How do we create 21st century learners in a society that is changing in faster and more complex ways than ever before? Knowledge is growing at exponential rates, the digital tools we use are constantly changing, the nature of family and community are in flux, markets are shifting, and institutions constantly have to reinvent themselves.

We are constantly preparing ourselves for a world that will have jobs that don’t exist yet, tools that haven’t been invented yet, and problems we don’t know are problems yet. The distinction between the physical and digital is becoming increasingly blurred as well.

What will learning in such an unpredictable environment look like? This presentation will provide a brief glimpse of what the not-so-distant future of education might bring, including increased personalization and customization, learning in context, networking, and of course, the role of digital technologies.

We do so by focusing on the concept of learning while mobile. Mobile learning has been around for about a decade, but was does it mean to learn while mobile? Learning while mobile does take into consideration aspects of mobile learning such as mobility of the technology and the learner, but it goes a step beyond by looking at the mobility of our society as a whole. It considers learning as personalized, learner-centered, situated, collaborative, ubiquitous, and lifelong. It sees learning as happening across contexts, people, and digital tools that are mobile and static. It focuses not on the entities but the interactions between them.

Therefore, two important aspects of learning while mobile are conversation and context. Learning is a social process. However, conversation is not just the exchange of knowledge, but also the ability to talk about what I know and what you know (at a meta-cognitive level). These conversations take place between learners and their partners (teachers, students, technology…).

Also, learning happens within a context, yet creates context at the same time. Therefore, context is constantly recreated and never static. This is especially the case when considering the fact that mobile learning can take place almost anywhere across space and time.

In sum, the nature of learning is changing dramatically, both inside and outside of schools. It is imperative that educational institutions get caught up with these changes if they are to survive in the long run. Schools can no longer provide a one-size-fits-all curriculum, but will have to address issues of personalization, customization, networking, globalization, mobility, and context.

Participants will leave with a better sense of the changes that lie ahead, and some concrete ideas of what they can do now to better prepare their students for this not-so-distant future.

Presenter Bios
Mark van 't Hooft is the current chair of SIGHC and a well-known researcher in the field of mobile and ubiquitous computing. He has published and presented widely on the topic, at both research and practitioner-oriented conferences.
Panelists, including Graham Brown-Martin, Cathie Norris, Elliot Soloway, and Tony Vincent are all well-known in the field of mobile computing as well and really need no further introduction. They are all known globally for their work in this area.

Supporting Research

Conferences:
*Handheld Learning (http://www.handheldlearning2007.com/)
*mLearn (http://www.mlearn2007.org/)
For more see SIGHC's wikispace at http://sighc.iste.wikispaces.net/Current+Events

Web Sites:
SIGHC: http://sighc.iste.wikispaces.net/
Handheld Learning: http://handheldlearning.co.uk
GoKnow: http://www.goknow.com
Learning in Hand: http://www.learninginhand.com

Selected Publications:
Books:
Curtis, M., Kopera, J., Norris, C., & Soloway, E. (2004). Palm OS Handhelds in the Elementary Classroom: Curriculum and Strategies. Eugene, OR: ISTE.

Curtis, M., Williams, B., Norris, C., O'Leary, D., & Soloway, E. (2003). Palm Handheld Computers: A Complete Resource for Classroom Teachers. Eugene, OR: ISTE.

Fasimpaur, K. (2003). 101 great educational uses for your handheld computer. Long Beach, CA: K12 Handhelds.

Frazel, M., & Souza, J. R., Jr. (2003). Tips & Tricks for Using Handhelds in the Classroom. Westminster, CA: Teacher Created Resources.

Johnson, D., & Broida, R. (2004). 101 Killer Apps for Your Palm Handhelds. Emeryville, CA: McGraw Hill/Osborne.

Olson, J., Olson, M., & Schielack, J. (2002). Integrating Handheld Technology into the Elementary Mathematics Classroom. Dallas, TX: Texas Instruments.

Staudt, C. (2005). Changing how we teach and learn with handheld computers. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

Tinker, R. F., & Krajcik, J. S. (2001). Portable technologies: Science learning in context. New York: Kluwer Academic.

van 't Hooft, M., & Swan, K. (2007). Ubiquitous computing in education: Invisible technology, visible impact. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

Vincent, T., & Caughlin, J. (2007). Handhelds for Teachers and Administrators (2nd Ed.). Watertown, MA: Tom Snyder Productions.

Vincent, T., & Caughlin, J. (2003). Handhelds for Teachers and Administrators. Watertown, MA: Tom Snyder Productions.

Williams, B. (2004). We're getting wired, we're going mobile, what's next? Eugene, OR: ISTE.

Articles/chapters:
Educational Technology Magazine, 47(3), 2007; Special Issue on Highly Mobile Computing

Friedman, T. (2005). The world is flat: A brief history of the twenty-first century. New York: Farrar, Strauss, & Giroux. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_World_is_Flat

Jenkins, H. et al. (2006). Confronting the challenges of participatory culture: Media education for the 21st century. Chicago, IL: the MacArthur Foundation. Available at: http://www.digitallearning.macfound.org/atf/cf/%7B7E45C7E0-A3E0-4B89-AC9C-E807E1B0AE4E%7D/JENKINS_WHITE_PAPER.PDF

Journal of Educational Computing Research, 30 (4), 2004. Special issue on ubiquitous computing

KnowledgeWorks Foundation (2006). Map of future forces affection education: 2006-2016. Available at http://www.kwfdn.org/map/map.aspx

Sharples, M. (200?). Beyond mobile learning: Designs for mixed reality, contextual, and ambient learning. Available at http://www.urbanlearningspace.com/files/presentations/BML_GLASGOW.ppt
Sharples, M., Taylor, J., Vavoula, G. (2007). Toward a theory of learning for the mobile age. in R. Andrews and C. Haythornwaithe (eds.), The Sage handbook of elearning research (pp. 221-247).

For more see: http://sighc.iste.wikispaces.net/Publications