Using mobile and pervasive technologies to engage formal and informal learners in scientific debate

In a climate of concern in the United Kingdom about a perceived loss of interest in science among schoolchildren and the general public, we consider the relationships that exist between science education and public engagement in science, and “formal” and “informal” learning contexts. The authors move on to describe four case studies drawn from our research, where mobile technologies have been used in ubiquitous ICT-based science-related learning activities. Three of these studies were of school based activities which took place in timetabled science lesson time. The fourth was set in Kew Gardens in London, during a holiday period, and involved leisure-time visitors of all ages. Finally, they describe a planned integrated trial, which will draw together “formal” and “informal” learners in environmental and scientific debate, scaffolding previous mobile learning experiences towards a genuinely multiplatform e-learning system.