Call for Papers

Big issues in Mobile Learning: An International Perspective

In June 2006, under the auspice of the Kaleidoscope Network of Excellence Mobile Learning Initiative, European researchers convened for the Big Issues in Mobile Learning Workshop. The Workshop aimed to provide a forum for reflecting on the issues that have triggered the staggering growth in mobile learning and for identifying what are the big challenges facing mobile learning.

An outcome of the workshop is the Big Issues in Mobile Learning Report which indicates that mobile learning is concerned with “a society on the move”. It is learning across contexts rather than just learning with portable devices. The report points to the need to move away from ‘porting’ existing activities into mobile devices, to design with evaluation in mind, to consider the complexity of the dialectic relationship between learner & technology, to explore new conditions & ways of learning supported by mobile technology, to investigate innovation in a social context and to consider the tensions between mobile technology and learning in schools, among others (Sharples, 2006).

The IADIS Mobile Learning 2007 International Conference seeks to provide a forum for the presentation and discussion of mobile learning research. In particular, but not exclusively, we aim to enrich the Big Issues in Mobile Learning debate with an international perspective and with empirical research that will further contribute to forge understanding of the Big Issues in Mobile Learning.

To this end, we invite researchers, practitioners, developers and all those working in the mobile learning arena to submit work under the following Big Issues in Mobile Learning Themes (Sharples, 2006) and topics:

What is Mobile Learning?
How to Enhance the Experience without Interfering With It?
Affective Factors in Learning with Mobile Devices
How Can We Address the Conflicts between Personal Informal Learning and Traditional Classroom Education?
Evaluating Mobile Learning: What are Appropriate Methods for Evaluating in Mobile Environments?
How Should Learning Activities Using Mobile Technologies be Designed to Support Innovative Educational Practice?
How Can We Integrate Mobile Devices with Broader Educational Scenarios?

The Mobile Learning 2007 International Conference seeks to provide a forum for the presentation and discussion of mobile learning research. In particular, but not exclusively, we aim to enrich the Big Issues in Mobile Learning debate with an international perspective and with empirical research that will further contribute to forge understanding of the Big Issues in Mobile Learning.

We invite researchers, practitioners, developers and all those working in the mobile learning arena to submit work under the following themes and topics:

Themes

How to Enhance the Experience without Interfering With It?
Affective Factors in Learning with Mobile Devices
How Can We Address the Conflicts between Personal Informal Learning and Traditional Classroom Education?
Evaluating Mobile Learning: What are Appropriate Methods for Evaluating in Mobile Environments?
How Should Learning Activities Using Mobile Technologies be Designed to Support Innovative Educational Practice?
How Can We Integrate Mobile Devices with Broader Educational Scenarios?
Other relevant themes to explore Big Issues in Mobile Learning

Topics

Pedagogical approaches and theories for mLearning
Collaborative, cooperative and Contextual mLearning
Creativity and mLearning
Gaming and simulations in mLearning
mLearning in educational institutions: primary, secondary and third level
Informal and Lifelong mLearning
mLearning in developing countries
New tools, technologies and platforms for mLearning
User Studies in mLearning
The social phenomenon of mobile devices and mLearning
Speculative ideas in mLearning: where next?

References:

Sharples, M. (Ed.) (2006) Big Issues in Mobile Learning: Report of a workshop by the Kaleidoscope Network of Excellence Mobile Learning Initiative. Available at http://telearn.noe-kaleidoscope.org/warehouse/Sharples-2006.pdf

An academic conference is itself an exercise in learning. Accordingly, proposals as to how mobile technology can enhance the conference experience are invited.

The Conference will be composed of several types of contributions:

Full Papers – These include mainly accomplished research results and have 8 pages at the maximum (5,000 words).
Short Papers – These are mostly composed of work in progress reports or fresh developments and have 4 pages at maximum (2,500 words).
Reflection Papers – These might review recent research literature pertaining to a particular problem or approach, indicate what the findings suggest, and/or provide a suggestion - with rationale and justification - for a different approach or perspective on that problem. Reflection papers might also analyze general trends or discuss important issues in topics related to Mobile Learning. These have 4 pages at maximum (2,500 words).
Posters / Demonstrations – These have one page at the maximum (625 words) besides the poster itself (or demonstration) that will be exposed at the conference.
Tutorials – Tutorials can be proposed by scholars or company representatives. A proposal of maximum 250 words is expected.
Panels – Discussions on selected topics will be held. A proposal of maximum 250 words is expected.
Invited Talks – These will be made of contributions from well-known scholars and company representatives. An abstract will be included in the conference proceedings.
Doctoral Consortium - A Doctoral Consortium will discuss in group, individual projects and on going work of PhD students. Prospective students should send a report of their PhD projects and work so far with a maximum of 4 pages (2,500 words).
Corporate Showcases & Exhibitions – The former enables Companies to present recent developments and applications, inform a large and qualified audience of your future directions and showcase company’s noteworthy products and services. There will be a time slot for companies to make their presentation in a room. The latter enables companies the opportunity to display its latest offerings of hardware, software, tools, services and books, through an exhibit booth. For further details please contact the publicity chair - ml-sec@iadis.org.

All submissions, except invited talks, are subject to a blind refereeing process.

Important Dates:

- Submission Deadline (2nd call): 27 April 2007
- Notification to Authors (2nd call): Until 14 May 2007
- Final Camera-Ready Submission and Early Registration: Until 21 May 2007
- Late Registration: After 21 May 2007

- Conference: Lisbon - Portugal, 5 to 7 July 2007

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