Second Nordic Workshop on Computer Supported Collaborative Learning and Knowledge Empowerment

This paper outlines an ongoing research project on training, education and sharing of experiences among mobile people. The importance for professionals to continuously learn is widely recognized. Organizations in the new economy are dependent on organizational knowledge and competence. Mobile workers need alternative educational and knowledge development opportunities that are not restrained by time and space. The research aims at searching for models but mainly applications designed for mobile people that allow genuine interaction in competence development activities. The design approach applied in this research is guided by the idea of cognitive apprenticeship facilitated by mobile technology. The research project is conducted in cooperation with Ericsson and their interest is identifying applications and services suitable for 3G. In simple terms, 3G combines high-speed mobile access with Internet Protocol (IP) based services. This allows mobile high quality multimedia. We present the ideas through two use cases on how the next generation multimedia terminals can be used in competence development activities designed for mobile people. We outline two use cases of possible competence development activities suited for the mobile worker and 3G. The first use case is applying multimedia scenarios as technology and methodology, and the second use case is applying the notion of thematic modules. Background and objective The nature of work continues to evolve from predictable, deterministic patterns to forms that are more contingent, idiosyncratic, and distributed in both time and space. Work-conditions demand that people become more mobile. The evolution of work and the expertise needed to perform it have not been accompanied by innovations in the models used by workplace educators to develop this expertise. Although contemporary models are useful for many types of employee development, their potential for developing the type of skilled performance needed in a contingent and dynamic work environment is questionable (Torraco, 1999). This research aims at searching for models but mainly applications designed for mobile people that allow genuine interaction in competence development activities. Looking at the traditional classroom interaction pattern which puts the learner in the position of an object of assessment: the instructor initiates, learner respond, and the instructor closes the sequence by either accepting or rejecting the learners turn (Sinclair and Coulthard 1975). Distance education in general is following this pattern. Contrasting the traditional classroom pattern with a perspective where knowledge is jointly constructed in interaction, i.e., social constructivism (cf. Resnick et al. 1991; Salomon 1993), a different approach to designing competence development activities is needed.