Mobile Learning in the Classroom

Schools are increasingly banning mobile technologies from their grounds with iPods and mobile phones becoming almost as contraband as cigarettes. Is this really, however, the best way of tackling the problem?


Mobile technologies are beginning to be seen by some researchers and academics as important tools for learning. They not only provide a way of extending learning outside of the classroom but also give students an experience that is consistent with their everyday lives (Dale & Pymm, 2009). This provides increased opportunities for student engagement whilst also meeting the new generation of students’ expectations for learning. Mobile technologies, such as iPods, empower students with a number of different skills. One study found that the learning outcomes of the projects assigned to students to be completed using iPods enabled students to demonstrate skills such as: performance skills, creative powers of interpretation, research and exploration and assimilation and synthesis of complex information and theoretical concepts (Dale & Pymm, 2009). This is reinforced by Sharples et. al. who acknowledges that exploration is a fundamental part of learning and something that is already a relatively mobile experience, thus making it the perfect candidate for integration of mobile technologies (2009).


The integration of mobile technologies into the classroom, however, understandably has a number of issues attached, including, of course, monitoring student behaviour using these devices. In my opinion, this is an issue that will be the biggest problem at the beginning of the integration of mobile technologies into schools. After a period of time, and the implementation of a behaviour management policy regarding mobile technologies, I would argue that this would become as big an issue as graffiti on desks, something that occurs here and there but is not widespread. Furthermore, I would argue that schools are already having issues regarding the use of mobile technologies in schools, even when they have ostensibly banned them. Introducing mobile technologies in an educational context and teaching students how to use them responsibly is a far better strategy for the management of these technologies.


There is, of course, the concern that the integration of mobile technologies into classrooms will mean that teachers simply use them as a tool to deliver the same content they would have delivered without the technology. It should be acknowledged that teachers should make use of the tools available on the mobile technologies in order to benefit their students or allow them to engage in activities they would otherwise not have been able to engage in (Sharples et al., 2009). This could include the introduction of podcasts with students recording their thoughts on a lesson after its conclusion and posting them on a designated website.


Another fantastic use for mobile technologies is to better integrate work completed during excursions with classroom work. This has been completed in a study whereby students were able to engage with content at a museum via mobile phones provided by the museum through taking photographs and watching extra videos explaining certain exhibits. This content was then seamlessly streamed onto a web page or weblog for the class to revisit later (Sharples, et al., 2009). This is just one example of using mobile technologies to enhance the learning experiences of students in ways that would not have been possible or would have been costly to implement previously.


Ultimately, the integration of mobile technologies into schools is something that will probably differ on a school-by-school basis. In my opinion, however, the use of mobile technologies within classrooms will not only improve students’ engagement and, hopefully, their outcomes but is something that will also improve behaviour in regards to these devices and allow teachers to spend less time being phone wardens and more time actually teaching their students.


Comparison: Modern-day classroom versus traditional classroom:






Here is a podcast from CSIRO regarding the naming of the species of fly now known as Scaptia (Plinthina) beyonceae after the singer Beyonce. This podcast could be assigned as homework for students to listen to prior to a Biology lesson about insects in order to engage them in the content.





Works Cited:

Dale, C., & Pymm, J.M. (2009). Podagogy: The iPod as a learning technology. Active Learning in Higher Education, 10(1), 84-96. Retrieved from http://alh.sagepub.com/content/10/1/84

Paul, G. (Presenter). (2012, February 6). The buzz around the fly named after Beyonce [Audio podcast]. Retrieved from http://www.csiro.au/en/Portals/Multimedia/CSIROpod/The-buzz-around-the-fly-named-after-Beyonce.aspx

Sharples, M., Arnedillo-Sanchez, I., Milrad, M.,, & Vavoula, G. (2009). Mobile learning small devices, big issues. In Balacheff et al. (Eds.), Technology-Enhanced Learning (pp.233-249). doi: 10.1007/978-1-4020-9827-7 14

Digitization at its best: Next-Generation Classroom launched in Modern School [Image] (2013). Retrieved from http://www.learntoday.in/blog/digitization-at-its-best-next-generation-classroom-launched-in-modern-school/

Dinosaurs, Caterpillars and Educators – Real Structural Change [Image] (n.d.). Retrieved from http://kellygerling.com/theory-practice/organizational-change-articles/new-paradigm-change-metamorphosis.shtml

