IAmLearning: Mobilizing and Supporting Educator Practice

“Teachers are more likely to experiment with and integrate mobile learning strategies if they feel confident in their ability to do so. Professional development resources and activities that focus on making instructional design decisions can help to increase teachers’ confidence with mobile learning. Teachers have indicated that a community of practice would also help them to increase their confidence with mLearning. To that end, mobile learning experts and practitioners from the International Association for Mobile Learning (IAmLearn) have prepared this open access eBook to help create such a community of practice.”

This statement is included in the description on the landing page for this eBook, and it seems like the best way to open up this introduction and opening remarks. The IAmLearning: Mobilizing and Supporting Educator Practice eBook project was first proposed at the 14th World Conference on Mobile and Contextual Learning (mLearn 2015). During that conference, held on a cruise ship in the Mediterranean in October 2015, we hosted a workshop to propose creating a mobile learning “cookbook” for educators.

Right from the onset, this eBook has been a collaborative effort between members of IAmLearn. At our mLearn 2015 workshop, a packed room of IAmLearn members shared their visions and ideas for what the eBook should be about, and what should be included. The overwhelming consensus of that group is reflected in the eBook description statement above – that this eBook should focus on sharing ideas and resources that educators at all levels could actually take away and implement themselves.

The IAmLearning: Mobilizing and Supporting Educator Practice eBook project was officially launched at the 15th World Conference on Mobile and Contextual Learning (mLearn 2016) in Sydney, Australia. The Call for Chapters was announced at mLearn 2016, with the ambitious goal of soliciting chapters, completing intense peer-reviews, producing multimedia resources, and publishing the finished product at the 16th World Conference on Mobile and Contextual Learning (mLearn 2017) in Larnaca, Cyprus. Well, we made it! This eBook is a testament to the dedication of the IAmLearn membership, and a perfect representation of IAmLearn’s goal of serving researchers and educators by connecting them with the latest in mobile and contextual learning developments and best practices.

This eBook contains six chapters, contributed by 17 mobile learning researchers and practitioners affiliated with IAmLearn, and institutions and organizations from around the world. The chapters highlight both mobile and contextual learning research, and practice-proven strategies and resources. Each chapter includes a range of digital extras, many of which can be downloaded and used right away by educators. The Additional Resources section at the end of this book also contains overviews and links to resources for the Collaborative Situated Active Mobile (CSAM) learning design framework, and the Mobile Teacher’s Sense of Efficacy Scale (mTSES) survey instrument.

This eBook belongs to all IAmLearn members, and has been entirely produced and published by IAmLearn. It is our way of sharing our expertise and experiences with other educators everywhere. Enjoy… and happy learning!

Robert Power, EdD, Lead Editor
Leader, Online Learning
Fraser Health, Canada
Adjunct Professor, Educational Technology
Member-at-Large, Executive, IAmLearn