1 Introduction

As students today continue to expand the use of mobile devices for everything from entertainment to social communication to news, educators can view this as competition for time-spent learning or take advantage of the ubiquitous nature of mLearning by integrating mobile lessons into course work that can further extend students’ learning beyond the walls of classroom space. In looking at both mobile learning and millennial characteristics, it is important to consider how the two intersect with respect to the learning environment. Mobile learning characteristics include “anytime and anywhere” and “flexible access,” which are key in understanding the scope of where the learning can reach. The boundaries are endless. Millennials, otherwise known as “Generation Y” or “Digital Natives” or “Net Generation,” are people who were born between 1981 and 1999, a quarter of the United States population and a significant part of the college base today. These learners have unique characteristics that include technological, goal-oriented, team-oriented, high achieving, pressured to succeed, sheltered by parents, and socially conscious (Howe and Strauss 2007). Millennials are creative and want learning to be a fun experience. The ways in which millennials impact teaching and learning are significant to the integration of mobile in today’s classrooms. In Price’s studies of millennial learners, the most important elements in a learning environment were found to be “interactive” and “participatory” (Price 2009). Millennial learners crave the technology and the interactive team aspects that flexible mobile learning environments support and allow the extension of the learning into the world beyond a physical space. This provides a very strong relationship between millennial learners and mobile, which is further enhanced by utilizing tangible methods and tools to support mobile learning and teaching practices.

The Mobile Lesson Template is one such method/tool. The template allows the educator to tap into the millennial learner’s crave for technology and interactivity while considering a well-rounded look at all the necessary elements to consider when designing the lesson (see Appendix A). Creating a lesson is by nature a challenging and sometimes daunting task for an educator. Design takes precision, deep thought, and reflection. Add the persistent nature of mobile to the mix, and this can appear to add another layer of complexity. However, the Mobile Lesson Template creates a solid foundation for the design and development of a mobile assignment. The template begins with identifying the goal of the mobile lesson with respect to meeting the learning outcome(s). Additional template elements contribute to the creation of a well-rounded, thoughtful lesson.

Looking at mobile as something that can be integrated, rather than as an extra step in the creation of in-class and/or online assignments, is a sound approach. In Chap. 2, “Characteristics of Mobile Teaching and Learning,” it is noted that a blended learning environment is considered the preferred format with respect to mobile learning at this time. For this reason, mobile lesson design can be easily incorporated into existing lessons rather than starting from a blank slate. The Mobile Lesson Template guides the educator in recognizing a number of essential elements that should be considered in supporting successful outcomes of the mobile lesson. Elements such as allowing app and device freedom of choice and alternative assignments are some of the key mobile best practices because all students are included, regardless of ability and/or access. The elements take a close look at the crucial considerations when going mobile.

In this chapter, mobile lesson will be defined, and key elements of the Mobile Lesson Template will be presented and discussed to support educators in successfully creating mobile lessons. A case study on the design and implementation of once such mobile lesson using the Mobile Lesson Template will also be shared. Lastly, a look at a semester-long Faculty Learning Community on mLearning will provide further evidence of the effectiveness of the Mobile Lesson Template as a model for designing mobile activities. As mobile technology expands and penetrates education at faster and deeper rates, educators can easily grasp and apply mobile methodologies and pedagogies to extend students’ learning outside the confines of the classroom.

2 What is the Mobile Lesson?

The mobile lesson is an activity that may take place in a face-to-face classroom, in a virtual classroom, or out in the world. It allows the students to reach outside the walls of physical space and connect course concepts to a personalized learning experience. The personalized learning experience is meaningful and therefore encourages the individual to take charge of his/her own learning as it continues beyond the life of the course.

