Using Gartner's Hype Cycle as a Basis to Analyze Research on the Educational Use of Ubiquitous Computing

Abstract

In this paper, Gartner Group's Hype Cycle is used as the basis for categorizing and analyzing research on the educational use of ubiquitous computing. There are five stages of the Hype Cycle: technology trigger, peak of inflated expectations, trough of disillusionment, slope of enlightenment, and plateau of productivity. The first decade of research on the educational use of mobile technology is divided in this paper into four stages: (i) a period of mobility and personal digital assistants; (ii) the era of wireless Internet learning devices; (iii) the introduction of social mobile media; and (iv) a ubiquitous future. In addition, three empirical case studies are used as examples of these developmental stages. These case studies demonstrate the diversity of contexts, methods, and technologies used, ranging from workplace to nature trail, from inquiry learning to collaborative knowledge building, and from PocketPCs to smartphones.