The International Journal of Mobile Learning and Organisation has released the results of research conducted on the use of mobile technology within institutes of higher education. Colleagues at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden and the University of California, San Diego posit that educational institutions could save valuable resources by abandoning efforts to outfit students with laptops and other devices, and instead focus on incorporating the cell phones, PDA’s and netbooks that most students already have upon entering school.
To test this hypothesis, the researchers charged a group of students with gathering and uploading field data using their mobile phones and then using a browser interface to collate, edit, and annotate that data on a Wiki platform. The use of in-phone cameras and video recorders allowed the students to collect simple visuals for incorporation into the Wiki without having to gain access to expensive video camera equipment.
The students initially used the Wiki as a repository for their fieldwork data, including field notes, photos, maps and documents. Subsequently, the groups engaged in online and offline discussions of their materials, all of which assisted with the writing of their final, submitted field reports.
While mobile technology has been eyed suspiciously by educators as a means of distraction, or even worse, cheating, the researchers suggest that it is only by embracing this new technology that it may be harnessed as a tool for interactive learning. These devices allow levels of access to information and other students around the world that simply didn’t exist before, all of which could be used to promote a freer and more open exchange of knowledge and ideas.