Interview with Aashita Jadhav, School in Mobile, Innovators in E-Learning Series

Mobile learning via smartphone has been a possibility for learners since the earliest smartphones (T-Mobile Sidekick was an early example), but the the recent explosion in apps, access, and the essential ubiquity of mobile devices, there is a growing demand for instructional content that meshes with the learner's lifestyle and learning habits. In a smartphone world, developers can no longer simply try to make their content mobile-friendly (early example: smartphone science class). Developers have to think of the mobile environment first, and then make it also accessible via laptop. The best schools now must incorporate new strategies for delivering m-learning. One innovator in mobile learning is Aashita Jadhav, whose SchoolinMobile.org has developed a platform to enable expanded access to instructional content that is both engaging and effective. 

What is your name and relation to elearning / mlearning?

My name is Aashita Jadhav, the founder of the SchoolinMobile.org 

What is School in Mobile? 

School in Mobile ( SchoolinMobile.org) is a FREE educational platform (accessible by web and as an FREE Android App)

OUR MISSION - Every Student in the world to have access to learning material, the green way.

School in Mobile provides the following benefits:

•                Fast - Students can learn a chapter in less than 30 minutes including test.

•                Useful - Helps students pass the STAR test and thus helps improve the school rating.

•                Fun - Students get cool badges for getting good score from the quiz.

•                Green - As the content is in digital format , it helps the environment.

What needs does School in Mobile address?

I consider that we are fortunate to be at the time of  three big revolutionary shifts - - mobile, social and cloud. Every industry is trying to make the best use of these advancements. School in Mobile is helping the Education sector with this shift to make learning an engaging process.

Students have been caring heavy textbooks around for decades. Today technological advancement make it possible to change this.

School in Mobile provide ease of access , speed of completing a chapter and finally helps them pass the grade tests.

What kinds of devices does School in Mobile work on?

School in Mobile is practically available on all devices.

•                A FREE Android app is already present on Google marketplace.

•                For all other devices ( including Apple devices) , it can be accessed through the web link

•                We just launched FREE Chrome Web Store app

What are the underlying learning strategies and philosophies in School in Mobile?

School in Mobile is not just provider of content in form of books or videos.

It is an end-to-end platform for student to learn as well as test their knowledge.

Proven research shows that students learn by going through summary notes and retain the knowledge for longer duration.

School in Mobile provides

•                Ready to use summary notes in text as well as movie format. 

•                Once the students have studied a chapter at school. They can revise it on School in Mobile in less than 30 minutes including quiz test.

•                Engagement is increased by this quick and easy tool. Also the cool badges which students get from test makes it fun.

How can you overcome the problems of access to the cloud? What happens when students do not have wifi access to the cloud or wifi connectivity?

Currently School in Mobile is available on the cloud and accessible everywhere. We are working on the next phases to make it easy to download on the device making it available without wifi connectivity. This is crucial for developing countries.

What are the next steps for School in Mobile?

The  steps are really exciting for us.

We are working on enhancing  the platform by several ways like

•                Making  more grades, subjects and chapters available

•                Add capability to login using facebook and google accounts

•                Open the platform to allow teacher add content. We are partnering with more teachers . Any teacher can reach us at info@schoolinmobile.com

Also we are working to deploy this to other countries.

How can students and teachers try out School in Mobile?

You can download the Android App from Google marketplace.

OR 

Access the web version ( for all devices including Apple) from our website ( SchoolinMobile.org)

Blending Mobile Technologies: Handhelds, All-Weather Writing Paper - Interview with Ryan McDonald, J. L. Darling Corporation

Hybrid learning can involve more than a blend of face-to-face and web-based courses. They can also involve mobile devices combined with traditional books -- for example, all-weather field notebooks, digital pens, and mobile devices with GPS. With that in mind, welcome to an interview with Ryan McDonald, "Rite in the Rain" All-Weather Writing paper, which can be used in conjunction with digital pens and geographical information systems, as well as other innovative learning.

