learning
Increase recognition of value of Connected Learning, but change process is challenging
Year 1: Awareness
Year 2: Adoption
Year 3: Adaptation
This is based on the individual teacher and some may move faster/slower than others.
Example: Making Learning Mobile in Chicago
Year 2 and Year 3 Strategies

  • JIT Mentoring and Coaching-Lucy Gray working  on this
  • In Class Activities and Support
  • Targeted Applications
  • Traditional Conferences and Skill Development
Indicator of maturation at work: migration from passive approach to PD to active, self-directed learning. 
Dede mentioned his work on connected learning through the 2010 National Educational Technology Plan.
He discussed "Deeper Learning" and his work with Studentatthecenter.org:
  • Case-Based Learning
  • Collaborative Learning
  • Apprenticeships
  • Self-Directed, Life-Wide Learning
  • Learning for Transfer
  • Interdisciplinary Studies
Teachers teach as they were taught. If we want teachers to use mobile devices and social media in their instruction, they need to do it in their PD. 
Professional Development Communities of "Unlearning!" 
  • Develop fluency in interactive media
  • Complement presentational instruction with self-directed
Evans talked about the Kajeet study with Speak-Up Survey data.
Teachers are self-directing their PD by:
  • Watching video and listening to podcasts
  • Sourcing ideas in Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • Reading Blogs
  • Attending Webinars
3. Leadership Buy-In
Leaders enable conditions of success by:
  • Envisioning applications for mobile
  • Displacing cherrished misconceptions
  • Inspiring others to act on faith
  • Support new ideas
#1 Mobile Learning Failure is due to lack of leadership buy-in.
Example: Boston Schools EDC Mobile Online PD for Educators
Aha moments:
  • School Leaders are catalyst for change
  • Self-expectations and lead by example
  • Be personally familiar with tools and adoption processes.
Speak Up: District Administrators 40% say administrators leadership skills is a key component in driving student acheivement. 86% of school principals today now think it is essential for students to have access to a device.

Cognitive, Interpersonal and Intrapersonal skills.
He noted that when looking at our curriculum, it is interesting to see which concepts get emphasized and assessed, and which don't! 

4. Metrics for Evaluation
What metrics are you using to evaluate?
  • Student engagement
  • Teacher Buy-In
  • Student Feedback
  • Teacher Feedback
  • Student Achievement
  • Student Skill Development
  • Teacher interest in more PD

Part 2: Essentials in Action

Dede then shared data from the EcoMobile Augmented Reality Project to look at the essentials in action.

5. Leveraging Mobile Enabled Content and Curriculum
Augmented Reality Real World Ecosystems

The potential is in TRANSFER of learning in academics to the real world!
How can we use the Internet to help students gather data in the real world and then analyze it back in the classroom. They have been strapping GoPro cameras on the student heads to see what students are thinking.
When you are in the world, you will have a device with you that knows who you are, how you like to learn, who you like to learn with, and when you like to learn.

Evans talked about how you are then able to address mulitiple learning objectives while bringing the world to the student. 

6. Power of Internet Access
This is a "Social Justice Issue!" 
Value of anytime anywhere access
Home access challenges
Power of PERSONAL Internet Access-Not just mom and dad's device, their own

7. Creating Self-Directed Learners
Goal to create more personalized learning

8. Creating sustainable and scalable ecosystems
Dede and Evans then opened up to a group discussion around the scaling and sustainability of mobile learning.
I noted that we moved from optional BYOD to "required," where we provide a device if they don't have one, and when teachers see that all students have access, they have a tendency to transform pedagogy. 
It's not enough to give students access, but it also requires that all students have home Internet access. 
Dede is working with North Carolina on home access for all students

Evans then shared some of the Speak-up data on scalability.
Scaling-value of pilots vs. instant school/district wide implementation
Shared Vision-students are leading, but teachers and administrators are moving forward.


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