One example of a mobile lesson is students adding and sharing voice data to various locations around the world by using a geolocation app, such as GeoGraffiti. Classmates (and others!) can “go” to these locations and find the data and add further information. Another example is students using a live-blogging tool, such as CoverItLive, to generate content during class or other learning sessions. In an online anthropology course, students might use mobile devices to capture observations using field notes and images to share in a course blog, wiki, or forum. Higher levels of learning skills that are used from these types of experiences include critical thinking, problem solving, and analysis (Atherton 2013). In order to achieve these higher levels of learning using mobile pedagogies, the Mobile Lesson Template becomes a useful guide in creating learning experiences that are designed to consider the knowledge and skills that create desired outcomes.

3 The Mobile Lesson Template

There are several key elements of the mobile lesson that need to be considered in order for it to be effective in the classroom. The first step in designing the mobile lesson is to look at the goal and the outcomes. An effective mobile lesson can be created to meet the outcomes of an assignment by utilizing the Mobile Lesson Template, which includes core principles (goal, outcomes, instruction, assessment) of Wiggins and McTighe’s Understanding by Design (see Appendix A) (Wiggins and McTighe 2005). The first six elements of the Mobile Lesson Template create the foundation that is needed to build the lesson. Once these are defined, the template includes other elements that should be considered and also allows for flexibility in including only what is needed for the particular activity.

Element 1: Assignment Name. It is important to include a name for the assignment and lesson concept that uses the word “mobile.” As with any lesson, providing a concise name draws the student into the lesson. For example, Scavenger Hunt Mobile Lesson on Motivational Appeals for Persuasive Speaking offers students a specific focus for the assignment while also including the mobile aspect (see Appendix B).

Element 2: Goal. What experience will the lesson provide for the student? This is where the lesson overview is described to give the student an understanding of what is expected in the assignment. For example, “In order to be an effective speaker, it is important to consider the emotional impact on our audience, as well as relate our ideas to their emotions, needs, and values. We need to find out what is meaningful to our audience so we can relate to them in persuasive speaking. Work together as a team to discover and capture a variety of objects and/or visuals that include motivation appeals.” The student experience becomes the goal of the lesson, which is tied to larger assignment in this assignment (i.e., persuasive speech).

Element 3: Learning Outcomes. The learning outcomes must be clearly stated in order to understand the expectations of the lesson and also to be able to evaluate the student’s performance. For example, “upon completion of this assignment, you will be able to evaluate at least five different objects and/or visuals that demonstrate motivational appeal.” This structure defines a specific measure (five different objects and/or visuals…) for the student who is completing the work and for the teacher who will be evaluating the student’s work.

Element 4: Materials/Resources. In this step of the template, the educator should consider what materials and/or resources are required in order for the student to complete the assignment. For example, students may be offered choices in the apps and devices used or even an alternative format, as long as the expected outcomes are met. This not only allows the student’s experience to be personalized, but it also creates a more inclusive learning environment.

Element 5: Instructions. The instructions (including technical aspects) should be clear and broken down into detailed, concise steps in order for the student to successfully complete the lesson. Note in the Scavenger Hunt Mobile Lesson, the numerical instruction list serves as a simple, step-by-step guide for the student to follow. If there is any pre-lesson work that students need to complete, this should be stated as well. For example, if students are required to work in groups and use a specific type of mobile app, defining these ahead of time helps to prepare the students and reduce confusion during the activity. It is critical to map out a process that reduces student and teacher frustration while also increasing engagement.

Element 6: Assessment. How will the students be evaluated? It is important to define the assessment process for both educator and student so that each knows exactly what is being asked in order to meet the outcome(s). For example, in the Scavenger Hunt Mobile Lesson, a rubric is used to define three criteria and point value for the associated expectations. Students can clearly identify for what an exemplary assignment includes and how it will be evaluated.

Once these first six critical elements are defined, the mobile lesson is ready to further build using Elements 7–13 as appropriate. Not every mobile lesson will need to include all elements of the Mobile Lesson Template; however, each should be considered and modified as the design and development take shape.

Element 7: Weighting of the Assignment. What percent of the student’s grade is reflected in this activity? It is important for the student to know how the grade for the lesson affects the overall class grade to give relevancy to the course.

