After reading a recent Wired article about applications aimed at users’ secondary attention, I started thinking about new ways to use mobile devices for learning: second screen apps. Second screen apps are mobile apps that are typically used to complement television viewing. Why couldn’t they be used to complement learning events, too? Couldn’t a second screen be useful during instructor-led classes, live virtual classes, and asynchronous e-learning courses?
The use of a second screen during instructor-led training may be the easiest to imagine. A smartphone or tablet could be used to obtain complimentary content, connect to an instructor, or interact with other learners. A class at the University of Texas at Dallas uses Twitter to promote class discussion. Similarly, many conferences have adopted the use of back channels to enhance audience members’ experience. In 2008, I was in the room (and oblivious to the back channel) when the audience turned on Mark Zuckerberg’s interviewer using a Twitter back channel. A few things are gained from these experiences:
- The voices of many audience members are heard, not just a handful of outspoken participants.
- The instructor/speaker gets live feedback from the audience.
- The content can be modified based on the live feedback.
- An online archive of the discussion is available both for attendees and those who could not attend.
However, second screens could be used for more than a back channel. We recently pitched an idea to a potential client that included the use of transmedia-ish clues to be embedded throughout an in-person simulation experience (transmedia storytelling is another topic I’m really interested in). For example, the learner might be provided some basic background information about a fictional character, including name, age, hobbies, contact information, Twitter handle, etc. Should the learner use their second screen to follow the character on Twitter, they may obtain valuable information throughout the simulation experience. In this case, the second screen adds a layer of challenge and discovery to the simulation experience.
Second screens could also be useful during an asynchronous e-learning experience. For example, clients often ask us to teach learners about using a specific tool. That tool is often a document, spreadsheet, or some other digital file that learners must reference while completing the online course. Why couldn’t that tool be moved to the second screen? In 2010, Enspire worked with UNFPA to create an Articulate-based course that trained humanitarian workers on the use of the ASRH Toolkit during an emergency. Learners met characters, heard their stories, and referenced the ASRH Toolkit for appropriate interventions. If we had an unlimited budget and a chance to start over, we might:
- Turn UNFPA’s toolkit into a mobile app that can be searched, tagged, notated, and bookmarked.
- Begin the e-learning module by providing an option to SMS or email the mobile toolkit to the learner’s smartphone or tablet device.
- Design the course with the assumption that the ASRH Toolkit is loaded on the learner’s second screen.
This would make it much easier for learners to use the toolkit during the course in the same way it is used in the field, increasing the likelihood of transfer. We were able to accomplish a similar effect in the course we created, however it required switching application windows and/or printing a 92-page document. This course design would also enable learners to generate invaluable content (i.e. tags, notes, and bookmarks). That content could be referenced on the job, shared with colleagues, and possibly even integrated into the actual toolkit.
Wow… this turned into a long post! In all likelihood, your second screen has distracted you at least once while reading this. The point is: rather than separating mobile learning applications from more traditional synchronous or asynchronous training, perhaps we should start thinking of new ways to integrate them.
