Wednesday, April 12, 2006

Trialling eportfolio compilation using mobile phones

I have been putting together this year’s research proposal & it’s just been submitted to the faculty research committee for their approval. The objective of the research project is to look into using moblogs or ‘enhanced’ WIKIs that are accessible using mobile phones. Apprentices will be asked to connect with these web based applications to collect, collate and organise photos and text that will form the base of a portfolio for the purposes of completing work based skills.

The main focus will be to evaluate how user friendly the apprentices find each type of software. As the majority of apprentices will not have access to personal computers, it will be important to find out how much of the eportfolio compilation can take place using just the mobile phone to take photos, add text descriptors, send the photos and accompanying text to the website, collate and organise the photos and share these with their peers.

As a tutor, I would like to find out how much information can be gathered using the mobile phone and whether the evidential material will be sufficient for me to make a decision about an apprentice’s competency. I am also interested in the underlying process that will take place as apprentices work through the requirements of collecting evidence, archiving and collating their work. In my experience, a lot of thought often goes into compiling portfolios and it would be good to see if this thought process is reflected in the composition of the eportfolios that apprentices will be working on. I am also interested in finding out whether the process of using a particular application with a mobile phone would constrain or enhance the portfolio experience for apprentices.

From the CPIT point of view, I will need to find out the advantages and disadvantages of various web based software. Then, when we built a customised platform for student eportfolios, we will have a better idea of what works or does not work. Using mobile phones as the main interface between users & their portfolios will be an added challenge to setting up a customised eportfolio platform.

1 comment:

Leigh Blackall said...

Hi Selena,

I'm trying to find money to bring Teemu Leinonen manager of the MobilEd project. For me, the MobilEd initiative is the most important development for mLearning for trades I have seen yet.

Imagine, a builder on his way to work, is thinking about the new materials he's just ordered. Remembered the wiki he was involved with while at Tek. Sends a text message search to the wiki's phone number, gets a call back from a screenreader reading through the intro and index.. he navigates the information that the students have put together recently on this wiki, and finds a unique way of handling this material that just may save him $3000! Navigates to the author of the entry, and finds her contact details. Gives her a call and gets more information about the matrial.

Do you think your project could sponsor Teemu's visit in September? He could come over and help us install the open source software needed to trial this idea...