Mobile Phones as Mediating Tools Within Augmented Contexts for Development

by Professor John Cook

Abstract:
The nature of learning is being enhanced by mobile devices and the networks and media to which they connect people. Consequently, in this paper I argue for the need to re-examine approaches to the design of and research into learning experiences that incorporate mobile/cell phones in the learning context. Following an overview of 'mobile learning', I advance my argument by describing two initiatives. Firstly, Design Research is presented as an approach that tends to have interventionist characteristics, is process oriented and contributes to theory building. Secondly, I describe an educational problem that mobile learning tries to solve, namely the design of Augmented Contexts for Development (Cook, 2009a); these place context as a core construct that enables collaborative, location-based, mobile device mediated problem solving where learners generate their own 'temporal context for development'; a case study (CONTSENS) is used to reify this Vygotskian-oriented initiative. I then go on to further argue that our understanding of how to design for these new augmented contexts can benefit from a re-examination of Design Research. The paper revisits Design Research by making use of such questions (after Bannan, 2009) as: what does the shift in the use of mobile devices for informal, formal and work-based learning mean for the collection and analysis of data and what methods might we employ in a systematic, iterative and interventionist Design Research effort? The paper concludes by briefly outlining how I intend to move towards some preliminary generalised design principles and implications for broader theory.
Extended Abstract: http://bit.ly/70mDJn

Keywords:
Mobile Learning, Augmented Contexts for Development, Zone of Proximal Development, Vygotsky, Design Research

Short Biography:
John Cook (PhD MSc BSc CEng MBCS CITP FHEA) is Professor of Technology Enhanced Learning (TEL) at the Learning Technology Research Institute, London Metropolitan University. John has over 14 years previous experience as a full-time lecturer at various HEIs and in 2007 was made a University Teaching Fellow. He has over 8 years project management experience, which includes AHRB, BECTA, HEFCE (CETL Manager 2005-2008) and EC work. Furthermore, John has been part of research and development grant proposals that have attracted £4 million in competitive external funding. In addition, he has published/presented around 200 refereed articles and invited talks in the area of TEL, having a specific interest in four related areas: informal learning, mobile learning, augmented contexts for development and work-based learning. He was Chair/President of the Association for Learning Technology (2004-06), he is currently the Chair of ALT's Research Committee and is a member of the Joint Information Systems Committee 'Learning and Teaching Practice Experts Group'. John sits on various journal editorial boards and conducts Assessor and review work for the ESRC, EPSRC, EU, UK Government and Science Foundation of Ireland. For more information see: http://staffweb.londonmet.ac.uk/~cookj1/ , http://twitter.com/johnnigelcook & http://www.slideshare.net/johnnigelcook