Assessment Using ICT

As technology within schools becomes increasingly common it is to be expected that this technology will begin to infiltrate even the way assessment is conducted in schools. There are various technologies that can be utilised in different ways to facilitate assessment that is both interesting and engaging for students whilst also improving student outcomes. These technologies can be seen in the concept map below:




Assessment using ICT is a fantastic way to engage students in tasks that they may otherwise find mundane and boring. It is also a wonderful way in which teachers can encourage peer feedback. If this feedback is provided via a social networking site such as Twitter or Facebook (in a teacher-moderated fashion, of course) then this feedback becomes more instantaneous and also more meaningful to the 'digital native' generation of current students. Naturally, assessment using ICT and in particular technologies such as Facebook and Twitter can have its drawbacks, especially in regards to privacy and cyberbullying etc. If a teacher does, however, have a definitive method of dealing with these issues and understands the technology and how students may be utilising it in their everyday, out-of-school lives then there is no reason why these risks cannot be minimised and this technology used safely and effectively.

More contemporary practices of assessment are embracing the idea of continuous student feedback from both teachers and peers. Technology is particularly conducive to this with blogging in particular providing opportunities for both teacher and peer-based feedback via the comments section (Campbell & Kent, 2013). McGuire comments upon the importance of providing assessment feedback to students, stating "any assessment tool or process which aims to enable the students to reflect on their work over time...., gives them meaningful feedback from their teacher and their peers, empowers them and provides the teacher with a variety of evidence to support their judgements surely has to be worth a consideration!" (2005). Modern technologies provide extensive opportunities for teachers to collect a variety of evidence, other than the end product, in order to mark students' work. Two such technologies are wikis and Google Docs. These technologies provide a more effective mode of collaborative assessment with teachers being able to access the documents and also see who has contributed what material, ensuring that all students are participating equally in the project and allowing the teacher to allocate marks accordingly (Campbell & Kent, 2013). This provides a great example as to why technology has a place in contemporary assessment practices within schools. Technology allows teachers to do more effectively what they have previously been attempting to do with assessment, whether this be to be able to definitively state who has contributed what to a group assignment or whether this be providing continuous feedback to students. Furthermore, exhibiting their work in an online forum has been found to increase students' expectations by giving them the idea of an audience for their work (McGuire, 2005). Technology also provides teachers with the opportunity to better understand their students and their knowledge base through apps such as Google Forms, allowing teachers to analyse student data and results to create a fuller picture of the student and thus be better equipped to teach their class (Campbell & Kent, 2013).

In my opinion, modern assessment should be tailored to the student and be designed to engage and inspire them, thus allowing them to create the best possible work and achieve the best possible result. It has been found that when an online portfolio was created by students for assessment, teachers reported "increased self-esteem" and "pupils taking responsibility for their own learning and becoming independent learners" (McGuire, 2005). Old modes of assessment may have suited former students; however they are out-dated and unfamiliar to the current generation of 'digital natives'. In order to truly improve student outcomes and also inspire a generation of life-long learners, assessment should incorporate technology in new and interesting ways to excite students, improve teachers' understanding of their students and ultimately provide better opportunities for students to achieve.

One example of assessment using ICT that may engage students more effectively than traditional modes of assessment is to have students create an online game to demonstrate their understanding of the concepts being studied in class. For example, students could use an online game-maker or a free app (if they have access to devices such as iPads etc.) to create a game such as this one from the website Science Kids that asks the player to label the different bones of different skeletons.








Works Cited

McGuire, L. (2005). Assessment Using New Technology. Innovations in Education and Teaching International, 42(3), 265-276. Retrieved from search.proquest.com.ezproxy.library.uq.edu.au/docview/210668036.

Campbell, C. & Kent, P. (2013). Technology for Assessment. In, Assessment for Teaching Today: A guide to assessment strategies and activities (pp.34-43). Australia: Macmillan Education Australia Pty Ltd.

Game courtesy of Science Kids: http://sciencekids.co.nz/gamesactivities/movinggrowing.html

Social Constructivism

As a high school student I did not regularly pay much attention to the different learning strategies that, I am now aware, my teachers utilised. As an Education student I am now learning more about the various learning theories and their implications for the classroom. Some of these learning theories are summarised in the table below. Learning theories and the classroom activities they support are a source of interest to me, however I am inclined to think that the focus of teacher education programs should perhaps lie more in the practice of teaching rather than the learning theory behind it.


