The prosperity of technology has turned almost every object in life into a computer-based known as ubiquitous computing. Microfocus reported there are over 4.4 billion internet users as of June 2019. This is not just a technology, Gartner reported the consumer segment has connected 5.2 billion units in 2017. This fact can be seen as a shift in the paradigm of life that everything is getting more automated or self-regulated. So does education. Ubiquitous computing led ubiquitous learning took place.

Ubiquitous learning or u-learning is a social product enabled by technology. The proposed definition of u-learning in this writing is the intentional efforts in the ubiquitous computing environment in order to fulfill human needs obtaining knowledge as a process of growth within the society. This writing emphasizes the basic human needs approach and technology affordances which create freedom of choice. Gron (2015), as technology becomes more invisible, pedagogy needs to make its practices visible offering practices that take into account the fundamental needs of modern society.

Intentional efforts of driving growth towards the desired state within society

Horne (1904) posited education is a perennial process of adjustment is higher for the creatures that have evolved physically, mentally free, and conscious of God as manifested in the environment, intellectual, emotional, and willingness of humans. Dewey (1915) stated education is a process of experience. Because life is growth, education means helping inner growth without being restricted by age. Dron and Anderson (2014) asserted education is inherently a social process. From the definitions by the experts mentioned, it can be perceived that as long as humans live, the social process sustains, and the demand for growth emerges. It is the natural drive humans were born with before familiar with computing. Now the computing is here, the conduit is found. In this respect, ubiquitous learning is a social product enabled by technology. It is highlighted the “in order to fulfill human needs obtaining knowledge as a process of growth within the society” in the definition proposed.

In the ubiquitous computing environment. The idea of ubiquitous computing as invisible computation was first articulated by Mark Weiser in 1988 at the Computer Science Lab at Xerox PARC. A central notion in the ubiquitous computing paradigm is to integrate computers seamlessly into everyday activities and physical environments (Sorby et al., 2010). Ubiquitous computing made possible access of anytime, anywhere and anyhow as long as the user connected to the technology.

Previous research has established that there are learners, content, and instructors within the education environment. What is striking about the definition proposed is the fulfillment of human needs which in the literature tends to be met in different ways. The different ways cause freedom for the who makes the efforts to choose who to interact with or without, in the involvement of the efforts. Freedom comes as a consequence of the ubiquitous computing affordances. Likewise, the why aspect has stated, the conduit is found. Thus the involvement within ubiquitous computing can be classified into five levels.

Proposed level of efforts in ubiquitous learning

The self-initiated human nature that meets the affordances of technology is what triggers the need for instructors and instruction as an option. From an educational point of view, this is like a double-edged sword. One end is liberating, the other end is deskilling. This is an era that must be both embraced and anticipated. If not careful, there will be a risk of researching and developing something that is eventually being anticipated. However, where there is anticipation, there is preparation. Followed by learning, and hopefully a raising endeavor. The spread of information technology encourages educational products to be more directed and qualified. This is what distinguishes education from accessing information. Although everyone who accesses information is not wrong to claim that they have learned something, it is tricky. Otherwise, the purpose of studying the instructional domain could be questionable.

Perceived as optional in the realm of free information, educators and instructional designers must not detach the pedagogical provisions. The creation of the embodied meaning, the ultimate goal of education, may benefit as much as possible from technology but may not excessively depend on it.

This principle is suggested to evade the textbook mentality as Professor Gee said in his lecture at the University of Foggia, Italy, September 9, 2013,

“Let's teach everything through games. And if we invent something tomorrow, it'll be let's teach everything through that, that's the textbook mentality.”

This could be interpreted that one must not carelessly go with the flow. To follow-through, there is an analysis that needs to be carried out before the design and development phase according to the ADDIE framework. Assessing which tools and methodologies to be networked to best fit the learning requirements.

Ubiquitous learning is part of education therefore it is part of society. Some of its affordances could threaten educators as well as instructional designers unless those practitioners are well equipped. The discovery of technology is to be grateful for, but immersed in its euphoria may obscure the existed social order in terms of standards, rules, and values due to the various maturity level among the people in the ubiquitous computing environment.

FURTHER WORK

There is abundant room for further progress in translating this view into practical and measurable initiatives especially to improve the quality of instructional design products and delivery in ubiquitous learning. For instance, an education department of a particular region or country can collect measurement from:

Data from communication service providers and communication and technology authorities:

Measurement examples

Data from the employment department or education department:

• % Competency increment in X field among adults within region/country
• % Adults master X competency within region/country

Data from the educational institution:

• % Institutions provide education through technology/education portal within region/country
• % Educators who share knowledge online within region/country
• % Access based on the geographical region

Then the related departments can assess how much or less the instructors and instructions intervention through technology impacts the increment of competency within such region/country.

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This writing is conducted as a requirement of passing the program e-Learning Ecologies: Innovative Approaches to Teaching and Learning for the Digital Age by University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Author: Sifra Sabathine Cani Saputra

Submission date: 22 November 2020

References:

• Microfocus (2019), How Much Data is Created on the Internet Each Day?, available at: https://blog.microfocus.com/how-much-data-is-created-on-the-internet-each-day/
• Gartner (2017), Gartner Says 8.4 Billion Connected "Things" Will Be in Use in 2017, Up 31 Percent From 2016, available at: https://www.gartner.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/2017-02-07-gartner-says-8-billion-connected-things-will-be-in-use-in-2017-up-31-percent-from-2016
• Gros (2015), The Dialogue Between Emerging Pedagogies and Emerging Technologies, available at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/281268835_The_Dialogue_Between_Emerging_Pedagogies_and_Emerging_Technologies
• Horne, H. H. (2017), The Philosophy of Education: Being the Foundations of Education in the Related Natural and Mental Sciences, available at: https://www.amazon.com/Philosophy-Education-Foundations-Related-Sciences/dp/1375752227
• Dewey (1997), Democracy And Education, available at: https://www.amazon.com/Democracy-Education-John-Dewey/dp/0684836319
• Dron and Anderson (2014), Teaching Crowds Learning and Social Media, available at: https://www.aupress.ca/books/120235-teaching-crowds/
• IGI Global (n.d), What is Ubiquitous Computing, available at: https://www.igi-global.com/dictionary/ubiquitous-computing/30811
• Sorby et al. (2010), The MOBEL Project: Experiences from Applying User-Centered Methods for Designing Mobile ICT for Hospitals, available at: http://doi:10.4018/978-1-60566-030-1.ch004
• Education at Illinois (2014), New Technologies, New Social Relationships and Learning, available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zq6h5_NUPB0