WildKey describes how LOtC experiences can be enhanced by making use of mobile technologies such as PDAs and SmartPhones
It was different and better than sitting in a classroom and the handheld computers were cool!
This enthusiastic comment is one example of a myriad similar responses from children who took part in an Oxford Brookes University research project using mobile technologies (such as handheld computers [or PDAs] and SmartPhones) to identify wildlife in the field. There is no getting away from the fact that most kids love getting their hands on the latest gadgets; mobile technologies are tools with which children are proficient and confident and which are increasingly seen by them as a fundamental means of communication.
The latest gadgets are opening up ever more fantastic possibilities for teaching and learning outside the classroom. Drawing on functions such as GPS, camera, video, audio and 3G internet access, which are often now incorporated within one device, teachers of all subjects and across all ages can capitalise on opportunities for using these technologies in fieldwork. And in a time when children spend huge amounts of time indoors in front of computers, what a great solution to turn this on its head — take the computers outdoors and use them imaginatively to engage them with the real world!
WildKey, a spin-out company formed as a result of the Oxford Brookes research project, now creates a digital tool-kit for outdoor learning that enables teachers to make the most of mobile technologies. This 'tool-kit' comprises three software packages: WildForm enables any pen-and-paper data-gathering exercise to be replaced by a digital form on a handheld computer (the forms can also incorporate fields such as GPS readings, taking things beyond what can be achieved with paper); WildMap enables the creation of multimedia, GPS-led, interactive trails; and using WildKey interactive keys, young people can identify and record minibeasts, pond and rock-pool creatures, birds, and many other wildlife groups while out and about.
Examples of projects that have been undertaken by teachers using these software packages include: a buildings survey of Tenby by Wolverhampton pupils on a geography field trip (WildForm); children in Redcar recording wildlife in their own gardens through their school holidays (WildKey); and pupils in Hounslow using interactive maps to create their own multimedia 'kids-eye view' of their school grounds and to record their visit to London Zoo (WildMap).
The possibilities are endless. Drama teachers could use GPS-linked, multi-media maps and 'interest points' to facilitate the use of the school grounds as an open-air theatre (getting the students to video and upload their acting to the internet while on the move). History field trips to local archaeological sites can be brought to life by allowing pupils to access historical photos and re-enactment videos and record their own interpretations at the point of inspiration. In outdoor science lessons, students could create a database of GPS-tagged local wildlife records to be shared across the internet with other schools and used to create Google Earth maps showing the exact wildlife recording positions.
With the development of these technologies, exciting times lie ahead for interpreting the great outdoors, and the increasingly ubiquitous nature of these devices means that within a relatively short time, many children will have access to devices with these capabilities providing a potentially vast educational resource.
If you would like a 'taste' of what can be achieved with these technologies, WildKey runs taster sessions bringing a suite of mobile devices to you. We can provide advice about the right device or instigating your own mobile learning project. For further details please contact gowild@wildkey.co.uk.