One learning theory that has gained much traction in recent years is constructivism. Constructivism is a learning theory that purports that knowledge is based on the interplay between an individual’s existing knowledge and new knowledge and experiences; this implies that teaching should focus on developing students’ thinking (Yilmaz, 2008). The idea of social constructivism focuses on the ways in which society influences the formation of knowledge (Yilmaz, 2008). My reading on constructivism has caused me to view this ‘learning theory’ as more of a theory of knowledge rather than something that has pedagogical implications. Ken Rowe espouses a similar viewpoint when he states that the theory behind constructivism implies that the students being taught already have the knowledge and skills required in order to engage effectively in this style of knowledge production and learning (Rowe, 2006). As Rowe goes on to acknowledge, in order to gain these skills students will need to have had some instructional education in the traditional sense (2006).


As a student at high school I was privileged to have wonderful teachers who engaged me in each of my subjects. Now that I reflect upon my high school experience I realise that they used a number of different learning theories. Perhaps this is the best approach to teaching; the amalgamation of different approaches in order to create one that best suits your teaching style and class. It would appear that no one teaching style suits all teachers just as no one teaching style suits all classes, thus teachers should be flexible in their approach to teaching and be prepared to change their preferred learning theory based on their students. Yilmaz argues for the acceptance of constructivism as a pedagogically sound teaching strategy whilst Rowe states that direct instructional approaches are best (2008 & 2006). I would argue that the exclusive adoption of either one of these would be detrimental to one’s students. After all, the primary object of teaching is teaching and, provided it’s effective, does it really matter what form it takes?


Naturally, learning theories are always going to have a place in teacher training programs. It is as important in education as in other fields to have an understanding of the theory behind the practice. These learning theories, however, should not be taught as the 'be all and end all' of teaching. Rather, they should be provided as background knowledge on which teachers can base and begin to form their own approach to teaching. Teachers should be trained in a range of different skills that will benefit their teaching, not just told to select a learning theory, be it constructivism or direct instruction, and stick with it.




Works Cited

Yilmaz, K. (2008). Constructivism: Its Theoretical Underpinnings, Variations and Implications for Classroom Instruction. educational HORIZONS, 86(3), 161-172. Retrieved from http://www.eric.ed.gov/ERICWebPortal/contentdelivery/servlet/ERICServlet?accno=EJ798521

Rowe, K. (2006). “Effective teaching practices for students with and without learning difficulties: Constructivism as a legitimate theory of learning AND of teaching?” Retrieved from http://research.acer.edu.au/learning_processes/10

Connectivism Table [Image] (2010). Retrieved from http://creason830.wordpress.com/2010/03/05/connectivism-table/

Digital Storytelling

The concept of digital storytelling is an interesting one in that it truly revolutionises a traditional method of teaching. Storytelling is often used in classrooms to retell historical events and also to develop students’ written and aural literacy skills. Robin (2008) comments that digital storytelling can be used by teachers as an introductory tool in order to engage students immediately with new content. This is certainly true and it can be seen that digital storytelling has numerous other advantages for students, including giving students a grounding in skills including digital literacy, visual literacy, technology literacy and information literacy (Robin, 2008). I, however, believe digital storytelling to be a tool that has its limits in an educational context.


Digital storytelling is certainly a useful tool in history classrooms in order to really allow history to come to life for students; however it should not be used in every lesson as the novelty may soon wear off for students. Furthermore, it remains to be seen how effective such a tool would be in a senior classroom as opposed to a grade eight or grade nine classroom. Furthermore, whilst digital storytelling might be an incredibly useful tool in a Drama or Science classroom it may not be as effective in a Manual Arts classroom or might not be able to be used as frequently. Thus, digital storytelling should be looked upon as being a useful tool but perhaps not the first technology that schools should invest in or create professional development days for. Other technologies such as interactive whiteboards and laptops would be a wiser investment as they could be more widely used across the school community.


Digital storytelling is a new and exciting tool that can be used in the classroom, however it must be kept in perspective and not be used endlessly. Jason Ohler (2005) comments on this when he states that digital storytelling should be “tied to the curriculum”. Therefore, the use of digital storytelling in a context where it doesn’t necessarily have educational advantages for the students should be avoided as this will temper the excitement of this new technology and might mean that students become disengaged when it comes to using digital storytelling for an educational purpose.


