Future Scenarios for Mobile Science Learning

Kevin Burden,Matthew Kearney

doi:10.1007/s11165-016-9514-1

Kevin Burden, Matthew Kearney

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1007/s11165-016-9514-1

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Abstract

This paper adopts scenario planning as a methodological approach and tool to help science educators reconceptualise their use of mobile technologies across various different futures. These ‘futures’ are set out neither as predictions nor prognoses but rather as stimuli to encourage greater discussion and reflection around the use of mobile technologies in science education. Informed by the literature and our empirical data, we consider four alternative futures for science education in a mobile world, with a particular focus on networked collaboration and student agency. We conclude that ‘seamless learning’, whereby students are empowered to use their mobile technologies to negotiate across physical and virtual boundaries (e.g. between school and out-of-school activities), may be the most significant factor in encouraging educators to rethink their existing pedagogical patterns, thereby realizing some of the promises of contextualised participatory science learning.

Highlights

Mobile learning (m-learning) considers the process of learning mediated by handheld devices such as smart phones, tablet computers and game consoles (Schuler, Winters & West 2012)
Two of the exemplars cited from the STEM data set appear to have been deliberately designed by teachers to engage students in science learning tasks that connected them more widely with peers or science experts, despite many of the obvious benefits associated with this approach in terms of inquiry-based science learning
We acknowledge that other emerging technologies may well have a profound influence on science learning in the future, for example, learning analytics, 3D printing, games-based learning and wearable technologies (Johnson et al 2013)

Summary

Introduction

Mobile learning (m-learning) considers the process of learning mediated by handheld devices such as smart phones, tablet computers and game consoles (Schuler, Winters & West 2012). The challenge is to explore more diverse pedagogical opportunities, and this paper addresses this challenge in two ways It draws upon a recent international study (Kearney, Burden & Rai 2015) investigating how educators are currently using distinctive pedagogical features of mobile learning, which include collaboration, personalisation and authenticity. This configuration is often described in the literature through words such as ‘anywhere, anytime’, ‘on the move’ and ‘multiple contexts’ (Mifsud 2014)

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