Element 8: Submitting Assignment for Evaluation. Assignment submission details that include how and where to submit should be included if the student is required to submit something. For example, in the Scavenger Hunt Mobile Lesson, the submission information is included in Element 4: Instructions, Step Four. In this example, the Mobile Lesson Template was modified to combine submission information with the detailed, step-by-step instructions.

Element 9: Time Commitment. Students need to know the expected time commitment to complete the assignment in order to guide the process. In the Scavenger Hunt Mobile Lesson, students have 20 min to complete the mobile lesson during a class session, with face-to-face and online discussion following the lesson.

Element 10: Deadline. A specific deadline should be given in order for students to successfully engage in the mobile lesson. In the Scavenger Hunt Mobile Lesson, students are required to submit the final lesson URL during the class period. Online discussion of other teams’ submissions is the final piece of the lesson due at the end of the week.

Element 11: Feedback Expectations. When and how will students receive feedback on the assignment/activity? Feedback is an important part of the learning process because this is where the student reflects with information that can guide changes and improvements, i.e., learning! In the Scavenger Hunt Mobile Lesson, students receive three forms of feedback: classmates’ oral feedback, classmates’ written feedback in an online discussion forum, and instructor feedback in Moodle Gradebook.

Element 12: Examples. If appropriate, examples of previous students’ work or an instructor example can provide a model for students to emulate, as well as get an understanding of what the lesson is asking. In the Scavenger Hunt Mobile Lesson, the instructor provides two sample video collages created with different mobile apps. These examples help to highlight the exact expectations and provide an exemplary example of the end product.

Element 13: Technology Considerations (Challenges/Solutions). One of the final elements to address is potential technology challenges and solutions. What considerations are needed to identify challenges for both instructor and student? What potential solutions could solve these challenges? For example, is Wi-Fi access available? If not, will students have to use personal data service? Are there suggested, cross-platform mobile apps for varying devices? Some challenges in the Scavenger Hunt Mobile Lesson include student access to mobile devices and time used to select the mobile app and create accounts. Potential solutions include asking for student volunteers who are willing to provide a mobile device and selecting team leaders to choose and set up the mobile app prior to the activity.

Thinking about potential technology issues in advance will help reduce barriers; however, it is not intended to create an experience that is constrained by structure. Instead, the educator should allow some “chaos” in the mobile learning experience, just as with any other learning activity (Yu 2008). It is these “chaotic” environments that allow the learner to reach beyond traditional knowledge models and create a personalized learning environment that can continue to grow throughout college and beyond. The Mobile Lesson Template becomes a guide for creating effective mobile assignments that include elements that allow for flexible design and implementation.

4 Implementation of the Mobile Lesson: A Case Study

One such lesson that utilized the Mobile Lesson Template was the Scavenger Hunt Mobile Lesson on Motivational Appeals (Appendix B). The instructor created this lesson with the goal of improving students’ application of a concept that had not been met in previous lessons and assessments. To begin creating the lesson, each of the elements in the Mobile Lesson Template were addressed with the applicable information, with a particular focus on Element 11: technology considerations. In order to successfully integrate the lesson into the classroom, the instructor walked through the entire lesson and created examples to not only test the instructions, but also the various technologies. This step was critical in ensuring the student’s success in meeting the lesson outcomes. The activity included five parts: student prework to prepare for the activity, the activity itself, an in-class activity share, a discussion-based reflection activity focused on the outcomes of the activity and the process, and, finally, an online discussion post-activity. A final measure of students’ application of the learned concepts was evaluated in a culminating persuasive speech. The mobile lesson is now in the third year of successful implementation into the classroom.

The mobile lesson was implemented into a section of Fundamentals of Communication (Public Speaking) at Humboldt State University, a required course to graduate from the California State University system. In previous semesters, students struggled with the concepts of motivational needs and values in persuasive speaking. The Scavenger Hunt on Motivational Appeals Mobile Lesson became a method to not only give students direct application with the concept, but also appeal to the millennial sense of teamwork and technology by using mobile to create personal connection with each other and the world around them.