If digital storytelling is used appropriately, however, it can certainly engage and excite students in new ways, particularly in regards to history. This video demonstrates the way in which history, in this case an introduction to the six wives of Henry VIII, can be brought to life through digital storytelling.




Works Cited:

Robin, B. (2008). Digital Storytelling: A Powerful Technology Tool for the 21st Century Classroom. Theory into Practice, 47(3), 220-228. doi: 10.1080/00405840802153916

Digital Story Credits:
About Anne of CLEAVES (Queen of England) [Image] (n.d.). Retrieved from www.tudorplace.com.ar/aboutAnneofCleaves.htm

Catherine Parr >> The Anne Boleyn Files [Image] (n.d.). Retrieved from www.theanneboleynfiles.com/bios/catherine-parr/

Childbearing: Queen Katherine of Aragon and Lady Maud Parr [Image] (2012). Retrieved from http://tudorqueen6.wordpress.com/2012/08/26/childbearing-queen-katherine-of-aragon-and-lady-maud-parr/

Execution of Anne Boleyn: Anne Boleyn’s Speech on the Scaffold [Image] (n.d.). Retrieved from www.luminarium.org/encyclopedia/anneboleynscaffold.htm

Gallery of Renaissance Portraits [Image] (n.d.). Retrieved from www.illusionjewels.com/renaissanceportraitgallery.html

Kathryn Howard Gallery [Image] (n.d.). Retrieved from tudorhistory.org/howard/gallery.html

loosely.jpg [Image] (n.d.). Retrieved from englishhistory.net/tudor/monarchs/edward6.html

On Henry VIII and the mystery of the missing male heirs [Image] (2013). Retrieved from www.lastwordonnothing.com

Onyx Book Chateau: On this day…January 6th [Image] (2012). Retrieved from bookchateau.blogspot.com.au/2012/01/on-this-day-january-6th.html

Popular: The Six Wives of Henry VIII [Image] (2012). Retrieved from http://garethrussellpopular.blogspot.com.au/2012/02/six-wives-of-henry-viii.html

Queen Katherine Parr (c.1512-1548) [Katharine, Catherine [Image] (n.d.). Retrieved from www.luminarium.org/encyclopedia/katherineparr.htm

The Six Wives of Henry VIII (n.d.). Retrieved from tudorhistory.org/wives/

Tea at Trianon: Execution of Catherine Howard [Image] (2011). Retrieved from teattrianon.blogspot.com.au/2011/03/execution-of-catherine-howard.html

23 May 1533- Archbishop Cranmer Declares the Annulment of Henry VIIIs marriage to Catherine of Aragon [Image] (2012). Retrieved from http://www.theanneboleynfiles.com/23-may-1533-archbishop-cranmer-declares-the-annulment-of-henry-viiis-marriage-to-catherine-of-aragon/

Wikis and Collaborative Learning

The introduction of technology into classrooms has brought about a number of innovations. One such innovation is the way in which technology has enabled more readily accessible opportunities for collaborative learning. Collaborative learning can be defined as being when students work in small groups towards achieving a common goal (Gokhale, 1995). Collaborative learning can be a very useful educational tool for students enabling them to learn not only from their teacher but also from their peers. As a student I was lucky enough to experience collaborative learning opportunities particularly in my studies in Drama at high school and I feel I benefited greatly from this. Technology has revolutionised the way in which teachers can bring collaborative learning into the classroom and thus may assist them in engaging a whole new generation of students.


Wikis, webpages that are created and maintained by a group, are one tool that may bring new enthusiasm to the concept of collaborative learning. Wikis and indeed any form of online publishing may encourage students to work harder on assessments and writing tasks as they have the perception of having an audience for their work as well as the fact that, for students, online writing does not connote the same notions of language, grammar, spelling etc. that in-school writing does (Maloy, Verock-O’Loughlin, Edwards & Woolf, 2011). Wikis are also useful in that they allow the teacher to view what has been contributed by which students and what has been edited (Maloy et. al., 2011). This makes wikis a great option in terms of group assessment items, enabling teachers to allocate marks more fairly. Personally, I think the use of wikis is a wonderful new addition to the field of collaborative learning. Prior to their being used, however, I think it is important that teachers are educated in this technology. Once again, this means that resources should be allocated for professional development so that teachers can utilise this technology to its fullest advantage. It should also not be assumed that just because students may belong to the ‘digital natives’ generation that they know how to create and edit a wiki, thus some in-class education regarding the technology may also be required.


