Edmonton’s Northern Alberta Institute of Technology is one of two Canadian post-secondary schools chosen for a ground-breaking pilot program integrating wireless technology with learning.
Businesses from the educational publishing and technology sectors have joined forces with NAIT and Ontario’s Seneca College to launch a mobile learning pilot program this fall.
Officials said last week that students will pilot the program, which will provide insight about the educational benefits of wireless handheld technology for students. About 300 first-year students studying general accounting at the schools will receive access to curriculum materials through a wireless-enabled device.
Participating businesses include publisher McGraw-Hill Ryerson, Bell Mobility, Cap Gemini Ernst & Young (CGE&Y), Blackboard, Compaq and Avaya.
“We know technology can improve learning, and expect the mobile learning project to break new ground by providing important information on the effectiveness of integrating wireless technology into each component of the teaching and learning process,” said John Dill, CEO of McGraw-Hill Ryerson.
Some of the interactive learning tools available to students include instant messaging and sharing of digital video and audio content.
The pilot will enable NAIT and Seneca to examine how mobile learning will benefit students and whether it affects the schools’ ability to attract and retain students.
“The opportunity for NAIT to be involved in this kind of applied research into the use of wireless technologies learning will again set Alberta on the leading edge of technological innovation,” said NAIT president Sam Shaw.
Wireless learning is not new to higher education, but never before has it been so thoroughly integrated into various aspects of a college course, officials said.
From registration to homework assignments and from communicating with the instructor to end-of-course exams, the experiment will help students access their class resources in a new way.
