Abstract:

Mobile technology is dramatically shaping the nature of teaching, learning and social interaction. Students and teachers may integrate technology and learning both in and out of the classroom, due to portability of mobile devices and their ability to connect to Internet almost anywhere. They are ideal as a store of reference materials, learning experiences, and general-use tools for fieldwork.

The new active collaborative learning approach let students set the in-class terms for discussion in order to get a clearer view of their instant knowledge and perception. The new tool is flexible and intuitive to use, it easily displays complex interrelationships between topics, including most relevant or marginal choices, or what is most difficult to understand. It connects the teacher and student in a new way that it is impossible to do so quickly by using traditional methods. The tools were during 2009-11 tested and validated in training of staff from more than 100 higher education and industry organizations in Norway, UK, Sweden, Hungary, Romania, Germany, Portugal, Belgium, Slovenia and Slovakia. The evaluations show very good feedback from students and teachers.

The experiences obtained by using new Student Response Services (SRS) for next generation wireless mobile handheld devices with pressure sensitive screens; Smartphones, will be demonstrated. They are constructed for use in vocational education and training, and in higher education courses. This is achieved through easy and flexible integration with interactive touch screen blackboards by utilizing Flash in combination with AIR and FLEX technology. The European Commission cofounded the R&D during 2009-10 as a pilot project under the KA3 ICT program. The services provide flexible, easy and fast to use webapps.

The teacher lead SRS knowledge cycle includes:
The classic method
• During the training session the students are asked a quiz question related to the topic being taught about.
• Students are given a few minutes to discuss the question and its alternatives in small groups (about 3-4 groups per group).
• They vote individually using an iPod
• After the vote is closed, response distribution is shown to the students. The teacher goes through the various alternatives, highlights the correct one and explains why it is correct and why the other alternatives then are less correct or incorrect.
The peer instruction method
• During the training session the students are asked a quiz question related to the topic being taught about.
• Students are given one minute to work with the quiz question individually
• They vote individually using an iPod
• Students are then given a couple of minutes to discuss the quiz question in small groups a few minutes (about 3-4 groups per group).
• Before they vote again
• After the second vote is closed, two response distributions are shown to the students. The teacher goes through the various alternatives, highlights the correct one and explains why it is correct and why the other alternatives then are less correct or incorrect.

This paper discusses recent developments that enhance use of mobile technology by using open web-based solutions for cheap Smartphones in education, keeping in mind the pedagogical challenges in the new mobile learning environment. Mobile devices can be used almost anywhere, they are perfect platforms for situated and context based learning activities, where real life is used to provide stimuli and activity for learning.

Keywords:

Student response services, mobile learning, smartphones, classic and peer instruction.