2009: A year in review

2009: A year in review

Steve Vosloo 21st Century fellow, Shuttleworth Foundation

I focussed on mlearningWhy?

90% of SA’s urban youth have access to a mobile phone

This has changed the way they socialise, play and communicate

Schools ban mobile phones, press coverage is biased -- opportunities are lost

Very few teachers see the potential of mlearning

But mobile phones are incredibly powerfulWeb access is increasingly mobile primary Huge potential for learning -- not being exploited

So, I did 3 things ...

1. Raised awareness of mlearning

2. Documented mlearning

3. Researched mobiles for literacy

51%Households in SA without a single leisure book

Would our teens read novels on their phones like in Japan?Can mobile phones alleviate the chronic shortage of books?

Kontax: an m-novel

• www.kontax.mobi (WAP-enabled phones or computer browser) and MXit

• Aimed at 14-17 year olds

• Written in English and isiXhosa (world first)

• 21 days, 21 chapters

• Embedded in a lite social network

>10,000 reads>300 comments>1,500 ideas

“It's great ... for me it really hard to pick up a book to start readin but i don mind readin on my phone” (dotty1)

“Awsum :) Im realy nt much of a reader but reading of my phone jst seems alot easier...and co0ler! :)” (Gucci)

“Am not a person who reads books,so i only dd this 2 check hw a book on da web wil b like.So its not bad, and am lookin 4ward 2 chapter 2.” (Slize)

"The more exposure you have to the written word [including txtspk] the more literate you become and we tend to get better at things that we do for fun"

Beverly Plester, Coventry University

Findings

• Most digital writing takes place on mobile phones (but it’s short, like SMS)

• Most reading takes place on mobile phones or on paper

• Teens want to write their own pieces (poems, lyrics, stories, etc.)

• The isiXhosa version was popular

• Strong correlation between language choice and communication mode

Coverage and awards

Mobile phones are a viable platform for distributing books and enabling reader participation

This removes the barrier of printing costs, putting information back into the hands of the people

Opportunities for 2010

• More stories. There are only 3 m-novels in SA. We need a “mobile library” —full of public domain titles for access via mobile phones

• Grow Kontax: more readers and more languages, e.g. م رواية 故事 история.

A successful m-novel is a powerful way to promote mpublishing

• A platform for self-publishing to get teens writing

• Invite teachers to use m-novels in the classroom

Contact me

email: [email protected]

blog: innovatingeducation.wordpress.com

slides: slideshare.net/stevevosloo

twitter: twitter.com/stevevosloo

web: vosloo.net