As Chair of this working party I am delighted to welcome you to the collaborative blog for discussion of this timely and challenging motion, namely that 'this institution is willing to use mobile technology as part of the learning and teaching process'.

As members of this working party, you will no doubt, have a keen interest in the success and future direction of this institution and whether mobile-enabled learning has any part to play in shaping that future. Some of you may be very familiar and comfortable with new mobile technologies such as handheld digital devices, others may be less familar or unclear as to how mobile technologies can benefit learners or tutors. The popular image of web sites such as Facebook and Twitter, or mobile phones and MP3 players may not appear to offer much by way of learning opportunities. Some of you may believe that inclusion of such technologies within this institution is not appropriate, and that mobile-enabled learning takes us too far away from traditional proven education and teaching methods.

The are significant claims made about the benefits of 'any time, anywhere' learning and I hope that during your discussions, the evidence 'for' and 'against' will be scrutinised and debated. During your debates and lobbying, I draw your attention to three key areas that you must address:
1. Whether mobile-learning learning blurs the boundaries between formal/informal learning - and whether you believe this to be beneficial or detrimental
2. Is mobile-enabled learning likely to affect 'ownership of learning' in anyway
3. What barriers exist to the introduction and use of mobile learning - and how such barriers might be overcome

There is no doubt that there are challenges in introducing mobile technologies into education, but I hope that a lively and evidence based debate will address such issues, thereby allowing members to vote upon the motion based upon an informed judgement of the conclusions you reach.

Please note: When posting your discussions to the collaborative blog, please make clear your name (in role) and the position you hold within the working party, eg. parent, teacher, etc.

I look forward to reading your postings.
Elizabeth Raymond
Chair.