Post on 24-Jun-2015
Preparing Mobile Learning Strategy for Your Institution
Agnieszka Palalas, Ed.D.
mLearn2013, Doha October 2013
Objective
¤ How to design and implement a mobile learning strategy to guide the adaptation of mobile learning
¤ How to manage the organized efforts toward a comprehensive m-strategy that would align with the organization-wide academic macro-strategy
¤ How to prepare the foundations for change management
Mobile Learning Strategy
¤ Clear path to how mobile learning can be implemented
¤ Strong business case: ¤ targeted educational problems and potential solutions
¤ scope and context
¤ current state
¤ deliverables (outcomes)
¤ projected benefits
¤ key stakeholders and areas impacted
¤ roadmap with required activities, schedules, supports, resources, and costs
¤ controls and metrics to monitor the success
Background
¤ Plans to implement mobile learning
¤ Isolated m-learning projects
¤ Grassroots movement ¤ Community of practice
¤ Documented success of m-projects
¤ Need for centralized mobile learning strategy
¤ Increased interest amongst some faculty and administrators
>> Institution-wide mobile learning strategy
Limitations
¤ Fragmentation
¤ Limited resources
¤ Lack of buy-in
¤ Limited understanding of mobile learning
¤ Inadequate wireless infrastructure
Incremental Process
¤ Identify existing expertise, peer champions, and propagate examples of m-learning implementation and success
¤ Connect fragmented m-learning efforts
¤ Construct groundwork: short-term m-learning tasks and projects - immediate measurable observable results
¤ Gradually win support of faculty and management
¤ Systematically raise awareness and understanding of m-learning
¤ Optimize scarce resources, time and feedback (agile)- concurrent activities
M-strategy Development Phases
1. Needs assessment
2. Feedback and evidence gathering
3. Feedback exchange and communication
4. Infrastructure and enterprise systems
5. Training and professional development
6. M-learning strategy document
Concurrent
Needs Assessment
¤ Explore gap between current and desired state
¤ Establish need and preparedness, m-learning habits (analytics )
¤ Project benefits
¤ Examine ¤ expected enablers, challenges and risks ¤ resource requirements (physical/logistic, technological, human, &
monetary) ¤ current state of the IT infrastructure ¤ existing learning content and mobile applications
¤ Involve all stakeholder, including the IT department
Feedback and Evidence Gathering
¤ Collect empirical evidence
¤ Conduct m-learning pilots - who, when, how and why ¤ not too lengthy ¤ across programs ¤ well-planned, rigorous, following established pilot selection and
completion procedures ¤ prompt dissemination of findings ¤ adjustments of the strategy ¤ diverse contexts and needs ¤ students and faculty
Feedback and Evidence Gathering – Pilot Studies Focus
¤ Evaluation of existing mobile tools, materials and artifacts
¤ Creation and curation of such resources
¤ Delivery/content distribution/app provision mechanisms
¤ Maintenance and governance strategies
¤ Content strategy and pedagogy
¤ Changing roles of all actors
Feedback Exchange and Communication
¤ To maintain interest and learning, to answer “what’s in it for me?” & “what are the benefits for students?”
¤ Cross divisional information-reflection-documentation-sharing ¤ Mobile @ GBC website, email, Facebook page
¤ m-learning ambassadors (self-selected)
¤ ad-hoc meetings
¤ regular meetings of Mobile Learning Reference Group (faculty, students, IT professionals, innovation in teaching and learning representatives, senior
executives, chairs, legal/copyright experts, accessibility specialists, marketing)
Infrastructure and Enterprise Systems
¤ Appraisal of existing infrastructure
¤ Possible restructuring or updating of the current framework
¤ Technological readiness and an m-learning ecosystem that incorporates: ¤ system that provides access to m-content, helps create and maintain
the content ¤ performance and technical support ¤ mechanism of device procurement and provision (BYOD) ¤ related procedures, policies and licenses ¤ ~ mobile app management (MAM) ¤ ~ mobile device management (MDM)
Training and Professional Development
¤ Training in m-learning pedagogy, instructional design, tools and application ¤ f2f tutorials
¤ webinars
¤ materials on the m-learning website
¤ emails pointing to links and resources
¤ presentations at college-wide events
¤ two-day mobile app boot camp
M-learning Strategy Document
¤ Solid vision to communicate to executives, faculty, the IT department, ID and development teams or vendors
¤ Essence of learnings from research and evidence gathering activities + processes, timelines, and funding options for institution-wide implementation
¤ Highlight benefits supported by concrete evidence
¤ Collaborate with ed institutions and industry partners
¤ Decision-makers involved early-on in strategy creation
Key Pitfalls
1. No dedicated m-learning resources and infrastructure
2. No commitment to the m-learning objectives (merely following a mobility trend)
3. Not prepared to take risk
Q&A
Thank you
aga@epluslearning.com LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/apalalas Presentations: http://www.slideshare.net/agaiza Publications: http://athabascau.academia.edu/apalalas