Trade-offs between pedagogical and technological design requirements affecting the robustness of a mobile learning activity

Abstract

We develop an innovative mathematical mobile learning activity for 12 year old students, who are asked to coordinate themselves physically in terms of given distances with respect to two given points in an outdoor setting. The development of the outdoor activity poses pedagogical as well as technological design challenges. In this paper, we elaborate on two critical incidents that occurred during the implementation of the activity. Such incidents call for increasing attention to the negotiation of pedagogical and technological requirements during the design process. We argue that the efficient development of innovative mobile learning activities aiming at supporting learning in outdoors and indoors settings requires effective negotiation and coordination of pedagogical and technological strategies and requirements during the entire design process.