mLearning in Practice

Course Description > mLearning in Practice

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• What is the course about?

  mLearning in Practice is a course about mobile learning, or ‘mlearning’ - learning with mobile or handheld devices. The course aims to explore mLearning from both the learner’s and the educator’s perspective.

  We look at the range of mobile or handheld devices currently available for learning, and we examine current best practice and principles in mLearning. We consider mLearning both in and outside the classroom, and in both formal and informal learning situations.

  We explore some of the games and apps (small programs or 'applications') currently available in education, and we also look at the wider issues and practicalities of implementing mLearning. The course examines a range of case studies and considers how mLearning can be integrated into project work with learners in a range of disciplines and contexts.

  The course is hands-on and firmly based in classroom practice. During the course, you will be encouraged to try out and evaluate apps and learning content on your own mobile/cell phone (assuming you have one). Note that it is not necessary to own a mobile/cell phone of any description to take the course, although if you own a smartphone, you could take the entire course on it!

• Who is the course for?

  mLearning in Practice is aimed at teachers and trainers who are interested in integrating elements of mLearning in their own classroom practice. The course is also relevant to directors and educational managers who would like to learn about the potential of mLearning, and how it might best be implemented within their educational context. If you are involved in education, and interested in learning more about the growing field of a mLearning, then this is the course for you.

• What are the course aims? What can I expect to learn?

  The course assumes no previous knowledge or experience of mLearning. However, if you are already working in this field, or have some experience of mLearning, you will be encouraged to share your knowledge and expertise with the group, and to develop your own understanding of mLearning during the course.

  The course aims are as follows:

  • to provide an overview of a mLearning in education
  • to explore current best practice in mLearning, in a variety of contexts, through case studies
  • to explore specific issues of implementation, both pedagogical and logistical
  • to examine a range of mobile multimedia content, including audio and video, both ready-made and student- or teacher-produced
  • to look at specific educational apps and games, and to evaluate their usefulness for participants’ individual teaching contexts
  • to consider how mLearning may best be implemented in participants’ individual teaching contexts
  • to create an action plan for the implementation of elements of mLearning into participants’ contexts

• What is the course programme?

  mLearning fin Practice’ is a 30-hour course offered over six weeks. The course consists of six modules, with one module per week, as follows. Each module requires approximately 5 hours work.

  • Module 1: The Big Picture - an introduction to mLearning
  • Module 2: mLearning in practice - case studies
  • Module 3: mLearning content - audio and video
  • Module 4: mLearning content – games and apps (including location-based content)
  • Module 5: Implementing mLearning – considerations and solutions
  • Module 6: mLearning projects and actions plans

• How does the course work in practice?

  Like all of our online courses, ‘mLearning in Practice’ is offered 100% online in Moodle. It is fully tutor supported , with one tutor for every 10 participants, and two tutors for courses with 11 to 15 participants. 15 is the maximum group size. This means that you get a lot of personalised support, and are in constant contact with your tutor and course colleagues.

  For this course, we will also be offering the content for mobile applications such as iPhones, the iPad, etc., through dedicated Moodle apps such as mTouch.

  mLearning in Practice’ consists of a total of 30 hours work, and runs over six weeks. You are expected to spend about 5 hours per week on online individual, pair and collaborative group work, including offline reading and reflection. Deadlines for task completion are weekly, and you can log on at any point during the week to work on the course.

  There are no 'fixed' times to be online - apart from regular timetabled online video conferencing sessions, once every two weeks. The times of these video conferencing sessions are negotiated on a per course basis to suit everyone in the group. You will receive a detailed study timetable to help you organise your workload effectively once you have enrolled on the course.

• What do I need to take the course?

  You don’t need any prior experience or knowledge of online learning or mLearning to take the course, although basic experience of email and Internet browsing is expected. In the case of our ‘mLearning in Practice course, you can take the course entirely from a desktop or laptop computer. If you own a smart phone, you can download one of the Moodle apps, and complete parts of (or the entire) course on your phone.

  However, the course also contains activities and tasks aimed at lower range mobile/cell phones, but these are optional, and you do not need a cell phone or mobile device at all to take part in the course.

  Basic hardware and software required for the course:

  • An Internet connection, preferably broadband
  • A headset (best is with a USB connection) or stand-alone microphone and speakers
  • A webcam is optional
  • An up-to-date browser
  • Adobe Acrobat Reader
  • An up-to-date media player (e.g. Windows Media Player or similar)
  • A word processing package (e.g. Microsoft Word or similar) 

  Competence in written and spoken English, whether English is the your first, second or foreign language is required. Your English must be of a standard sufficient to enable you to fully understand and complete the course work.

• Do I get a certificate if I successfully complete the course?

  The Consultants-E will issue you with a Certificate on successful completion of the course. Successful completion of the course is defined as completing 80% of the course work to an acceptable standard, and especially the final course project, where applicable.

• How do I enrol and how much does the course cost?

  You can enrol online via the mLearning in Practice course enrolment form. You can then pay the course fee of 595 € online via PayPal. The course fee covers all course content and documentation, video conferencing sessions, full tutor support and ongoing feedback.
  
  

  We use PayPal  as our secure online payment service. PayPal are trusted World-Wide for Internet transactions. We do not store your credit card details in any way. This increases your privacy and makes your purchase more secure.
  
  Under European Union legislation, you have the right to cancel within seven days of our contract with you. If you cancel your enrolment you will have your payment returned. To be refunded please provide full details of your enrolment including all reference numbers and PayPal correspondence to enrolments@theconsultants-e.com.

  Note: We are occasionally obliged to cancel a planned course if we do not have the minimum required number of participants (six). Cancellation will normally occur two- three days in advance of the course start date. In the event of a course cancellation you will be offered the opportunity to have a full refund, roll your enrolment over to the next course date, or transfer to another course with a discount.

• Deferrals

  If during your course you find that you need to defer due to special unforeseen circumstances such as bereavement, illness, or relocation, you may apply for a deferral on your course. This will mean joining a later course, and having the work you have already done validated. Note however that a deferral fee of 20% – 50% will apply, depending on how much of your course you have already completed prior to deferral.
  
  The deferral fee needs to be paid within one month of a deferral being granted. You then have up to one year (12 months) in which to take the mLearning course  again. If more than 12 months elapse between your deferral and enrolling on the course again, you will need to pay the full course fee, and start the course from the beginning as a new participant. Previous work will not be validated in this case.
  
  In the case of seeking a deferral, you need to contact your course tutor, and copy in admin@theconsultants-e.com so we can deal with the administrative issues involved in a deferral.
  
  If you need to defer before your course starts, no deferral fees will apply apart from the bank costs incurred by the initial fee payment, whether via PayPal or bank transfer.