Lessons Learned

What are the lessons learned from the project?

• The PDA was added to the foundation degree programme rather than being embedded into it, and as such was less integrated than if curriculum design occurred earlier
• In view of the differences in learner competence and confidence, early profiling of learners is important for the provision of personalised support
• Attention to work roles and mentoring is useful for building horizontal communities of practice around work teams and learning cohorts
• Context sensitive classroom activities within small groups is more likely to promote engagement. Formative feedback is useful for distilling learning from practice
• Mobile learning occurs mainly in public spaces. Institution-wide ethical policies are thus important for learning across different spaces
• Effectiveness of mobile devices depends on the quality of output generated. It is thus important to purchase devices that produce quality outputs, for example, use of images in PowerPoint presentations, sound files used as portfolio evidence picking up background noise
• Seamless cross-institutional access to learning platforms is important
• Learning 'anywhere and at anytime' should go hand in hand with 'support anytime in any location'. It is important to integrate formal and informal support mechanisms
• The Pocket PC is good as an active device to capture spontaneous moments but not so good for accessing pre-prepared activity and resources which are better delivered through an institutional VLE
• Better use of the technology may be as a result of encouraging learners to use their own devices
• Individual confidence and competence is crucial for engaging with mobile devices