Mobile Learning

I’ve come across this product called iPoint, which provides a fantastic way to create your own, customised maps, with your own “points of interest” on Windows Mobile devices, which can contain active web links, images, and descriptive text. I’m still playing around with it, but it just might be the most flexible, customisable situated learning software I’ve yet encountered.

Unlike other map services like Google Maps for Mobiles or Smart2Go, iPoint allows you to upload your own maps – which means it can not only be used for outdoor, public settings, but could also be used to mark up the interior plan of a museum or gallery, or even a fictitious or hard-to-reach location (e.g. the surface of the Moon, or the Starship Enterprise).

The maps are loaded onto your Pocket PC and don’t require an internet connection to explore, unless you want to take advantage of the ability of the software to embed clickable web links into your point-of-interest information for each location.

The editing tool for PCs is easy-to-use, and the maps run quickly and seamlessly on my Windows Mobile Smartphone.

Unfortunately, this is not a free product, but for just US$10, it could provide a (relatively) low-cost solution for situated mobile learning approaches, with a very easy-to-use interface for both both editing and accessing information.

I’ll update this post if the vendor, iTravel, is able to provide any information on educational pricing or bulk discounts for schools, and if I’m able to provide a fuller review.

(via SolSie.com)

technorati tags:ipoint, itravel, map, navigation, situated, learning, education, m-learning, mlearning, mobile-learning, mobilelearning, mobile learning, windows mobile, pda, smartphone

Tony Vincent at the Learning in Hand blog has incorporated a great new feature into his edublog, called Grazr:

I’ve added a new tool to Learning in Hand. The new Grazr widget appears on some pages. Grazr is a free service for websites that allows visitors to “graze” selected RSS feeds without the hassle of subscribing. This means you can browse and listen to selected podcasts without leaving Learning in Hand. In the event you’d like to subscribe to a podcast you find in Learning in Hand’s Educational podcasts Grazr, you can follow these directions for subscribing with iTunes.

Grazr is a really cool little tool, which allows you to “embed” your blogroll within your blog for browsing (”grazing”).  If you’ve got a blog or website, you could use this tool to provide your students with links to podcasts and feeds to supplement or complement their learning.

Great work Tony! If you know of exemplary podcasts which should be added to Tony’s Grazr, be sure to contact him to let him know.

technorati tags:podcasting, grazr, feeds, rss, m-learning, mlearning, mobile learning, mobile-learning, mobilelearning

If you’re a developer of M-learning resources for Pocket PC/Windows Mobile, and you’d like learners to be able to access your resources over-the-air (without a computer connection), then here’s a useful -and free- product that can help you achieve your goals.

AirWizard allows you to package your mobile learning software or resource(s) and deploy it/them over the air.  Examples of use in learning situations could include

• at a museum or art gallery, where visitors could download and install your location guide or exhibition catalogue to their smart phone, or
• to enable a whole classroom of students to download and install a resource or a set of software.

(via Mobility Site)

technorati tags:airwizard, installer, pocket pc, windows mobile, smartphone, pda, m-learning, mlearning, mobile learning, mobilelearning, mobile-learning