Unearthing invisible buildings: device focus and device sharing in a collaborative mobile learning activity

Recent research has identified excessive device focus as a serious problem in collaborative mobile learning as it undermines key ideas of learners engaging with their co-learners in context-rich authentic settings. Various recommendations have been formulated to address device focus in the design of mobile learning technology and pedagogy and foster students’ engagement with both their peers and their environment. This paper describes how some of these recommendations have been implemented and extended in the design of Invisible Buildings, a mobile collaborative game-based activity for schoolchildren. It reports the results of an empirical evaluation of the learning experience with primary school children, focusing on students’ engagement with their social and physical context during learning activities, and providing insights into their behaviour and strategies with respect to device sharing. Findings broadly confirm the effectiveness of the implemented measures and show good student acceptance of the tools employed and the overall learning experience.