Lesson 3: Scenarios for using PSP as a mobile learning tool

Scenarios for using PSP/PMP as a learning and development tool

For supporting teachers and learners:

• Platform for playing back educational contents. I have used it to playback reformatted audios, instructional videos and e-books in both txt format and digital picture series. And looking ahead, I could imagine a situation when instructional videos downloaded from the internet on any subject from open education resource repositories can be view over and over again on PSP. Useful to both children and adult. Instructors can prepare contents in audio or video and provide course guidelines and assignment or discussion points in txt e-book.

• It is a valuable gaming device that parents can use to support their children learning. For example, if your child has problem understanding some subject topic, mathematics, biology, physic, etc because of poor teaching strategy, you can help the child by going through some open education resources available on the internet today, download a well prepare learning materials on the subject topic, convert to podcast or e-book and let your child review it with PSP or iPod. Even when on the road or in the air, you and and your child can continue learning from downloaded materials from the internet. Many high quality open education resources are available on the internet.

• PSP/PMP can be used to support education projects in remote communities. For example, PSP/PMP manufacturer can be contacted to produce the device at discounted rates that could possibly bring the price to as low as US$20 that many more school children and students will be able to afford. And funded projects can packaged the device with some educational contents to assist teachers and remote community learners achieve a better understanding of teaching concepts and development goal.

• In remote community where there is no electricity to charge the devices, solar power charger that can charge up to 20 of such devices can be packaged with the project. Such solar chargers are available today at affordable prices from US$250.

For community development:

• Farmers believe farmers - I see a situation where an NGO or extension specialist use the recording features to capture either audio only or video of a project success story telling by beneficiary farmers that can be used in a radio and/or TV program for other community awareness and development.
• Seeing is believing - I see a situation where an NGO or extension specialist loads video documentary of how farmers in other communities are able to solve a problem that is just surfacing in another community to convince the farmers. Such video can either be playback on PSP or have the PSP connected to a TV set where possible for bigger screen view.
• Picture worth more than a thousand words - I see a situation where extension specialist take the complain of a farmer with photo or video evidence of the problem taken from the farmer's field using PSP as a digital still or video camera, and relating the evidences to a specialist or expert for thorough analysis and proffer adequate solution or procedures to overcome the problem.
• Teaching aid for teachers in remote community schools – I see a situation where teachers in remote communities come to city where they could access the internet, download lesson plans in txt, video or animation of instructional illustrations to PSP and playback in classroom to promote meaningful learning even where there is no electricity in the classroom.
• Education project funding - I see a potential opportunity for donors to fund a project on testing the impact of packaging PSP with educational content for distribution to remote community school students.
• Combining PSP with mobile phone or SMS messages, a farmer can get quick feedback or response to complains.

Conclusion

Combined use of PSP and mobile phone open up a new dimension to the delivery of distance learning contents and interactions. Creativity, imagination and innovative use of PSP/PMP and mobile phone for educational purposes are boundless for mobile learning.