What is your name and what is your involvement in e-learning?

My name is Ryan McDonald and I am the Marketing & Advertising Director at the J. L. Darling Corporation, manufacturers of "Rite in the Rain" All-Weather Writing Paper.

What is Rite-in-the-Rain, and what is its mission and vision? What kinds of products do you offer?

"Rite in the Rain" (www.RiteintheRain.com) is an unconventional "retooling" of conventional paper. Relying on a unique "weather-proofing" manufacturing process, the J. L. Darling Corporation transforms regular paper into "Rite in the Rain", outdoor note taking tools unrestricted by the elements. Available in a wide variety of different formats: bound books, spiral notebooks, loose leaf, copier paper and padded sheets, "Rite in the Rain" is a more durable, 100% recyclable, all-weather, alternative to regular paper.

(Image is of the traditional all-weather field notebook... inspiration for many things....)


What is your involvement in facilitating education or educational experiences?

As a manufacturer, we don't have a hand in facilitating education so much as assisting others in their educational experiences. Many programs, especially in the Geological, Biological and Environmental sectors depend exclusively on "Rite in the Rain" while in the field. In fact, the demand became so great that specific bound log books were developed to meet the unique needs of Geologists, Biologists and Environmentalists. More recently "Rite in the Rain" has seen a growing number of Universities stock "Rite in the Rain" in their bookstores and many Professors include "Rite in the Rain" on their "required textbook" list when their area of study takes students outdoors.

What are your new initiatives? How does new technology meet traditional technology in the field? How do you see old and new technologies coming together?

"Rite in the Rain's" Journalx Field Books are a perfect example of the "union" between old and new technologies. Journalx Field Books combine the durability and all-weather qualities of "Rite in the Rain" with the ease and familiarity of digital documentation. Using a pre-printed dot pattern on each sheet and a digital pen (Penx) written information is mapped and stored in the pen's memory. Dock the pen in it's transfer device (USB connection to a PC) and the information that was written in the field book will be converted to an editable document. While still early in development, this combination of old and new technologies is a very exciting breakthrough in field technologies and will continue to improve - and expand, in the coming years.

How do your products work with hand-held GPS devices in the field?

Outside of being able to record and plot current locations gathered from a GPS device, there is no specific relationship between "Rite in the Rain" All-Weather Notebooks and hand-held GPS devices. However, "Rite in the Rain" is available in large format sheets as well and can be used to print Topographic Maps to aid GPS navigation.

Using a digital pen with Rite in the Rain paper (onto which a map has been printed).

Here is a demo: http://www.anoto.com/filearchive/2/2497/adapx_penx.mpg

How might your products enhance certain field technologies?

"Rite in the Rain's" greatest strength is it's simplicity. It will never break down, it will never malfunction, it doesn't run on batteries, there is no learning curve, it's relatively cheap and ultimately, disposable. As such, "Rite in the Rain" notebooks are a perfect compliment to more sophisticated technology. They can act as backups, replace expensive equipment too valuable to risk in poor weather, and allow field operators greater mobility.

How might a "hybrid approach" that combines mobile technologies and traditional paper-based products enhance one's learning experience?

The most practical "hybrid approach" approach currently available is the Journalx Field Books and digital pen mentioned earlier. Utilizing both technologies would eliminate the need for manually converting gathered field data into a digital format.

How could your products be used in conjunction with podcasts (video and audio)?

"Rite in the Rain's" use in conjunction with podcasts is limited. Outside of broadcasting company/product updates, reviews and demonstrations it's hard to imagine other uses.

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Thought: Could one use this approach for fieldwork involving collecting information that you need to attach to a position / location... and which you need to share? Could be used in the field with wind farms, for collecting market information -- anything... ! Twitter plus positioning ?

Susan's note: I love the possibilities of combining old and new technologies. The possibilities that are unlocked are just endless!! Never throw out the old... just repurpose it!




Also -- poetry inspired by sketches from a field notebook... then shared on the web..
link to one resulting work..