Cathie Norris

Anatomy of a mobilized lesson: Learning my way

With the mass adoption of mobile computing devices by the current school generation, significant opportunities have emerged for genuinely supporting differentiated and personalized learning experiences through mobile devices. In our school-based research work in introducing mobilized curricula to a class, we observe one compelling mobilized lesson that exploits the affordances of mobile learning to provide multiple learning pathways for elementary grade (primary) 2 students. Through the lesson, students move beyond classroom activities that merely mimic what the teacher says and does in the classroom, and yet they still learn in personally meaningful ways. In deconstructing the lesson, we provide an in-depth analysis of how the affordances of mobile computing enable personalized learning from four facets: (a) allowing multiple entry points and learning pathways, (b) supporting multi-modality, (c) enabling student improvisation in situ, and (d) supporting the sharing and creation of student artifacts on the move. A key property of mobile technology that enables these affordances lies with the small form factor and the lightweightness of these devices which make them non-obtrusive in the learning spaces of the student. This article makes a contribution on the design aspects of mobilized lessons, namely, what the affordances of mobile technologies can enable.

1:1 Mobile Inquiry Learning Experience for Primary Science Students--A Study of Learning Effectiveness

This paper presents the findings of a research project in which we transformed a primary (grade) 3 science curriculum for delivery via mobile technologies, and a teacher enacted the lessons over the 2009 academic year in a class in a primary school in Singapore. The students had a total of 21 weeks of the mobilized lessons in science, which were co-designed by teachers and researchers by tapping into the affordances of mobile technologies for supporting inquiry learning in and outside of class. We examine the learning effectiveness of the enacted mobilized science curriculum. The results show that among the six mixed-ability classes in primary (grade) 3 in the school, the experimental class performed better than other classes as measured by traditional assessments in the science subject. With mobilized lessons, students were found to learn science in personal, deep and engaging ways as well as developed positive attitudes towards mobile learning.

A model driven framework to address challenges in a mobile learning environment

In this paper a review of the pedagogical, technological, policy and research challenges and concepts underlying mobile learning is presented, followed by a brief description of categories of implementations. A model Mobile learning framework and dynamic criteria for mobile learning implementations are proposed, along with a case study of one site that is used to illustrate how the proposed model can be applied. Implementation challenges including pedagogical challenges, technological challenges, policy challenges, and research challenges are described. These align well with the themes of EduSummIT 2013 that hosted the dialogue resulting in this paper.

Bridging Formal and Informal Learning with the Use of Mobile Technology

Bridging formal and informal learning to enable students’ engaged learning is a core tenet of seamless learning. Addressing the limitations of the current studies on the innovative design and implementation of seamless learning scenarios, this chapter presents one well-designed and implemented curricular initiative at the primary school level, namely, “Mobilized 5E Science Curriculum” (M5ESC). The chapter first discusses the theoretical background of formal and informal learning, and of seamless learning, and then presents the context information of mobile technology for science education in Singapore, as well as the 5E (Engagement-Exploration-Explanation-Elaboration-Evaluation) instructional model. These serve as the design rationales for the M5ESC curricular innovation. Next, the description of M5ESC provides an overview of how the school designed curriculum for seamless learning supported by mobile technology, as well as how students and teachers responded to this innovation. The work reported here is intended to inform the curriculum design and implementation of the notion of seamless learning enabled by mobile technologies.

Supplemental Versus Essential Use of Computing Devices in the Classroom: An Analysis

Increases in student achievement can be observed in classrooms where computers are used as essential tools in the curriculum. In contrast, when computers are used as supplemental to the curriculum—even in classrooms that are 1:1 (one laptop per student)—no increase in student achievement is observed. These claims are based on the analyses of a number of empirical studies of classroom computer use. We draw on the work of Project RED, a nationwide survey of classroom computer use, to identify the characteristics that distinguish between essential and supplemental use. This distinction is not an empty one; it could and should guide the next wave of 1:1 classrooms as mobile computing devices experience increased adoption. Indeed, the reality of every student having a computing device in the palm of his or her hand is within reach in the near term. However, if those computing devices are used as supplements to the curriculum then a great opportunity will be lost. In contrast, with a change in pedagogy and curriculum, K-12 education is poised to experience a dramatic increase in student achievement.

Successfully Addressing the 11 Barriers to School Change: A Case Study from Nan Chiau Primary School, Singapore

With the goal of aligning itself with Singapore’s Ministry of Education’s Masterplan 3, Nan Chiau Primary School has transformed its pedagogy from direct-instruction to inquiry-oriented, using 1:1, mobile devices as a key catalyst for that transformation. In this chapter, then, we argue that in order to make that transformation, the educators at Nan Chiau – administrators, teachers, staff – as well students and their parents, addressed 11 “barriers” – from putting forth a vision to dealing with existing assessments with teacher, student, and parent change in the middle, and the need for a new curriculum counting as two barriers, because of its difficulty and centrality! Key is that the transformation was school-based, not teacher-centric; being school-based meant that it could scale – from P3 science to all P3 subjects and onto to P4, all subjects. As Nan Chiau demonstrates, an educational organization can change and can better prepare the children in its charge for the future – a future where uncertainty and the pace of change is greater than at any time in the past.

The Collabrify Research Platform: A research tool for studying synchronous collaboration in the classroom

This SIE is aimed at members of the iSchool community who are interested in studying synchronous collaboration in and out of the classroom. The attendees will develop an understanding of how the Collabrify Research Platform (CRP) is instrumented to provide real-time data – learning analytics on students engaging in synchronous collaboration while they are using the Collabrify suite “collabrified” apps (Collabrify Writer, Map, KWL, Flipbook, Chart Attendees then can use the device-agnostic, opensource, CRP to support their research into synchronous collaboration. To better anchor this SIE in the iSchool community, before the conference, attendees can submit to Norris/Soloway “hypothetical scenarios” – use cases of synchronous collaboration (see form at: http://tinyurl.com/gsuy8bt) that are illustrative of the attendees’ R&D efforts. At the SIE, then, attendees (in small groups) will discuss how the CRP can be used to support the research represented in the attendees’ hypothetical scenarios.