The sender can restrict delivery of the updates to specific individuals and so can be used for group contact (delivery to everyone is the default). The updates can be received via the Twitter website, instant messaging, SMS, RSS or email. So the system is very mobile.

Essentially Twitters works though someone sending you updates about he or she is up to at the moment and as such a has been likened to micro-blogging. Ideally it is well suited to those who have a hectic lifestyle which involves travel and yet would prefer or need to stay in contacts with others, feeding back their movements etc.

I’m in minds however and knowing what a person is up to in detail isn’t a major issue on my people. Some educators have mentioned it may have an educational application however but I’ve found very few examples.

Vicki A. Davis in her blog outlines an interesting use monthly book club discussion. Vicki has set up wiki page to enable interested parties to create a rubric for the way in which a Twitter-based BOOK GROUP might operate. there’s some interesting rules which could provide a basis for future Twitter based projects. Some of the benefits of using Twitter are outlined:

# Being able to effectively synopsis your thoughts in 140 characters requires higher order thinking, (A GOOD one this. Way too many people are guilty of text dense posting – myself included)
# It is is more inclusive of those with lower bandwidth capabilities or do not have computers (they can use cell phones)
# Contributions can be made “on the go” (via cell phone)
# It would potentially allow a greater number of people to participate
# It could encourage participants to read off line.

the cell phone aspects bring in a nice mobile element to the exercise. More detail can be found on her wiki. Can anyone think of any other applications to which Twitter might be applied?

Have a look Twitter and decide for yourself: Twitter , Twitter entry in Wikipedia

And here’s Twitter on CSI.

“The Hug Shirt is a Bluetooth accessory for Java enabled mobile phones. Hug shirts don’t have any assigned phone number, all the data goes from the sensors Bluetooth to your mobile phone and your mobile phone delivers the hug data to your friend’s phone and it is seamlessly transmitted Bluetooth to his or her shirt!

The system is very simple: a Hug Shirt (Bluetooth with sensors and actuators), a Bluetooth java enabled mobile phone with the Hug Me java software running (it understands what the sensors are communicating), and on the other side another phone and another shirt. If you do not have a Hug Shirt but know that your friend has one you can still send them a hug creating it with the HugMe software and it will be delivered to your friend’s Hug Shirt!”

More here.

I wonder if there are any educational applications here? For example distance based physio exercises?

I expect at some point they’ll develop a ‘kick in the backside’ trousers for management. Imagine being able to send a kick to 200 recipients…

“vMobile learning is, after all, about the mobility of learning, and not merely the mobility of technology, which is a different thing altogether; but how we achieve that mobility of learning must consider the context of the learning, and not just the use of mobile technology, if it is to achieve its full potential.”.

Some of the attached comments to the post are also interesting: “Best practices and quality resources in online learning are full of interactive activities that engage the learner; many educators are going nuts over the ability to “walk around” in virtual 3D worlds in SecondLife. Yet mobile learning can provide the ultimate in interactivity, with learners engaging and interacting with the real world; and the ultimate in 3D worlds in this “FirstLife”, with textures, smells, and feedback that aren’t even a remote possibility in virtual ones. Shouldn’t we be using those opportunities?”.

It’s worth noting that the post was made in response to some observations made by Stephen Downes. A good example of the blogosphere stimulating debate.

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By Raju Rishi

Nice article which brings forward the issue of communicating with todays mobile student in terms of communicating according to their (busy) lifestyle dictates.

“Understanding the impact that time-and-place shifting has on students’ preferred communication channels and their priorities will help colleges and universities claim space on their students’ busy communication radar.”

It does assume that the majority of students have mobile phones though…

Web Link

“Early Adopters of Mobile Internet Tend to be Males and Under the Age of 35″.

“The study reveals that 5.7 million people in the U.K. used a mobile device to access the Web during January 2007 compared to the 30 million people age 15 or older who accessed the Web from a PC (either a home or a work machine).”.

“Gender is also an influencing factor. The study reveals that 63 percent of Mobile Web users in the U.K. are male, compared to 54 percent of PC Internet users. “.

Source: comScore