South Thames College

Year 1: Mobile Inclusion: using mobile technology to fight gang and gun culture 2007/2008

This Phase 1 project equipped young learners with mobile technology tools to capture digital images that reflect the main objectives of a broader project designed to tackle gun and knife crimes and gang culture among young people in south London. Individuals and groups used mobile technology in locations and in activities that are directly involved in gang culture. The mobile project linked real time and real location sounds and images to professional production facilities which contributed to end of year performances and screenings.

To meet national and local priorities, the project exploited the use of mobile technology with the aims to enhance the engagement of young people in their education by developing autonomous and collaborative personalised learning, to augment the broader project on reducing gun and knife crime and gang culture, enhance links between educational institutions including development of special diplomas, develop learning materials and provide a source of best practice for wider dissemination.

The end result of the project saw access to borough-wide MLE to share assignment documentation, research, schedules, logs and blogs, personal research through the Internet, instant sharing and capturing of ideas through interviews during field trips.  Text and email contact with schools, colleges & social/public service agencies abroad for case study research. Peer/ teacher/ industry evaluation and dissemination of materials produced to other institutions and to spread awareness amongst target (youth) groups.

The project increased retention and raised success rates for the learners on the programme and mobile technologies provided motivation, flexibility and methods of learning that would not normally be available.  It improved learner response to the curriculum and has direct links to the issue of crime among young people.