This document discusses using mobile devices like iPads, phones, and cameras for science learning. It provides examples of apps for collecting data, maps, photos, videos, and identifying flora and fauna. Additional apps support communicating concepts through images, diagrams, comics and digital stories. Apps also allow exploring physics, chemistry, biology, and space. Collecting and analyzing data can engage students and help evaluate their understanding. Citizen science projects and apps for collaboration and project-based learning are suggested.

1. Digital Toolbox for Mobile
Science Learning

2. Why go mobile?
• Engagement
• Connection with environment
• Students have the tools
• Great outdoor learning opportunities
• Extend camps and excursions
• Science is fun!

3. Mobile devices
• Digital camera
• Mobile phones
• Ipod touch
• Ipad

4. “Virtual Pedagogies for Contemporary
Teaching”
By Richard Olsen, Assistant Director of ideasLAB
• Connecting (eg. Content-based, Direct Instruction)
• Communicating (eg. Blogs and Digital portfolios)
• Collaborating (eg. web2.0 and personal learning
networks)
• Learning Collectively (eg. PBL, social learning and
Object-centered sociality)
http://www.ideaslab.edu.au/wp-
content/uploads/2011/06/Understanding-Virtual-
Pedagogies_CKC_ideasLAB.pdf

5. Apps for collecting data
Notes – text and numerical data
Camera – photos and video
Voice recorder – sounds and voice

6. Apps for maps and location
• Google maps
• Google Earth
• GPS

7. Apps for data collection
• Temperature & wind speed
• Elevation
• Lux meter
• Noise meter & Sound Measure
• Measure distance & land area
• Multi Measures – stopwatch,
seismometer, teslameter (magnetic
field), plumb bob, spirit level

8. Flora and Fauna apps
Museum Victoria’s “Field Guide to
Victorian Fauna”
Zoo’s Victoria “Act Wild”
Atlas of Living Australia

9. Connecting
• Remembering or Engaging?
• Many apps are ‘mobile textbooks’ , games or
‘drill and kill’ style of learning. These may be of
use for short periods of time, but you may like
students to try three or four and then ask them
to evaluate which was most beneficial for their
learning.
• “3D Brain”, “HowStuffWorks” and
“VideoScience” are similar to what you might
find on the web and with limited interactivity.

10. Communicating
• Engage and Explore
• Combine the use of a information app
with a quiz app like “Flashcardlet” for
students to create their own word bank
for definitions or quizzes.
• You can also search and save existing
flashcard sets that others have created.

11. Engage and Explore
• These free apps allow students to
explore the Aquarium and Museum
using images and information, like a
virtual excursion.
• The Museum Victoria’s Field Guide to
Victorian Fauna has photos and facts,
including distribution maps, of
invertebrates, amphibians, birds,
mammals, fish and reptiles. Use it to
identify animals in their environment.

12. Communication with Images
• Find creative commons images on “Flickr”
,“Getty Images” or search
http://creativecommons.org
• Take a screen shot and then crop the image
with “Crop Suey”.
• Annotate the image with “Etch Lite” eg.
Experimental equipment
• Draw diagrams with “Draw Free” or “Doodle
Buddy” eg. Water Cycle
• Images can be sent by email to the teacher or
to a “Posterous” blog.

13. • Students can use
“Draw Free” to create
diagrams to insert in
digital stories or email
their drawing to you
as an ‘exit slip’
•“What did you learn
today about
photosynthesis?”
• “Draw a labelled
diagram of how you
will set up the
equipment
tomorrow.”

14. Communication
• Use “Strip Designer” or
“Comic Touch” to annotate
images and create comics.
• “My Life as a Carbon Atom”
• “Journey down the Digestive
System”
• “How Rocks are Formed”

16. Explaining Biology
• Virtual dissections are
possible with the
iPad, for students
who are squeamish, if
you cannot obtain
specimens or for
practise prior to the
real thing.

17. Explaining Biology
• “Biology glossary” for definitions –
use to create flashcards for
definitions or as a class reference.
• “Skeletal Systems” and “Body
Systems” for learning bones, organs
and systems.
• “Charles Darwin’s writings”

18. Explaining Cells
• iCell has annotated diagrams of plant,
animal and bacterial cells (iPod only)
• 3D CellStain allows users to selectively
stain different organelles.
• Vcell has animations about
photosynthesis and the electron
transport chain.

