The use, design, and practical development of mobile learning resources in ELT

Caroline Moore23 January 2015

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University of Chichester Graduate English Specialist Workshop

Today’s objectives

1. The implications of mobile for ELT materials writing

2. The development process

3. How product development, innovation and marketing fit together

4. “4 Ps”: Product, Place, Price and Promotion

You can download this presentation from:

0900 to 1215

• Two case studies

• Task: design your product

1330 to 1530

• Group presentations

• Commercial issues: bring your product to market

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Today’s timetable

ELT: disruption in the transition from print to digital and mobile

learning• 750m speakers, 2 billion

learners, 11 million teachers

• Growth in emerging markets

• International ELT market +/- $58bn

• Coursebooks accounted for 90-95% of ELT publisher

revenues

• Wide range of stakeholders

New generation courseware:technologies

• Multi platform/retrieve

track across platforms

• Open systems

• Institutional Wifi

• Tech savvy teachers and institutions

• Easy access and storage

• Hybrid, mixed media

Weapons of Mass DistractionWeapons of Mass Distraction

Ubiquitous learning scenarios Teachers: in the classroom, on whiteboards, tablets, PCs as a

supplement to any course book, flexible to pick and choose Students: at school with the teacher, at home – self-study, on PCs,

mobile – revise, practise or do homework Parents: at home, can follow & support their children’s progress

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Handheld learning: Smartphones and their “super powers”

LocationPurchase channelTouch screenMotion sensorsNotificationsMultimediaConnectTracking & personalisationSpeech recognition

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What’s an App(lication)?

Self-contained, multimedia programme

Downloaded onto your mobile device through: Apple iTunes, Google Play, Microsoft Windows 8 App Store, Samsung Apps

Or, Web App, downloaded from a website, e.g. Financial Times.

Online/Offline (varies)

ELT App feature checklist

• Multimedia

• Multi-sensory

• Personalisation

• Visible progress

• Relevant language

• Covers more than one skill

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Macmillan IELTS Skills & Richmond Crisis at Clifton apps

Mobile friendly websites built on

HTML5Location

Purchase channelTouch screen

Motion sensorsNotificationsMultimedia

ConnectSpeech record &

recognition10

eBooks

Mobile formats: summary

Apps Exploit functionality of Smartphones and tablet devices. Distributed via Apple or Android/Samsung/Amazon app stores, and need to go through their approval process. The app stores take 30% cut. Even small changes to the content or app requires a resubmission and re-approval process. Native apps are designed specifically for a device and operating system, e.g. for an iPad, or Android phone.

HTML 5 Work potentially on any screen or operating system, but products such as the YDP CCE not suitable for mobile phones. Cannot exploit full potential of mobile device, limited personalisation & tracking, cannot support speech recognition.

eBooks Can be used to create rich media versions of coursebooks, but interactivity more limited than for apps or HTML5. Work across all platforms, but a product developed within Apple’s iTextbook must be redeveloped for other platforms. Various distribution mechanisms, e.g. Amazon Kindle, Apple iBook/iTextbook, various proprietary “Bookshelf” platforms or direct download. Basic eBooks easy to create via Adobe InDesign, but complex media & interactivity needs same expertise as for Apps and HTML5.

Web apps are halfway between an App and HTML5 and tend to be distributed direct, not via an app store.

Some products, such as Duolingo have the same routines on a website and in ‘native’ apps, but the user experience is slightly different on each one.

© Copyright 2011, LearnAhead

Case Study 1: Word Carrot

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© Copyright 2011, LearnAhead

Word Carrot

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o fast initial development: October 5 – December 21 2011

o detailed graphic specification

o in-house designer

o iterations: alpha / beta testing

Word Carrot development

Design / Functionality

o invest time in the description of the interactivity

o simplicity –> complexity –> simplicity

o pedagogy: content, tasks, contexts, acquisition/learning

o game features: score, lives, penalties, against the clock

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© Copyright 2011, LearnAhead

Lessons learned

Creating an App is harder than a website:

Different platforms, different OS, different screen resolutions

Updates and bug fixes

Apple's rules and processes: user testing, submission process,

listing, and discoverability on the App Store

Finding a good and affordable developer

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Case study 2: YDP’s Core Curriculum for English

DEMO

Year 1:

4: Hello Aex

Year 6:

My car is better than yours

Year 9:

10: Recognising emotions

Core Curriculum for EnglishComprehensive curriculum

support

Adaptable, customisable, Plug-n-Play

Supports Communicative methodologies &

multisensory learning

Supports assessment and tests

Rich range of engaging activity types

Works on PCs and all mobile devices

Coherent but flexible

Small chunks of learning

http://www.ydp.eu/solutions/k12-extensive-supplementary-materials-for-

english

Design a product, using flip charts, post its, see handout: concept and sketch user experience

WHO? [is it for]WHY? [what problem does it solve] WHERE? [what devices/App Store/Distribution channel]WHEN? [will people use it]HOW? [classroom, self-study]WHAT? [can you describe it easily]WHAT DO YOU NEED? [people, skills, budget and time]

http://video.msnbc.msn.com/your-business/17564769#17564769

Bring your App idea to market

Product ✔

Price

Promotion

Place ✔

Pricing

Word Carrot: target = £10,000

a) Free plus IAP of £1.49

OR

b) £2.49 plus IAPs of £1.49

Apple take 30% commission plus average 8% sales tax. Conversion rate free to purchase is between 0.5% to 2%

App revenue options

Sales including “Fremium” model

Subscriptions

Advertising

Sponsorship and other indirect benefits

Promotion

B2C

• Business to Consumer

• e.g. Word Carrot

B2B

• Business to Business

• e.g. YDP

B2G

• Business to Government

• e.g. YDP

PromotionTeachers & schools

Parents/ parent groups

Website

Review sites

Social media

A-SEO

Existing channels

Place

Your final taskDecide on business

model and pricing for your app

Key promotion approaches

How much money do you think you could make?

Conclusion

Product ✔

Price ✔

Promotion ✔

Place ✔

What happened to Word Carrot and Core Curriculum for English?