The Mobile Innovation Network

+ The Mobile Innovation Network

building local capacity for youth workforce development,

entrepreneurship and citizenship in the mobile world

a project of the Center for Mobile Learning at the MIT Media Lab

+Background As portable devices become more ubiquitous, youth must

have opportunities to create, not just consume mobile apps.

There are efforts, but in limited context or duration and often in isolation.

+The Mobile Innovation Network

Our mission is to empower young people worldwide to create personally meaningful and socially-relevant

mobile applications.

+What does a Mobile Innovation Club do?

Develop culture of young people learning, working and tinkering with mobile apps;

Inspire youth created mobile solutions to locally meaningful challenges;

Provide a meaningful context for youth skill acquisition;

Raise awareness of relevant career opportunities;

Foster connections with inspiring individuals and representatives from local companies and organizations.

+MIT App Inventor: A Tool for Innovation

+MIT App Inventor: A Tool for Innovation

+

http://notes.hfoss.org/index.php/TreeCalc:Main_Page

Science Apps in the Field

+

https://sites.google.com/a/wellesley.edu/bunnybolt/home

Apps for healthy lifestyles and fun

+Apps for humanitarian and social goodWith support from external agents, Haiti relief workers developed an app to facilitate monitor food and water distribution.

How can we help others build apps to improve the quality of life in their own communities?

+

+Why a Mobile Innovation Network?

Facilitate curriculum development;

Organize events to foster interactions among clubs;

Establish a mutually-supportive community, including a virtual network;

Lead and support evaluation;

Provide feedback and make App Inventor and other software tools more relevant to and appropriate for youth projects.

+Who are current MIN members?

MIT Center for Mobile Learning: technical expertise, partnerships

MIT Global Startup Lab: mobile technology development and entrepreneurship in Africa and Southeast Asia

CSEV Foundation: online community and mobile entrepreneurial ecosystem for Latin America

Global Minimum: innovation camps in Sierra Leone and Kenya

Humanitarian FOSS: student mentorship, technical know-how

Intel Computer Clubhouse Network: teens, media infrastructure in 20 countries

Iridescent: science and technology with girls worldwide

+How to make the MIN real?

Phase I Develop modular guide activities Create online hub Start clubs Evaluation plan & implementation

Phase II Refine & expand activity set Improve App Inventor components Develop sustainability plan Implement evaluation findings

Phase III Expand network Implement sustainability plan

+What does the MIN need?

Funding

Additional Partnerships with Local Organizations/Companies Who Can Provide: Space Mentors Internships

Equipment – phones and/or tablets with data plans

Volunteers

+Contacts

Leo Burd, Research Scientistleoburd@media.mit.edu

Josh Sheldon, Program Managerjsheldon@mit.edu

http://appinventor.mit.edu

+Additional slides

+

We should provide local entrepreneurs and grassroots non-profits with tools – and where appropriate and requested, expertise – for them to create their own projects that make a difference...

[...] we shouldn’t develop solutions to problems we don’t understand, we shouldn’t take ownership of a problem that isn’t ours and we certainly shouldn’t build things thousands of miles away and then jump on a plane in search of a home for them.

- Ken Banks, fromhttp://www.kiwanja.net/blog/2012/12/an-inconvenient-truth/

+Research questions

What are the key technical, educational and infrastructural elements of successful Mobile Innovation Clubs?

In what ways can App Inventor and the other technologies used be improved to better support young people in the implementation of their projects?

How to foster scalability and guarantee the sustainability of the Mobile Innovation Network over time?

+Curriculum goals

Technical skills (which will change over time)

Longer-lasting skills Computational thinking So-called 21st Century Skills:

Flexibility and ability to adapt to new technologies and situations Self-esteem Self-initiative Collaboration Presentation skills Ability and willingness to learning from mistakes

Curriculum writing College application, etc. Business plan writing

+Monitoring and evaluationOne of the expected outcomes of the Mobile Innovation Network is to define a set of indicators and assessment instruments to guide the evolution of the project at the individual, club and network levels.

At the individual level Acquisition of basic skills, concepts and attitudes (for the mobile world; Common challenges inherent to the participation in the initiative.

At the Club level Challenges inherent to the implementation and sustainability of the MIN

projects; Best practices; Suggestions to improve App Inventor; How to recruit, support and keep mentors engaged?

At the Network level Total number of clubs, participants and projects; Level of participation and lessons learned regarding inter-club initiatives

such as design competitions, webinars, etc.; Overall impact in the community.

+Monitoring and evaluation

+Technovation challenge

+

+MIT Global Startup Labs

+Innovate Salone 2013