20. Explaining Chemistry
• “The Elements – A Visual
Exploration” is a showcase app for
Apple ($19.99). It includes the
‘chemical song’, images and
information presented in an exciting
interactive format.
• Many other free apps are available
for exploring the periodic table.

22. Exploring with QR codes
• Use a mobile phone or iPad with a camera to scan a
“quick response” code, which is similar to a bar
code.
• It allows almost instant print to mobile to web
messaging, with the code directing the user to a
website.
• Information, such as names, addresses, phone
numbers and URL’s, are stored in the code, which
can hold up to 7,000 digits.
• There are web and mobile apps which generate QR
codes, so students can create their own codes.

23. QR codes to learn chemistry

24. Exploring and Explaining Physics
• “Decibels” allow you to measure
volume of sound.
• “Newton’s Cradle” demonstrates
Newton’s famous desk toy.

25. Physics Games
• There are plenty of games available
that are loosely based around
physics concepts
•Engaging for students, and perhaps
good starting points for discussion,
but I am doubtful about the learning
outcomes.

26. Exploring and Explaining Space
• Use these apps as an alternative
to textbooks or web browsing.
• The “NASA” and “3D Sun” apps
require an internet connection
for most of their content.

27. Explore and Explain data
• Analyse data using “Easy Chart HD”
• Use “Stickyboard” to collect data (pass
around the class) and compare results.
• Compare different stages with “LifeCycles” –
includes the water cycle, carbon cycle, rock
cycle and more.
• “Geotimescale” is an annotated history of
the earth with all the different geological
periods and important evolutionary events.

28. Explore and Explain
• Combine data about water
storage and consumption with
a graphing app to compare
and analyse water use in
different cities and states.
• Combine with “Maps” to
analyse data for different
latitudes.

29. Communicating what you know
• Use “Mindblowing” to create concept
maps.
• For example, “What do you know
about Simple Machines, Body
Systems or Electricity?”
• “WordCloud” for brainstorming text
and creating colourful word images.

30. Evaluating Understanding
• Use voice recording to assess
understanding of science processes,
experiments and demonstrations.
• “Dragon Dictation” turns voice into
text, with the ability to edit. Great
for reluctant and/or illegible writers

31. Evaluate Understanding
• Students can create their own images
and videos using pictures stored in the
device or Creative Commons images
clipped from the internet.
• They can annotate photographs or
other images from the Photo Album.
• Draw your own Water Cycle or diagram
of experimental equipment and save it,
email it or post it to a “Posterous” class
blog.

32. Evaluate Understanding
• Students can create their own digital stories
using text, images and audio.
• “Reel Director” is a movie making app using
your own videos or images from the Photo
Album and allows you to add your own audio,
including music from iTunes.
• “Show Me” allows you to create ‘Khan-style’
video clips using drawing and audio recording.

35. Communicating and Collaborating
• Puppet Pals
• Comic Life
• Strip Designer
• Toontastic
• StoryMaker
• StoryKit
• All apps for creating digital
stories.

36. Learning Collectively - PBL
• Sonic Pics
• Evernote
• iMovie
• Show Me
• Popplet
• FlipIt

37. Citizen Science
• Project Noah

38. Apps for Educators
• Apple iTunes Store has
a section “Apps for
Teachers” where you
can find classroom
tasks, curricula support,
instructional tools and
tools for personal
organisation and apps
for Reference.

39. Apps for Educators
• Multitudes of “productivity” apps for business and
teachers, including absences, test scores and student
and parent email addresses.
• Calendar can be used for timetable, meetings, holiday
dates.
• Australian Curriculum has English, History, Maths, and
Science Overview, Rationales, Aims and Organisational
structure.
• “Teacher Pal” allows you to set up classes and record
data for assessment and reporting.
• DropBox allows you to access and share files
(documents, images, videos) with different computers
and mobile devices.

40. More Apps for Teachers
• “Notes” is the pre-installed app where
you can take notes and send them
directly by email.
• You can install ‘bookmarklets’ on the
iPad to save links to your Diigo
account.
• “GoodReader” allows you to annotate
documents.