Für das Herausgeberband „Looking Toward the Future of Technology Enhanced Education – Ubiquituous Learning and the Digital Natives“ von Martin Ebner und Mandy Schiefer, das Anfang 2010 veröffentlich warden soll, hat die Forschungsgruppe Mobile Learning einen englischsprachigen Beitrag mit dem Titel „Mobile Learning – Didactical Scenarios in the Context of Learning on the Job” vorbereitet.

Abstract:

Mobile learning extends the media dissemination of knowledge and learning in extremely varying educational contexts with mobility and independence of location. The chapter describes possibilities of mobile learning for situation-oriented, personalised and collaborative learning. It explains on the one hand existing conceptions and application scenarios with regard to learning theory backgrounds, and on the other thematises possibilities of Web 2.0 for mobile learning. In doing this, it presents in particular didactical scenarios for mobile learning situations in the context of learning on the job.

Introduction:

As a result of the rapid technological developments of mobile communication technologies, but also as a result of the great distribution in everyday life of mobile devices such as mobile phones, smartphones and PDAs which now have almost the computer capacity of PCs, the next step in multimedia learning is predestined. Learning with the help of mobile devices (mobile learning) will gain considerable importance if this medium is used as an additional channel for deepening and extending educational content within existing blended learning arrangements. Because of the independence from a location and the mobility, the user has individually significant information available in his respective situation. He uses mobile devices without restrictions as to space and time, and uses the devices flexibly to gain qualifications, e.g. directly at the workplace. Information is therefore adapted to individual use and learning needs, and linked to this is a personalisation of information. Mobile learning conceptions refer to learning users with situation-based problems who recognise their learning targets and learning needs, and want to work through their own knowledge deficiencies as quickly as possibly. Mobile learning scenarios are not limited just to the dissemination of knowledge, or the presentation of teaching materials, but also comprise the interaction, communication and collaboration of all participants in the teaching/learning process. Mobile learning will differ from e-learning on the one hand through the characteristics of the location-independent devices, and on the other through new didactic scenarios. Therefore the chapter introduces into technical features and didactical settings with mobile devices, differentiates in this context mobile and e-learning. According to the perspective of lifelong learning learning on the job becomes an important context of mobile learning. Against this background relevant didactical conceptions are presented, potentials of Web 2.0 applications, of mobile communication and of mobile internet are explained for mobile learning on the job. Finally didactical scenarios of mobile learning in different situations of learning on the job are described.