Bottom-Line Performance

I’ve watched eagerly as Apple moved from concept to launch with the iPad. For at least two years I’ve believed that training and education will be revolutionized when we finally have a hand-held device that puts rich multimedia experiences literally in the hands of learners – from kids to corporate-types. I’m not talking about the typical SmartPhone – I’m talking about a device about the size of my Kindle. For me, a phone is too small. I want something that gives me a screen big enough to REALLY experience media on while still being truly portable.

We are SO close to this learning revolution. Read Fast Company’s article on how SmartPhones and mobile apps are changing learning in the classroom. I was PUMPED when I read about the math and reading progress first graders made using a portable device called “Teacher’s Mate.” Kids went from below to above grade level using these tools – something the teacher readily admits she could not have accomplished on her own.

Review my presentation and white paper to see what competitors to the iPad are emerging – and how they will go beyond what the iPad can do today.  I see a future that is amazing in terms of opportunities to design learning that truly engages and is delivered in a far more palatable way than most learning is served up today. Click the image below to see a presentation I developed on this topic.

Mobile Devices Revolutionize Learning

The top features we need to see to be ready for the full impact that mobile devices can have on learning include:

• A touch screen interface (i.e. like the iPad).
• A screen that doubles the real estate available on most phones. (Like the e-readers on the market)
• Batter life that allows the device to be used for several hours each day without need for plugging in to re-charge. This ensures true portability and anytime/anywhere access.
• WiFI Internet capability for accessing content and for sharing content with others.
• An operating system that supports Flash and Windows. (The business world is PC and they need PC tools that mirror what they have on their desktops/laptops. Flash is what most websites are developed in – refusing to support Flash (as Apple has) means that users are cut off from a huge amount of content. It also limits content creation.)
• The capability to deliver media-rich experiences that immerse the user. The iPad gives us a glimpse of what’s possible. Compare the viewing experience of the USA Today newspaper between the iPad and the Kindle. There IS no comparison. The iPad delivers an amazing, interactive experience. The Kindle…delivers text.

HP plans to launch a direct competitor to the iPad this year – and it’s worth checking out. It will be a “true” computer that supports Windows 7 – and Flash. It’s battery life is about half of the iPad (5 hours as opposed to 10), but it packs far more power and opportunity into its package. nVidia, known for its stellar graphics cards, is ready to launch an application processor that should give hardware manufacturers a powerful tool for creating mobile devices that compete well against the iPad.

I, for one, cannot wait to see what comes nipping at the heels of the iPad. In the coming months, we are going to see learning be available in the palms of our hands. It will make current e-learning offerings look anemic and will push traditional classroom instruction even further back in our minds than it already is.

As Lisa previously posted, several of us went to the annual SALT conference at the beginning of March. Some of the sessions I was most interested in were the ones on mobile learning. I haven’t ever used my cell to actually learn anything and was interested to see what others in the field were doing in the area. A few things I learned:

• There weren’t very many examples of real learning (I now know something that I didn’t before and can use that knowledge) shared. However, there were several examples given that stretch the definition of learning:
  • Post-training evaluation. Send the evaluation to phones so that they can be completed as participants travel home. I think this is a good use of the technology, but is it actual learning or just communication?
  • Tests or quizzes to support face-to-face training. The example given was for a nursing program where students completed knowledge checks after their classes. Again, an effective learning support tool, but not teaching new information, right?
• Some of the most interesting learning isn’t happening on “smart phones”, but rather on what we would consider basic devices. One of the most interesting sessions was given by Dr. Cesar Bandera of Cell Podium. He shared how they have developed learning for emergency support personnel. Here’s a brief description of the project.  The users of this training are on basic devices and are not necessarily highly educated. But they have adopted the use of their phones to quickly and easily get the information they need, when they need it.

I believe that there are possibilities and some interesting things going on. I was encouraged to see that the most effective programs didn’t need iPhone or Android technology to be successful….but as always, the solid learning design was what indicated success, not the technology.

And for those of you who shudder at the thought using your Blackberry more than you already do, you have some company:

Dear Google, what can’t you do??? This week Google announced the launch of Google Goggles. It’s a mobile app for android phones that allows you to complete internet searches based on a photo you take with your smart phone. What’s that, you ask? Here’s an example from Google’s site:

Literally you take a picture of a bridge and it recognizes it, searches for related information, and returns information to you. That blows my mind!! How does it do that? Check out this video for more examples:

When I think of mobile apps and learning, this technology has unlimited opportunity. Think of a sales person out in the field that wants to see what kind of product the customer has? He or she takes a pic and sees the info from your company’s product guide?.Or a repair technician takes a picture of a broken appliance and can see what model it is and whether the replacement parts are available.

This technology will also be great if you know nothing about a topic. So novice learners can use the technology to find their way. It can take pictures of buildings, and using GPS, identify the building for the user. That same principle could be used for the insides of a large building or organization. New employees could take a picture of a hallway entrance to find out where they are and how to get to the cafeteria.

How else could this technology be used for learning? Are you as amazed as I am? If you have a droid phone (oh, how i’m jealous), have you used this app?

Technology has always played a big role in my life and I hope that this blog will allow me to share everything that I am doing and what I feel is interesting. I think that mobile learning is really exciting. In fact, I thought it would be so exciting it was actually a factor in my decision to buy a Blackberry Curve.

Working for a company where virtual communication is extremely important I wanted something that could keep me connected when I didn’t have my laptop or an internet connection. There are so many features offered with a Blackberry that some people might feel intimidated at first; this include phone service, GPS, messaging, syncing with email and calendar functionality. These features alone helped to facilitate my purchase of a Blackberry but my true focus was always on the opportunity to create an application for my phone. I believe that mobile applications will be seen more and more in companies as a way to train and inform employees.

I decided to start my mobile learning path my playing around with development in Microsoft’s Visual Basic (VB .net) environment. Blackberry’s Development Center has actually created plug-ins that allow for mobile applications that can push data from back-end SQL database via VB .net. The applications being developed utilize a Mobile Database System (MDS) which allow applications to be database driven and updates to these applications can be made on the fly.

I have recently started working on a few applications for my Blackberry and it has been a very exciting process. I will try to keep updates on my progress but I have already created a quiz that could be used in a mobile learning course and a program that streams music from my personal website using the MDS plug-in.

Where can you see mobile learning being most effective? What advantages are there to being able to utilize down-time and turn it into a learning opportunity with your employees? I think that the development of mobile applications is just getting its start and that with phones with larger screens like the Blackberry Curve and iPhone will allow developers to make a rich learning environment for users.