An Introduction to Moblogs in Education

flexiblelearning.net.au

Moblogs!“Create & Share,

Anytime & Anywhere!”

Leonard LowCanberra Institute of Technology

http://[email protected]


Um.. Whatblogs?• A “moblog” is a “mobile web log”

– A website you own, control, and customise,– Where you can post stuff you create,– From your cellphone, PDA, or other connected

mobile device: anytime and anywhere!


In other words…• A moblog is your “log”, or journal, on the

web, that you can update from your mobile device (usually a mobile phone).

• A moblog can also have more than one contributor – for example, a whole class of students… or E-lluminate users…

Let’s have a look at one!


http://moblog.co.uk/blog/mobilelearning• My testing and

demonstration moblog…


Wanna Try It?Yaay, of course you do!

Email a photo, video, or sound file (as an attachment) to:

[email protected]

And you’ll see it appear here:

http://moblog.co.uk/blog/etoolsntips

•You can add a text comment and a title in your message•You can email from your mobile phone or your computer•I’ll put this information on the rest of this session’s slides

– add something anytime!

[email protected] > http://moblog.co.uk/blog/etoolsntips


So… Why Moblog?Moblogging can be used as a fun and effective:

• Individual learning activity• Formative assessment activity • Way to document ANY process over time• Group resource-gathering and sharing activity• Summative assessment activity

…and much more…



So… Why Moblog?Instead of making notes

like this:Your students could

moblog like this:



So… Why Moblog?They could share

images, sounds, & videos they create…

…with other learners and experts everywhere…



So… Why Moblog?…using tools they enjoy…

…to get instant feedback...



So… Why Moblog?…any time…

…and anywhere.



Here’s just one example.This is Darren.



Here’s just one example.Darren is studying

advertising & marketing.



Here’s just one example.This semester, he’s

been asked to moblog examples of

advertising and marketing that he

comes across.

It’s an eye opening assignment.



Here’s just one example.For the first time, Darren walks down the street, noticing how

advertising works in his own world. How advertising works on him.



Here’s just one example.That’s just one of the many things he

reflects on, in his moblog.



Here’s just one example.His classmates have their opinions too…



Here’s just one example.…and of course, moblogs

of their own …



Here’s just one example.…so there’s plenty

to talk about.



Here’s just one example.(Even before industry professionals find

the moblogs, and add even more ideas.)



Are yougetting the picture?

(and there’s more than just pictures: you can also moblog with videos and sounds.)



Create & Share,Anytime & Anywhere.

Moblogging is a way to make students reflect on howtheir area of study is part of their life generally.

It can also be used as a means of documentinga specific activity, such as a creative process

or an assessment.

Pedagogically speaking, moblogging favours situatedand exploratory learning in a social constructivist framework.



Perhaps that’s why education everywhere is moblogging!

Singapore’s educational moblogging community: – http://www.campusmoblog.com.sg– 14202 users. – 1057 (educational) groups: (http://

www.campusmoblog.com.sg/main/group_blogger.asp).

– Wow.– Oh, sorry… only mobile-enabled for

Singaporean residents. Sigh.– But couldn’t we replicate this for

Australian VET???


http://www.campusmoblog.com.sg/

http://www.campusmoblog.com.sg/main/group_blogger.asp




In this moblog, a class of 13-year olds is documenting their development and production of a video on “Managing and Respecting Intellectual Property”.

Wow.

A group moblog: http://ICJYS1.campusmoblog.com.sg


http://icjys1.campusmoblog.com.sg/


Each photo represents a file uploaded instantly from a mobile phone. These “posts” are organised with the most recent addition first. Videos as well as photos are supported.

On this moblogging site, there is also a mobile-enabled chat facility. Group members can chat using either their web browsers or their mobile phones.

A group moblog: http://ICJYS1.campusmoblog.com.sg


http://icjys1.campusmoblog.com.sg/


Yes, moblogging is cool.Everyone’s going mobile.

Sites you probably already know and use – sites that used to be “web based” - are

now offering mobile services which effectively make them moblogs…

Sites like these:



• The picture-sharing Web 2.0 site, flickr, is a blogging tool. Each “photo blog,” collects and displays picture entries in reverse chronological order.

• It’s also mobile-capable - you can upload pictures directly from your mobile device.

Yes, (for example), flickr. It’s a moblog.



You can upload photos to flickr from your mobile phone:• Using simple e-mail. Each account has a unique email

address for uploading photos to it, and most mobile phones can send emails.

• Using the mobile web version of flickr, located at http://m.flickr.com

• Using a photo uploader program which can be installed on most phones.

Mobile flickr.


http://m.flickr.com/


Once you’ve explored basic moblogging – getting media from mobile to web to build up a record – there’s lots of other strategies to try out:

• Connecting your moblog: you can use some tools, like Flickr, to accept your images and text and re-post them to a more connected and customisable blog, such as an edublog (http://edublogs.org).

• Group moblogging: you can set up moblogs for a whole class to contribute and discuss. This can be simpler and more effective than individual moblogs.

Advanced Moblogging.



Then there’s “Locoblogging”: moblogging combined with a record of the location that each photo, sound, or video was created. The media can be recalled chronologically (as for normal moblog) or by geographic position.

This is great for subjects likeforestry, biology, or evenforensics (to name just a few)…




If you have a GPS device, you can try locoblogging at:

http://locoblog.com



If you don’t, you can still manually geotag your images in

flickr!

Locoblogging is useful if location adds relevant context to the media.


Moblogging: amazing tools in the palm of your hand…


“Phenomenal cosmic power! Itty bitty living space.”

– Genie, “Aladdin” (1992)Old way New way

Any questions?

An Introduction to Moblogs in Education

Technology

mobile device

mbmoblg

sg mb

advertising

net gt

mobile phone

advanced moblogging

anytime amp