I'm studying again. My Master of Ed Honors, and I have to write a dissertation. As you can tell I've been reading and thinking about M-learning. I have to admit to visiting our public library and talking to the users of the technology about what it is that they are using their technology for? (And asking myself is there a dissertation here?)
I have learnt:
Most of the users are tourists, mostly foreigners.
They are checking and writing emails, booking tickets etc, using Trademe, applying for jobs.
They also listen to music on their MP3's,
Watch Youtube and Skype.
When asked, they acknowledge they use the technology on the network for information gathering, but not for learning.
How did they know that such a facility existed here in Blenheim?
A Cech guy told me that he used similar facilities in London and figured NZ was part of the Commonwealth so he assumed wireless would be available in NZ libraries.
A German girl told me she had used the wireless in Christchurch Public Library and assumed there would be one in other libraries around the country.
I talked with the head librarian about the benefits for the library. He said the number of temporary users has increased quite noticeably. Temporary users are those who will be living in Blenheim less than 6 months, and therefore have to pay a $10 fee per month to join the library. At the moment there is no linked correlation between users of the wireless and temporary library users. Although the librarian did tell me many of the temporary users were back packers. The assumption is they are joining the library and using the network. Hmmmm is there a dissertation here I wonder?
Now I'm waiting for school to begin to haunt the library somemore to see if our students use the facility
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