Pedagogy for mobile ICT learning using video-conferencing technology

Abstract

The objective of this paper is to describe the pedagogical and related organizational approaches implemented for mobile learning utilized between a school board and its partnered institutions: Faculties of Education and research institutes. While the two learning events described here were intended to provide mobile ICT-enabled and collaborative learning opportunities for students, the research component of the project was designed to explore the adoption of video-conferencing technology and other collaborative Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) amongst educators. The objective was to evaluate, from the educators' perspectives, the benefits and obstacles associated with the use of emerging technologies within daily, classroom pedagogy. In order to do so, the authors have chosen two learning events that are very different in terms of their targeted populations, organizational complexity, and pedagogical goals. These learning events were also reflected upon by three in-service teachers from the school board (participants in one of the events), as well as five pre-service teachers, from one of the partner universities, who were observers of the events. A qualitative data analysis process revealed that these two groups have respectively realist and idealist views on ICT integration within schools. The authors concluded that ICT-enabled learning is best adopted through lived experiences and that those may be used to initiate and maintain paradigmatic transition between the various stages of learning on the teacher development continuum (idealist → realist → realistic-idealist), a process by which teachers become inspired users and promoters of innovative tools for mobile ICT learning in the classroom.