Savannah: mobile gaming and learning?

Abstract

This paper reports a study that attempts to explore how using mobile technologies in direct physical interaction with space and with other players can be combined with principles of engagement and self-motivation to create a powerful and engaging learning experience. We developed a mobile gaming experience designed to encourage the development of children's conceptual understanding of animal behaviour. Ten children (five boys and five girls) aged between 11 and 12 years played and explored the game. The findings from this study offer interesting insights into the extent to which mobile gaming might be employed as a tool for supporting learning. It also highlights a number of major challenges that this format raises for the organisation of learning within schools and the design of such resources.

Moving on from Weiser’s Vision of Calm Computing: Engaging UbiComp Experiences

“…Examples of projects that have pioneered the design of novel physical-digital spaces to facilitate creativity and reflection include the Hunting of the Snark [32], Ambient Wood [36], RoomQuake [33] Savannah [17], Environmental Detectives [27], Drift Table [19] and Feeding Yoshi [7]. Each of these have experimented with the use of mobile, sensor and fixed technologies in combination with wireless infrastructures to encourage exploration, invention, and out of the box thinking.…”

How can exploratory learning with games and simulations within the curriculum be most effectively evaluated?

“…Savannah is a mobile strategy adventure game pilot combining the use of virtual and real spaces, mobile technologies and interactive whiteboards to provide a tool for supporting exploratory learning in 11-12 year olds (Facer et al 2004). The game is a highly sophisticated one and in order to play it there is a need for a high level of technical support, precluding its use in most classroom-based contexts.…”

Informal learning with PDAs and smartphones

“…However, if this information was downloaded using mobile connectivity in response to a situated need, then it fitted more readily into the location aware category. The Patten et al (2006) framework was designed to help analyse learning applications that could be loaded onto a mobile device; therefore, the effects of mobile Internet connectivity were only covered in the collaborative category, where wifi-supported applications such as Savannah (Facer et al 2004) were listed. This contrasted with the activities reported by the participants in this study who used all the mobile connectivity options available (beaming, wifi and GPRS) to support collaboration in a variety of contexts.…”

“…This connectivity supports not only contextual access to information, but also synchronous (telephone conversation, Voice over IP, messaging) and asynchronous (web forums, blog entries, email, txt messaging) communication with others. Given the potential for collaboration afforded by the devices (DiGiano et al 2003;Roschelle, 2003;Facer et al 2004)), we also asked 'Does the mobile connectivity available with mobile devices such as PDAs and Smartphones encourage or support collaborative informal learning? '…”