Increasing opportunities for learning: Mobile graphing

Considerable research has indicated the importance of having a sound pedagogical framework in place for the creation of learning objects which can support student learning, particularly higher order thinking skills. This paper describes the evolution of a learning object that has been in use for nearly eight years. The interactive graphing object (IGO) is a reusable learning object (RLO) that supports students to develop a deeper understanding of concepts that can be expressed graphically. Previous research indicated that the IGO facilitates higher levels of student engagement and deeper approaches to learning than more conventional static displays or animations of graphs. However, the student learning environment continues to evolve and diversify. There is a need for the development of RLOs that can keep pace with these changes. Some limitations with the original authoring environment which prevented more widespread use of the IGO have been addressed. Moreover, the advent of more powerful Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) has resulted in the redesign of the student environment of the IGO, and development of a mobile form of the IGO—the mIGO. This paper discusses the design and development issues associated with improving a successful RLO, and then adapting it to facilitate learning in a mobile environment. Copyright © 2004 David M. Kennedy, Douglas R. Vogel & Tomson Xu.