Student preparation before class included a chapter reading and an associated reading quiz based on values and Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. In class, the instructor facilitated a mini-lecture that incorporated student discussion related to the concepts of the reading and quiz. The mini-lecture also included a brief overview of mobile lesson examples for students to clearly understand what the final product may look like. Students were then divided into teams based on volunteers willing to use a smartphone for the mobile activity. This pre-class work was critical to the success of the lesson because students needed to come prepared with foundational understanding to build upon in order to successfully participate in the lesson during the class period. After student teams were formed, the mobile scavenger hunt began. (Note: a virtual scavenger hunt was also considered possible with this activity.) Student teams were seen all over the campus, searching for examples of images/signs/other visuals that represent motivational needs and values. Examples included a restroom sign, appealing to a person’s survival needs; a sports team flyer, appealing to someone’s peripheral values; and a support group poster, appealing to a person’s belongingness needs. Excitement and energy filled the northwest side of campus as teams scurried to make the best use of 20 min capturing the visuals to support the idea of needs and values.

Students returned to the classroom to finalize uploads using the team choice mobile app. These uploads took about 10 min and included a period of classroom chaos. The chaos was measured as a sign of deeper learning as students grappled and struggled with the technology, reached consensus over specific images and meanings, and worked together to accomplish the outcomes. The instructor facilitated some of the technological challenges, while also letting students wrestle to find solutions in a team-based environment. The learning and collaboration that unfolded during this “process” period created a sense of student ownership and accountability. Final video links were also uploaded to the course online discussion forum on the learning management system for reflection.

The reflective component included:

  • Entire class watching each of the 30-s to 1-min videos.

  • Brief discussion period after each viewing.

    Student teams explained the specific needs and values addressed in the visuals while answering questions and receiving comments from classmates.

  • Class discussion about the mobile activity itself:

    • What worked well?

      Most students commented on the team element being the most valuable part of the scavenger hunt.

    • What was challenging?

      Some students confided that there was a period of confusion at the beginning of the lesson when it was not clear what was required.

    • How did the team work together to accomplish the objectives?

      Most to all teams stayed together during the scavenger hunt; one student would film and team members shared the search for visuals.

    • What could have been done differently?

      Some students reflected that a different mobile app might have worked better after viewing another classmates’ app selection.

    • How is individual understanding of appealing to needs and values improved by the activity?

      All students reported an increase in understanding after the activity, including students who performed well on the reading quiz.

      Some students reported that the collaborative component (team) improved learning.

A final post-activity to culminate the lesson included students’ individual comments to other teams’ videos on the online discussion board. Comments required focus on the effectiveness or ineffectiveness of the images to persuade a target audience. Students were asked to post at least one online comment to another teams’ video before the next class period. A rubric that included individual and team participation was used to evaluate students’ work on the entire lesson.

The formal assessment of the student application of these concepts was evaluated in the students’ persuasive speeches, which focused on the following outcomes:

  • Ability to apply strategies to motivate audience to adopt perspective or influence in specific direction

  • Ability to apply sound reasoning and evidence

  • Ability to apply motivational appeals and credibility

Additional gains were made during this activity that were not included as formal outcomes of the mobile lesson. Students reported the feeling of a deep sense of camaraderie and satisfaction among the teams during the process of creating the video. Students had fun learning! Building community with classmates motivated student to reach beyond what the minimum requirements of the lesson asked. One semester, before students returned to the classroom at the end of the scavenger hunt, all teams did one extra video that was not required. All students stood in a long line “high-fiving” each other and jumping in the air, while a classmate captured it on video. The video was posted in the online discussion forum and viewed at the end of the video series in class. This final video gave evidence that students were able to use mobile to collaborate, create, and have fun while learning. Students truly engaged in a community of learning while improving individual understanding during the experience.

This mobile lesson case study speaks to the value of both mobile learning itself and the use of the Mobile Lesson Template as a guide in creating a fully designed mobile activity. Students were able to meet the outcomes successfully and improve performance on the formal assessment following the lesson.

