Unearthing Invisible Buildings: Device Focus and Device Sharing in a Collaborative Mobile Learning Activity

Recent research has identified excessive focus on the mobile device itself as a serious problem in mobile learning. Various recommendations have been formulated for the design of mobile learning technology and pedagogy to reduce device focus and foster students ' engagement with peers and with 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