Children's Research Center for Mobile Learning - Notes
In 2007, I drafted for someone a proposal for establishing a
Children's Research Center for Mobile Learning. Perhaps others will
find these notes helpful for proposing such a program at another
research university.
Children's Research Center for Mobile Learning - Rough Notes
The Children's Research Center for Mobile Learning (CRCML) promotes
increased international scientific collaboration among laboratory and
school based researchers and program evaluators. Collaborators
integrate translational, theoretical, and outcomes research to
increase student learning with mobile PCs. This collaboration creates
an intellectual synergy, an international infrastructure, and an
environment for sharing data and research sites in order to accelerate
scientific discovery of ways to increase state-of-the-art and
state-of-practice PK-12 student learning rates with mobile PCs.
Problem
Tablet PC, Ultra Mobile PCs and other mobile devices appear likely to
increase learning rates of users. This mobile learning appears a fact
of contemporary life, yet no organization systematically, objectively
describes that learning venue for any cohort of learners. Common sense
leads to speculation that significant unidentified and unmeasured
mobile learning occurs outside of schools influences school learning.
This center addresses three related problems about ubiguitious mobile
electronic learning.
1. No entity exists that gives priority to understanding mobile
learning scientifically; and
2. No entity gives priority to using such data to prepare learners to
use mobile PCs more efficiently and effectively;
3. No entity compares mobile learning rates with other information and
intellectual skill acquisition venues.
Purpose
The Center for Mobile Learning facilitates the development of
empirical databased innovative software related learning tools and
strategies to address mobile learning more effectively, and prepares
preservice and incumbent teachers to use these developments.
In addition to conducting their own research, members of the Center
assist other researchers with a range of efforts in studying mobile
learning, including the following:
Design and development of investigator-initiated studies; preparation
of grant applications and reports; and
Submission of protocol/informed consent to university bodies; protocol
review and monitoring; scientific review; and data safety monitoring
procedures.
Organization
The Center consists of three groups of research and teaching faculty,
staff, and students. Senior staff have research specialties in
learning, mobile electronic communication devices, formal
organizations (including schools), and enterprise development.
Each group gives priority to different phases in the development and
assessment of the relevance of empirical data, theoretical
generalizations from these data, applications of data to mobile
learning of students in and out of schools, and evaluations of these
applications. They use vocabulary, logic, and measures that give
priority to student learning rates over existing schooling practices
and policies, and over the mass market of independent learners.
Together, these groups increase understanding of quantitative affects
of mobile PCs on learning, especially relationships between learning
protocols, mobile devices, instruction, and learning rates of students
with personal behavior patterns (unclassified by background
demographics, disability type, etc.) familiar to educators, including
special educators.
The Learning Research Group (LRC) analyzes existing experimental
learning behavioral and cognitive research and theories as well as
conducts independent research to identify learning principles with
implications for mobile learning. This group gives priority to
identifying empirically based generalizations about learning with
mobile PC, so the Translational group may construct and conduct Beta
tests.
The Translational Research Group (TRG)) gives priority to transforming
scientific discoveries arising from laboratory, school, or population
studies into mobile learning applications to increase learning rates.
We adapt the term transitional research from a type of health care
study. Translational studies provide a scientific link between
laboratory research and human trials. The Translational Research Group
stimulates development of basic research and human translational Beta
tests that improve children's learning in and out of schools with
mobile PCs. This group works with PK12 schools, learning laboratories
and mobile PC engineers, software developers and publishers to insure
relevance and support of translational research projects.
The Education Policy Research Group (EPRG) analyzes and assesses
impacts of learning rates from mobile learning on education policies,
practices, and organizations, especially in schools and families. They
then conduct field studies in schools and families to identify
adjustments most likely to lead to increased learning rates in those
settings. They also recommend adjustments other schools and families
may make in order to have similar student learning rates, including
adjustments in funding patterns and budgeted expenditure allocations.
Dissemination: Information, Skill, and Material Transfer
Center staff will share what they know, learn, make, and do over the
Internet with blogs, podcasts, webcasts; through published products;
and by offering workshops, inservice sessions, and conferences.
Support
Grants for individual projects fund this initiative. Preliminary
reviews indicate that foundation grants likely exist to underwrite
aspects of the center as well as some research and development of
educational software. Other grants likely exist from conventional
sources, some in cooperation with PK12 schools.
Expected Results
The CRCML will establish empirical benchmarks in student mobile
learning. Software developers may use these benchmarks to design
educational programs. Educators may use them to evaluate mobile
learning hardware and software. Policy makers may use these benchmarks
to assess the relative utility of regulations, appropriations, and
pedagogy for increasing student learning rates with mobile PCs.
These benchmarks will use an expanded vocabulary about learning,
schooling that practitioners can include in discussing individual
student progress, and ways likely to accelerate it.
Benchmarks will result from new models, heuristics, instructional and
learning protocols, off-the-shelf electronic hardware, and learning
software.
A new era of education software and equipment will emerge within a
year or so after the first benchmarks from the public and private
sectors consistent with one-on-one and on-demand learning in and out
of schools. These additions will likely contribute to increasing
student learning rates further than what exists and is hoped for
today.
A relatively small aggregate of early adopters will join a growing
aggregate of leadership in state-of-the-art education practice and
conversation.
Counterpoints
Several counter positions exist that college faculty should consider
before launching this center.
Perhaps the most important decision will be whether faculty want to
conduct their research and scholarship through the center. To address
this, center developers should identify what's in it for faculty to
participate rather than to study through other venues.
Most educators and policy makers will watch from the sidelines for
several years while their existing grants run their course, and to
assess for themselves whether mobile PC learning is a fad or fact
worth adopting. A small minority will vocally oppose these steps as
inhumane and against the nature of childhood and professional
teaching.
Some, mostly not in higher education, will argue that the money spent
on the research for this center should go directly to public schools
to do more of what educators want to do already.
Expected Results
(Added soon.)
Please let me know what you decide to use, what you find useful and
what seems inaccurate.
Posted by The Tablet PC In Education Blog at 4:03 PM
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