Mobile Web 2.0

The new frontier

Abstract

Today’s smartphones are mini multimedia computers, they are generally equipped with: 3G and WiFi internet connectivity, a 2 to 5 megapixel camera, Bluetooth for device interconnectivity, USB2 for computer connectivity and media synchronisation. They have digital media storage capacities of 1 to 16 GB, will play back most standard audio, image, and video formats, are GPS enabled, are integrated into online media and social networking sites (Flickr, YouTube, blogs, MySpace, Facebook etc…), and are capable of recording (and some can even edit and display on large screen video devices) video between QVGA and VGA quality. These smartphones are promoted by their manufacturers as lifestyle tools to enable sharing experiences and social networking via web2.0 sites, and mobile friendly media portals (e.g. Ovi, iTunes Store). The ubiquitous connection to web2.0 tools and collaborative communication and user generated content creation capabilities of these devices make them ideal tools for facilitating social constructivist learning environments across multiple learning contexts. However, designing good pedagogical environments to integrate the successful use of these tools is essential. This paper reports on the progress of several qualitative action research trials being conducted to investigate the impact of smartphones and mobile web2.0 on teaching and learning in higher education. These trials illustrate a variety of pedagogical designs and the creation and support of mobile learning environments.