Learning with Mobile and Handheld Technologies

As technology evolves we are ever more reliant on the use of handheld and mobile devices, yet what do we know about their impact on learning? While there is a lot of interest in mobile technology, many schools still aren’t sure how to best use it for learning and teaching.

Learning with Handhelds and Mobiles explores this landscape and offers examples of how these technologies have been used for learning, how the problems that have arisen are being addressed, and offers ideas for the future. This invaluable book gives a voice to teachers and educators using mobiles and technology-enhanced learning in and out of schools, for regular school work and for innovative projects through exciting partnerships like Apps for Good.

Learning with Handhelds and Mobiles shows the changes that are taking place within schools as a direct result of these emerging technologies, and contains case studies with accounts of best practice in a variety of settings including primary, secondary, and special schools, and learning beyond their boundaries. The book also explores themes of pedagogy, communication and affordances, collaborative learning, individual creativity and expression, self-directed and informal learning and outdoor education.

The learning potential of handheld and mobile devices has excited teachers and educators, but until now there has been no structured, systematic overview available along with reflections on how this technology is changing educational practice. This book brings these together to provide a clearer picture of what is currently a fragmented area, and offers expert views of how we can understand these, and where it may take us next.

John Galloway is an adviser, writer and consultant, specialising in ICT for SEN and Inclusion. He has worked with several local authorities and just about every sort of school. He has been involved in several projects that have used handheld devices with learners, and provides training for teachers and other staff at every level from beginner to post-graduate. He is the author of four Fulton titles.

Merlin John is a journalist who has written extensively about this field. Previously editor of The Times Educational Supplement’s Online magazine, he now manages his own website, www.agent4change.net, a source of information for using technology for learning.

Maureen McTaggart previously worked for TSL Education Limited, publisher of The Times Educational Supplement and the Times Higher Education Supplement. She is now a freelance writer, mainly in the field of ICT in education, and part-time in the publishing and communications departments at the School of Advanced Study, University of London.