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Tough challenges face Higher Education in a knowledge-based, net-centric economy as we gear up to... more Tough challenges face Higher Education in a knowledge-based, net-centric economy as we gear up to meet the pressures of global competition. New perspectives are needed in catering for the needs and interests of learners who have grown up in a digital age. Increasingly schools, colleges and universities are harnessing mobile technologies and the Internet to support learning. At the same time research findings indicate the motivating potential and possible learning gains of games played on mobile devices with young adult audiences. Arguably therefore the 'mobile learning' approach (m-learning) needs to be extended to include use of mobile learning games. The 3-year EC-funded project mG-BL (mobile Game-based Learning) is a practical response to that need.
Innovations in Education and Teaching International, 2005
Psychosocial risk factors for poor health show that we are highly sensitive to particular dimensi... more Psychosocial risk factors for poor health show that we are highly sensitive to particular dimensions of the social and work environments. Central is the contrast between mutually supportive collaborative relationships versus stressful relationships of social dominance-in the workplace and at home. These social ordeals can exacerbate the effect of environmental pressures and risks (noise, pollution, disruptions). Helping the individual learner to identify and work collaboratively with the salient issues is difficult, especially in the classroom where issues may be too personally experienced. A dynamic, interactive e-learning environment, on the other hand, offers more scope for exploring issues at a safe distance, while promoting individual and group enquiry and the formation of intellectual relationships. However, it is argued here that a new approach to e-learning is needed, to afford the kinds of experiences necessary for learning about complex and sensitive issues.
Research shows the potential of mobile games to promote learning in young adults. The 3-year EC-f... more Research shows the potential of mobile games to promote learning in young adults. The 3-year EC-funded project mGBL (mobile Game-based Learning) will prototype a platform and tools for the cost-and time-efficient development and deployment of mobile learning games. At least two types of game template will be designed. These will be for strategy games that can support the development of decisionmaking skills for crisis situations. Example games will be developed in the fields of e-health, e-commerce and career guidance. This short paper outlines project development stages and identifies issues emerging during the exploratory phase of the design process.
Mobile technologies are increasingly the technologies of choice for social and leisure activities... more Mobile technologies are increasingly the technologies of choice for social and leisure activities, particularly among young people. Mobile games are among the most popular applications and we are beginning to see how these may be translated into effective learning technologies. The 3-year mobile Game-based Learning project (mGBL) is a practical response to the emerging opportunities, designing new learning game models for delivery via mobile devices. These are to further the development of skills and strategies for dealing with crisis situations, a priority concern of the European Commission, which supports the project. Our vision is for great games that are user-led, not technology-led, informed by theory and competence-based, for use in blended learning programmes. Can all this work, or are the aims too disparate? Now mid-way through the project we take stock, engaging with findings from the first round of field research and from the first User Trials.
A growing body of research indicates that mobile technologies can be effective tools in catering ... more A growing body of research indicates that mobile technologies can be effective tools in catering for students in a digital age and there are signs of the motivating potential and possible learning gains of games played on mobile devices with young adult audiences. The 3-year EC-funded project mobile Game-based Learning (mGBL) therefore seeks to design new learning models based on mobile games. These will be standards-based for use in blended learning programmes. Specifically we aim to support development of decision-making skills and strategies for crisis situations -a priority concern of the European Community. Our vision is for great games that can effectively engage young people and that exemplify best practice -but what exactly is this in the new field? This paper considers a pedagogical framework for mGBL that also addresses emerging ethical and legal issues.
Tough challenges face Higher Education in a knowledge-based, net-centric economy as we gear up to... more Tough challenges face Higher Education in a knowledge-based, net-centric economy as we gear up to meet the pressures of global competition. New perspectives are needed in catering for the needs and interests of learners who have grown up in a digital age. Increasingly schools, colleges and universities are harnessing mobile technologies and the Internet to support learning. At the same time research findings indicate the motivating potential and possible learning gains of games played on mobile devices with young adult audiences. Arguably therefore the 'mobile learning' approach (m-learning) needs to be extended to include use of mobile learning games. The 3-year EC-funded project mG-BL (mobile Game-based Learning) is a practical response to that need.
Innovations in Education and Teaching International, 2005
Psychosocial risk factors for poor health show that we are highly sensitive to particular dimensi... more Psychosocial risk factors for poor health show that we are highly sensitive to particular dimensions of the social and work environments. Central is the contrast between mutually supportive collaborative relationships versus stressful relationships of social dominance-in the workplace and at home. These social ordeals can exacerbate the effect of environmental pressures and risks (noise, pollution, disruptions). Helping the individual learner to identify and work collaboratively with the salient issues is difficult, especially in the classroom where issues may be too personally experienced. A dynamic, interactive e-learning environment, on the other hand, offers more scope for exploring issues at a safe distance, while promoting individual and group enquiry and the formation of intellectual relationships. However, it is argued here that a new approach to e-learning is needed, to afford the kinds of experiences necessary for learning about complex and sensitive issues.
Research shows the potential of mobile games to promote learning in young adults. The 3-year EC-f... more Research shows the potential of mobile games to promote learning in young adults. The 3-year EC-funded project mGBL (mobile Game-based Learning) will prototype a platform and tools for the cost-and time-efficient development and deployment of mobile learning games. At least two types of game template will be designed. These will be for strategy games that can support the development of decisionmaking skills for crisis situations. Example games will be developed in the fields of e-health, e-commerce and career guidance. This short paper outlines project development stages and identifies issues emerging during the exploratory phase of the design process.
Mobile technologies are increasingly the technologies of choice for social and leisure activities... more Mobile technologies are increasingly the technologies of choice for social and leisure activities, particularly among young people. Mobile games are among the most popular applications and we are beginning to see how these may be translated into effective learning technologies. The 3-year mobile Game-based Learning project (mGBL) is a practical response to the emerging opportunities, designing new learning game models for delivery via mobile devices. These are to further the development of skills and strategies for dealing with crisis situations, a priority concern of the European Commission, which supports the project. Our vision is for great games that are user-led, not technology-led, informed by theory and competence-based, for use in blended learning programmes. Can all this work, or are the aims too disparate? Now mid-way through the project we take stock, engaging with findings from the first round of field research and from the first User Trials.
A growing body of research indicates that mobile technologies can be effective tools in catering ... more A growing body of research indicates that mobile technologies can be effective tools in catering for students in a digital age and there are signs of the motivating potential and possible learning gains of games played on mobile devices with young adult audiences. The 3-year EC-funded project mobile Game-based Learning (mGBL) therefore seeks to design new learning models based on mobile games. These will be standards-based for use in blended learning programmes. Specifically we aim to support development of decision-making skills and strategies for crisis situations -a priority concern of the European Community. Our vision is for great games that can effectively engage young people and that exemplify best practice -but what exactly is this in the new field? This paper considers a pedagogical framework for mGBL that also addresses emerging ethical and legal issues.