1. Challenges in Mobile Teaching and
Safety – A Case Study
Birgy Lorenz and Kaido Kikkas

2. Questions
• how should schools
harness the increasing use
of mobile phones, tablets
at home in order to make
it also beneficial for the
schools?
• what are the emerging
trends in mobile devices
security that schools are
facing when introducing
m-learning to students?

3. Background
• Mobile sales top computer
sales
• Schools vs Society – allow or
not to allow
• Age group issues
• E-learning >> M-learning
• Risks:
– Technical, behavioural, policy

4. Methods
• Stage I – survey in 2009 (153 students) and
2012 (156) 5.-9. graders
• Stage II - learning exercises and observation
• Stage III – interview (older high school and
also university students, teachers)
• Stage IV – group interview with 14 teachers

5. Tasks
• using QR codes to enhance and promote
literature reading and knowledge building and a
“treasure hunting” game to find solutions to the
e-safety problems;
• making videos and worksheets in math using real
life situations;
• finding hidden pupils using only mobile phones
(and only up to 12 yes/no answers were allowed);
• learning about 10th anniversary of the Euro using
the Euro Coins application on Android;
• finding and identifying animal tracks in snow using
an Estonian mobile application “Kes käis?” (Who
Walked Here?);
• tagging problematic places near the school, e.g.
trash, dangerous traffic locations like big piles of
snow in the pedestrian area etc;
• evaluating mobile applications.

6. 2009 vs 2012
Mobile usage 2009 2012
Do you use a calling card 16,3% 13%
Do you think having a Phone as a status issue? 2,8% 6,96%
Does parent’s control who do you call? 27,5% 26%
Do you have stranger’s numbers in the phone? 12,3% 20%
Do you regularly use internet with your phone? 9% 64%
Do you know how to: watch a video, listen to 24% 52%
music, use online social network, send e-mail or
use direct communication?
Have happened unpleasant situation with the Phone got missing: 48,3% Missing: 63%
phone? ..broken: 41% Broken: 72%
Virus: 5,6% Virus: 10%
Bullied: 4,5% Bullied: 6%
I activated paid service: 11,8% Paid service: 31%
Got a prank call: 12,9% Prank call: 56% Strangers
Strangers calls me: 75% SMS me: 34%
Have you participated in a lottery? 17,4% 18%
Called to the grown up services? 10,7% 10%
Have you used phone as a learning device? 46,6% 50%

7. How have I used mobile to pay for
something?
B = boys
G = girls
1 = younger
2= older

8. What problems have risen of using
phone?

9. Remarks
• Mobile devise is not yet considered to be a
learning device
• 2009 students were more open to try and share,
2012 some students asked not to be pictured etc.
• 2009 were not many smart phones, apps etc.
2012 tools and systems were more easy to use
• Younger children have better phones
• Regularity of using phone as internet device has
risen from 9% to 64%

10. Teachers
• don't own a smartphone
• are not fluent with English
• need lesson plans and tips/tricks
• are interested of BYOD rather than school
devices (maybe it is something only in that
particular school)
• point out problems: roaming costs, paid
services, bullying, policy, training

11. Challenges in Safety
Technical: Human related
• Locking the phone (A) • Credit cards, payd services
• Wifi/Roaming (H) (H)
• Programs/Virus (L) • Missing phone (A)
• Listening/GPS (NO) • Right time and place (H/L)
• Bullying, Pedofilia (A)
School related: • Health (NO)
• Policy (A)
• Usage in Education (A/NO)
• H (high) A (average), L (low), NO (no)

12. Discussion
• Use has skyrocketed >><< supervision low
• Students have some technical skills >> Teachers/Parents
don't
• Schools don't have policy or technical readiness for BYOD
• Some teachers see mobile phone as a threat
• When used tools for education then both
(students&teachers) groups see/experience the potential
efficiency
• Using m-tools at class students still need lot of feedback on
the issues (not always technical)
• Whos numbers are in the phonebook and unlimited
services?
• How to deal with the pranks, cyber-bullying etc?
• Can ISP provide also some support?

13. Challenges
• students are better equipped than schools >> as neither
parents nor schools are unable to guide them;
• students are also left on their own in terms of e-safety and
networking;
• as a rule, the school and teachers deny any responsibility in
these - most teachers claim it to be the responsibility of the
parent who bought the gadget;
• the digital divide will prevail until teachers acquire the
necessary knowledge and skills;
• the students are considered 'too smart' to need any
additional training;
• for a while, the digital divide between smartphone users
and those who cannot afford one may pose an issue.

14. Conclusion
• problems with using mobile at schools are plain, everyday human
behavioral issues;
• schools who have understood the circle of problems are also in a
better position to discover problems in advance, training parents
and teachers;
• students will only learn educational applications when these are
taught them;
• local authorities should provide broadband connection in the
school area;
• e-safety training should be mandatory for all teachers graduating
from universities, be available via Tiger Leap training programs and
also have an option to ask trainers or volunteers to visit the school;
• school leaders and government must provide teachers with modern
technologies;
• service providers could also provide more help to parents – both in
well-designed services and better support in incident handling.