Collaborative learning provides an opportunity for students to not only learn social skills but also to learn from their peers’ experiences. As a high school student, I thoroughly enjoyed group work and generally felt as though I had learnt as much from my friends as I had from my teachers. It should be said, however, that naturally the initial excitement regarding collaborative learning and wikis may fade if they are used continuously for in-class and assessment purposes, thus, as with all technology, teachers should be sparing with their use. This should ensure that students remain engaged with the collaborative learning opportunities that come their way and remain willing to use this technology.


Here is a link to a wiki I created on Wikispaces for a Drama class about to commence an assignment on Shakespearean performances. This wiki is designed for students to share information that might be useful for their and other students’ assignments, to share exemplars that they can model their own responses off and also to practice their review writing style and receive feedback from their peers and teacher.


Provided teachers use their imaginations in regards to wikis, I see no reason why they cannot be used in many different subject areas and for many different kinds of classwork and assessment items.




Works Cited

Maloy, R., Verock-O’Loughlin, R., Edwards, S., & Woolf, B. (2011). Transferring Learning with new technologies (MyEducation Kit). New Jersey: Person. (Chapter 8. Pages 206-239).

Gokhale, A. (1995). Collaborative Learning Enhances Critical Thinking. Journal of Technology Education, 7(1). Retrieved from http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/ejournals/JTE/v7n1/gokhale.jte-v7n1.html

The man who wasn’t Shakespeare – Part 1 – Web Exclusive Article [Image] (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.signifiancemagazine.org/details/webexclusive/1234471/The-man-who-wasnt-Shakespeare--Part-1.html

ICT Current Trends: Interactive Whiteboards

There is currently an increasing focus on technology and its use in the classroom. Teachers are presently being encouraged to better utilise available technologies in order to meet current policy requirements (on both a federal and state level) as well as prepare students for the workforce. It can be seen that this is currently achieving mixed results. Some teachers are embracing current technologies such as interactive whiteboards and the increased opportunities for student engagement they provide whilst others are reluctant to embrace current information communication technology (ICT) trends. I believe this reluctance to be perhaps a little selfish as, in my opinion, using the most up-to-date technology in classrooms is akin to using the current edition of a textbook as opposed to an edition published thirty years ago. Using current technologies is about using the best available resources and equipment in order to achieve the best student outcomes. This is supported by Gage (2006) who comments that one such technology, interactive whiteboards, allows class time to be used more effectively.


Interactive whiteboards provide a myriad of advantages for students. These advantages include encouraging student participation as well as promoting understanding rather than just memorising of the content being taught (Kent, 2010). Furthermore, interactive whiteboards provide an opportunity for teachers to appeal to visual, kinaesthetic and auditory learners that might not be available using traditional pen and paper teaching methods (Gage, 2006). Whilst some may claim that technology makes teachers redundant or allows them to slacken off and not do any planning, the simple fact is that interactive whiteboards may help to make good teachers great but will not make an average teacher good. Teachers are still required to plan their lessons and this perhaps becomes even more important in the case of interactive whiteboards as the flipcharts themselves must actually be created. In order to achieve better student outcomes, teachers must plan their lessons with interactive whiteboards meticulously, ensuring that they fit within one of the four categories of interactive whiteboard activities e.g. labelling activities, sorting activities, ordering and sequencing activities and puzzle, game or stimulation activities (Kent, 2010).


In order for teachers to use current technologies to the best of their abilities and thereby increase student outcomes, professional development and training should be provided by schools. This will assist the enthusiastic, motivated teachers to utilise the technology more effectively whilst encouraging the more reluctant teachers to use the technology more readily in their classrooms. If technologies such as interactive whiteboards are utilised effectively they can be amazing learning tools within classrooms.




Interactive whiteboard cartoon [Image] (n.d.) Retrieved from http://www.rsc-northwest.ac.uk/acl/eMagArchive/RSCeMag0910/FunctionalSkillsResources/interactive_whiteboard_resources.html





Works Cited

Kent, P. (2010). Secondary Teaching with Interactive Whiteboards. Australia: Macmillan Education Australia.
Gage, J. (2006). How to Use An Interactive Whiteboard Really Effectively in Your Secondary Classroom. London: David Fulton Publishers.