PewInternet.org

As learning goes mobile

Lee Rainie, Director, Pew Internet Project10.20.11Educause - Philadelphia Email: Lrainie@pewinternet.orgTwitter: @Lrainie

Anti-executive summary

• Which textbook company stocks to buy or dump? (Who’ll do the ebooks thing best?)

• Are students’ attention spans shorter now?• Are students’ brains being rewired?• Are students more narcissistic and more

indifferent to privacy?• What’s the matter with kids today?

(Or… Questions I cannot answer)

What I think I know about the rise of mobile learning

1. Mobile connectivity is changing social and information spaces by enhancing/enabling …– New access points to knowledge – Real-time information sharing– Just-in-time searches – Perpetual, pervasive awareness of social networks– Augmented reality

2. Ubiquitous small screens are changing attention and media zones (including text-based media!)

3. Mobile connectivity is changing public and private space/time continuum

4. New kinds of learners are emerging in dig. environ.

Digital Revolution 1Internet (78%) and Broadband at home (62%)

64% 62%

Networked creators among internet users• 65% are social networking site users• 55% share photos• 37% contribute rankings and ratings• 33% create content tags • 30% share personal creations • 26% post comments on sites and blogs• 15% have personal website• 15% are content remixers • 14% are bloggers• 13% use Twitter• 6% location services – 9% allow location

awareness from social media – 23% maps etc.

Consequences for learning ecosystem

Volume Velocity

Valence /Relevance

Digital Revolution 2Social networking – 50% of all adults

Social networks and social media become more important in people’s

learning strategies

Consequences for learning ecosystem

What does this mean?1) Social networks are more influential and are

differently segmented and layered

Sentries

What does this mean?

Evaluators

1) Social networks are more influential and are differently segmented and layered

What does this mean?

Audience = New media are the

new neighborhood

1) Social networks are more influential and are differently segmented and layered

Digital Revolution 3Mobile – 84%

327.6Total U.S. population:315.5 million

56% of adults own laptops – up from 30% in 2006

44% of adults own MP3 players – up from 11% in 2005

52% of adults own DVRs – up from 3% in 2002

42% of adults own game consoles

12% of adults own e-book readers - Kindle

9% of adults own tablet computer - iPad

35% own “smartphones”

Source: Pew Research Center's Internet & American Life Project, April 26-May 22, 2011 Tracking Survey. N=2,277 adults 18 and older, including 755 reached via cell phone.

Mobile internet connectors – 63% adults

Source: Pew Research Center's Internet & American Life Project 2010 tracking surveys. All include landline and cell phone interviews. N for all adults=9,769; n for 18-24 year old non-students=717; n for four-year undergrads=246, n for grad students=112, n for community college students=164.

Connected college students

25% of smartphone owners use it as primary device to go online

All smartphone owners (n=688) 25%GenderMen (n=349) 24Women (n=339) 26Age18-29 (n=177) 4230-49 (n=256) 2150+ (n=240) 10Race/EthnicityWhite, non-Hispanic (n=417) 17Black/Latino(n=206) 38Household IncomeLess than $30,000 (n=131) 40$30,000-$49,999 (n=118) 29$50,000+ (n=334) 17Education levelHigh school grad (n=169) 33Some college (n=171) 27College grad (n=308) 13

Cell phone activities

Interesting tidbit: 17% of American adult cell phones owners have bumped into another person or an object because they were distracted by talking or texting on their phones.

Cell phone activities

84% use cell phones

35% have apps

24% use apps

All adults

May 2010 and Nov 2010 surveys

1 in 4 adults use apps

Uses of appsPopular apps

• Games• News/weather• Maps• Social networking• Music• Entertainment/food• Banking• Sports• Shopping• Movies

Top apps functions• Info updates• Communication• Learn about interests• Destinations• Work tasks• Purchases• Extra info about event • Health

Back to the four things that I think

I know

1. Mobile connectivity is changing social and information spaces by enhancing/enabling:–New access points to knowledge

• E-books and the cloud• Conversation starter for internet use

and chatter–Real-time information sharing

• Opportunism and pain avoidance• “Hyper-coordination” of group activities

1. Mobile connectivity is changing social and information spaces by enhancing/enabling: – Just-in-time searches

• New “smarts”• New cognition

– Perpetual, pervasive awareness/access to social networks• Deeper connection and consultation• Incentive “to network” via social media

– Augmented reality• Merger of real world and data• New kinds of learning amplification

Continuous partial attention in “streams”

2. Ubiquitous small screens are changing attention and media zones (including text-based media!)

Immersive experiences and deep dives

2. Ubiquitous small screens are changing attention and media zones (including text-based media!)

Info-snacking

2. Ubiquitous small screens are changing attention and media zones (including text-based media!)

Day dreaming

2. Ubiquitous small screens are changing attention and media zones (including text-based media!)

Anywhere Any device

Any time

Alone together

3. Mobile connectivity is changing public and private space/time continuum

• More self directed, less top-down • Better arrayed to capture new information

inputs• More reliant on feedback and response• More inclined to collaboration • More open to cross discipline insights and

creating their own “tagged” taxonomies• More oriented towards people being their own

individual nodes of production

4. New kinds of learners are emerging in the digital environment

What is the future of knowledge?-- Shana Ratner (1997) “Emerging Issues in Learning Communities”

New: Learning as a process

Knowledge is objective and

certain

Old: Learning as transaction

Knowledge is subjective and

provisional

What is the future of knowledge?-- Shana Ratner (1997) “Emerging Issues in Learning Communities”

New: Learning as a process

Learners receive knowledge

Old: Learning as transaction

Learners create knowledge

What is the future of knowledge?-- Shana Ratner (1997) “Emerging Issues in Learning Communities”

New: Learning as a process

Knowledge is organized in stable, hierarchical

structures that can be treated

independently of one another

Old: Learning as transaction

Knowledge is organized “ecologically”-disciplines are integrative and

interactive

What is the future of knowledge?-- Shana Ratner (1997) “Emerging Issues in Learning Communities”

New: Learning as a process

We learn best passively, by listening and

watching

Old: Learning as transaction

We learn best actively doing and managing

our own learning

What is the future of knowledge?-- Shana Ratner (1997) “Emerging Issues in Learning Communities”

New: Learning as a process

Our “intelligence” is based on our

individual abilities

Old: Learning as transaction

Our “intelligence” is based on our

learning communities

Be not

afraid