A socio-cultural model for orchestrating mobile learning activities

Abstract

Learning outdoors with mobile devices is associated with distinct challenges and constraints that needs to be taken into account when orchestrating formal mobile learning activities. In order to design pedagogically meaningful activities, we need to consider students scaffolding needs and have an understanding of the aspects that should be orchestrated for meeting those needs. This paper proposes an orchestration model for formal mobile learning activities across contexts that take such scaffolding needs into account. The model has been interactively developed based on empirical research conducted in three case-studies and have theoretical basis in socio-cultural perspectives on learning, particularly resting on the concept of scaffolding and on the learning design sequence model of Selander. The model takes the orchestration of six scaffolding aspects into account, namely: the social (collaborative) aspects, the teachers, the technology, the physical context, the learning processes and tasks, and the modes and representations.