Ubiquitous Learning Environment (ULE) has the potential to encourage students to create their own knowledge using the information secured from their surroundings as they move around in the ubiquitous space (or u-space) and interact with various objects and devices.
‘Constructivist theory’ can be used to allow students to build knowledge from what they see, hear, read and perceive (Jones et al., 2004).
In today’s digital environment, information literacy moves beyond students’ ability to evaluate the information they perceive and receive, to being able to communicate their own understanding and perspectives through a variety of online/offline mediums including different formats (like audio, video, text). For example, Web 2.0 tools such as blogs, wikis,Vines, Youtube, Facebook, Twitter and many more have put students in the position of being ‘creators’ as well as ‘consumers’ of published information. Thereby giving that piece of information a sense of a ‘capsule’ containing their own understanding of a particular concept and making it available to different learners within the glocal (global + local) network with ease.
To explain consider this, if a student understands/have understood the concepts of Quantum Mechanics, using the tools provided by Web 2.0, the student could create a u-space where he/she could share that understanding of Quantum Mechanics to not only his/her peers at Schools/Colleges/Universities but also to his/her glocal peers. One should understand and remember that the whole concept of a capsule is in its abstract form.
The whole notion of capsule is created using the tools provided by Web 2.0 with the tag ‘Quantum Mechanics’, if the students is using Twitter and Facebook to disseminate his/her knowledge he/she could use the hashtag #QuantumMechanics to call upon other interested parties which will lead into an active engagement among students and learners (at large) who wants to learn and understand the concept in much detail.
So herein the initiator of the capsule moves from a ‘consumer’ of knowledge to the ‘creator’ of knowledge for his peers and thereby creating a domino effect on the consumer-creator front among the new learners. The constant feedback system within the u-space goes on to complete the learning cycle all powered by the Ubiquitous technology oiled within the online machinery.
Considering the explanation above, one could wonder about the endless potentials delivered to us via various Ubiquitous technologies (software and hardware) allowing learners all across the globe to create an endless capsules on various topics with various #tags interacting organically that in turn calls upon different learning theories to create a next generation of learned individuals using the next generation of Technologies guided by the next generation of Teachers ( or more rightly Facilitators).
To read more on this topic refer to the following:
Journal Articles:
JP 5. Nair,U.,(2015), Soft Systems Methodology For Personalized Learning Environment, e-Learning and Digital Media,Vol.12, Issue. 1 (Under print @ Sage Publications)
JP 4. Nair,U.,(2014), Integrating ‘Ubiquitous Technology’ into online learning, International Journal of Science and Research, Vol.3, No.9, pp: 1863 – 1867 (impact factor 3.36).
JP 3. Nair,U.,(2014), Channelling Contemporary e-Learning Practices at Universities in UK towards ‘personalized learning environment’, International Journal of Advanced Research,Vol.2,No.6, pp. 767-776 (impact factor 1.66)
JP 2. Nair,U.,Singh,P.,(2013), Food for Thought: Can Social Media be a Potential ‘Learning tool’ for Universities ?, Educational Quest : International Journal of Education and Applied Social Science, August.2013,Vol.4,Issue.2,pp 115-119.
JP 1. Nair,U.,(2013), A Brief Introduction to current e-learning systems , Third Degree : The working papers of Doctoral Seminar Series,Feb.2013,Vol.1,Issue 1,pp 15-17.
Jones, V.,Jo, J.H., (2004), Ubiquitous LE: An adaptive teaching system using ubiquitous technology, In R. Atkinson, C. McBeath, D. Jonas-Dwyer & R. Phillips (Eds),Beyond the comfort zone: Proceedings of the 21st ASCILITE Conference (pp. 468-474. Perth, 5-8 December.
Magazine Articles:
A 6. Nair,U.,(2014), Systems Approach to E-Learning, EdTech Review,June.2014.
A 5. Nair,U.,(2014), ‘EduÆTorium’ (Pronounced as Edu-‘I’-Torium) – An Architecture for a PLE, EdTech Review,April.2014.
A 4. Nair,U.,(2014), Experiment with MOOCs : A Case of Coursera,EdTech Review , April.2014.
A 3. Nair,U.,(2014), Instructional Design Models in the 21st Century: A Review,EdTech Review , March.2014.
A 2. Nair,U.,(2014), Learning , Teaching and Technology in Higher Education, EdTech Review, March.2014.
A 1. Nair,U.,(2013), Ubiquitous Approach to e-learning, EdTech Review, September.2013.
