On Tuesday, Qualcomm Incorporated joined with the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and Kajeet to confirm their collaboration on the Active Explorer mobile learning project.
Based on the details disclosed, this is a web-based learning platform developed and piloted by AAAS with funding from Wireless Reach.
The Active Explorer mobile learning project, the partners say, uses smartphones and mobile broadband connectivity, to engage children in collecting, interpreting and sharing science-related data, increasing interest in science and helping acquire 21st century skills in the process.
Teachers and students in grades 4 and 7 at four Washington, D.C.-area schools are integrating Active Explorer into their classrooms and afterschool programs as part of an extensive evaluation on whether technology can affect learning and motivation.
“Active Explorer empowers educators to create smartphone-powered explorations geared to their students and the content that they are teaching,” says Bob Hirshon, program director for Technology and Learning at AAAS. “Students participating in these explorations take advantage of mobile technology to extend learning beyond the classroom; they are building knowledge independently, rather than acquiring it solely from a book or exercise. Just as important, they then access the data they collected, interpret it and choose from a palette of creative tools to share their discoveries with others. This multi-tiered active learning encompasses a wide range of critical 21st century skills.”