5 Faculty Learning Community on Mobile Learning

The Faculty Learning Community (FLC) on mLearning was a personalized learning environment in which faculty used both collaborations to explore the “chaos” in mobile. The FLC included a small group of multidisciplinary faculty members engaging in the scholarship of teaching and learning with a semester-long, collaborative environment, structured to provide encouragement, support, and reflection. The FLC discussed pedagogical methods that could be enhanced through the use of mLearning. It was not designed to be just a “how to” class for technology but more as a space for sharing ideas and experiences and for the opportunity to develop an activity or unit that uses mobile to enhance student learning. The group members shared mobile lessons and experiences with the wider university community at a semiannual professional development event following the FLC.

The goal of the FLC was to create a fun and safe environment to collaboratively explore, apply, and share mobile technologies and pedagogies to enhance student learning. The outcomes included:

  • Understand how mLearning can support learning.

  • Identify potential technology challenges and possible solutions.

  • Create and apply a mobile learning lesson.

  • Reflect on lesson implementation.

  • Share findings with campus community.

During the semester, faculty participated in “mobile explorations” that utilized mobile apps as well as resources such as a Moodle course, a shared mobile apps wiki, a Twitter hashtag, a Tagboard feed for live collaboration, a Diigo group for web resources, Google Drive for peer collaboration, and asynchronous discussion forums for reflection.

The faculty participated in further “mobile explorations” where collaboration, evaluation, and reflection were utilized to create and implement a mobile lesson in the classroom using the Mobile Lesson Template.

Some “mobile explorations” that faculty engaged in included:

  • Looking for ways to explore the “flip the classroom”

  • Exploring the range of uses and develop a way to use a mobile device to increase student engagement

  • Looking for ways to stimulate students in large classes

  • Exploring ways that mLearning can support student-generated content (students apply the learning)

  • Looking for ways to teach beyond the classroom, i.e., virtual office hours, podcasts, and social media

The majority of this faculty group added a mobile learning layer to an existing activity. This process allowed each to use a familiar lesson and explore the addition of a mobile component.

The final portion of the FLC was to share mobile lessons at a campus-wide event. Faculty facilitated a discussion workshop, Exploring Mobile Learning to Support Students, where participants were asked to identify mobile strategies and/or techniques to integrate into future work as a result of workshop participation. Participants were also given a collection of mobile lessons created by FLC faculty that utilized the Mobile Lesson Template as a model for effective mobile design for higher education learning. This template served as a catalyst for educators, who needed a guide to begin harvesting personal connections that are created when the student’s mobile world becomes integrated into the learning of course concepts.

6 Future Directions

The future of mobile learning is wide open. Educators can play a vital role in developing mobile lessons to support authentic learning with collaboration and critical thinking, as well as increasing student engagementthat allows the student to reach far beyond the limits of a classroom. Mobile opens the doors even wider for distance education students accessing all course resources from a learning environment that is free of physical space and time. Suddenly, the student’s personal world collides with the academic world in one of the most amazing learning disruptions ever. Possibilities such as advanced image retrieval technology and student opportunities to pursue relevant and personal learning experiences are just some of the many directions.

Rick Oller, from the Marlboro College Graduate School, makes a clear connection to mobile learning potential by discussing its future in higher education in terms of traditional pedagogical structures being left behind and the need for teachers to “innovate, experiment, and be prepared to fail” (Oller 2012). It is this potential that gives educators opportunities to experiment with mobile in the classroom. Teachers can adapt existing lessons or create new lessons by using the Mobile Lesson Template as an effective roadmap for mobile lesson creation that provides relevance and personalized learning experiences for millennial students in a world that becomes the infinite classroom. Expanding mLearning to include collaboration across courses and curriculum with trends, such as augmented reality and learning implants, becomes a movement beyond the traditional pedagogies and technologies and into a whole new arena of reexamining and adapting in higher education.

7 Cross-References