e-wot?

Nokia has launched a service, Mobiledu, that enables people in China to download English lessons using their mobile phones.

The story first emerged in the Wall Street Journal on Monday. They explain:

“The service, which includes both audio- and text-based lessons, aims to capitalize on China’s enormous language-learning market, which has been growing quickly as Chinese embrace global business and prepare for an influx of foreign visitors during next year’s Olympic games in Beijing.” link

The report goes on to point out that China’s fast-growing market for language learning is expected to be valued at $3.9 billion annually by 2010, citing estimates in a Lehman Brothers report in February. China has 480 million mobile phone users.

Nokia will charge users about US$0.26 per download for the audio and text-based lessons. In addition to mobile language training, Mobiledu will provide career tips and ‘how tos’, shifting the focus away from learners in schools and on to working adults and adopting an “anytime, anywhere” learning mode.

Nokia has partnered with China’s English language teaching organisation New Oriental Education & Technology Group Inc in this project. New Oriental runs China’s biggest chain of English learning and test-preparation schools. StreetInsider.com reveals:

“Michael Yu, New Oriental’s chairman and chief executive, said in an interview that the lessons his company has supplied to Mobiledu fit easily into cell phone learning. They include audio clips to improve oral English and text-based lessons on grammar and sentence structure, rather than graphics-heavy materials that often are required for test- preparations.” link

StreetInsider goes on to quote Joseph Kauffman, New Oriental’s assistant vice president for business development, who admitted:

“Mobiledu won’t boost New Oriental’s revenue much in the next three years, but that joining the service was a strategic decision. “We’re looking into the future. One day, people will be using phones as a learning tool, rather than a mobile phone,” he said.”

A spokesman from Nokia was quoted as saying that Mobiledu “is a Chinese service at the moment, but there is no limitation”.

click for Nokia launches English learning mobile service

Almost 80% of corporations believe Web 2.0 has the potential to increase revenues, says Economist Intelligence Unit. Here are five points from their press release:

1. Customers are helping to develop and support products. Nearly 60% of the surveyed companies say that they are inviting customers to contribute content that explains, supports, promotes or enhances their products, or that they plan to do so within the coming two years. About half of companies say they are, or are planning to, treat customers as co-developers of products that are in a constant state of improvement.
2. Ease of acquiring and supporting customers provide the biggest financial benefits. Most companies cited marketing and sales as an area where Web 2.0 could help to increase revenues, primarily through customer acquisition and service. Web 2.0 technologies were seen as a way to reduce costs in the areas of customer support, advertising and public relations, and product/service innovation.
3. Early adopters are to be found in many countries and industries. Companies based in the US, Germany, China, India and the UK are among the early adopters of Web 2.0 tools and methods, according to the survey. The top early-adopter industries are entertainment and media, technology, travel and tourism and professional services.
4. The C-suite is more enthusiastic than lower-level executives. A full 85% of C-suite executives see the sharing and collaboration aspects of Web 2.0 as an opportunity to increase revenue and/or margins, versus 75% of middle management. The C-suite is also more inclined to view Web 2.0 as transformative, affecting all parts of the business (35% versus 28%) and having a significant impact on the company’s business model (41% versus 22%).
5. CFOs are the most skeptical about the potential of Web 2.0. Compared to CEOs and the rest of the C-suite, CFOs lag in understanding and support of Web 2.0 initiatives. CFOs are less likely to view Web 2.0 as transformative, less likely to think that it will affect all parts of the business, and less likely say that it will change the company’s business model. They are also less optimistic than their C-suite peers about Web 2.0’s potential to increase revenue and margins.

What, no early adopters in education?
click for Web 2.0 EIU Press Release

The Economist Intelligence Unit finds that a strong government role in promotion and adoption of ICT has helped propel Asian countries upward in the rankings.

“Denmark and the US retain their number one and two spots in the rankings (with Sweden also tied for 2nd), but Hong Kong (4th), Singapore (6th), South Korea (16th), Taiwan (17th) and Japan (18th) have experienced a boost in 2007 in both scores and ranks. This is due in no small part to their governments’ vision and commitment in pushing digital development, and to continued progress in adoption of broadband and other advanced infrastructure.”

click for EIU 2007 e-readiness rankings

I went to the Xmedia Labs conference ‘Learning from Games’ today. Some interesting bits.

Superstar game developer Noah Falstein gave some great insights into Serious Gaming. He showed us a game where kids with cancer learn about their illness, and the effects of chemotherapy on their bodies, by playing a cool game where they run around a virtual body killing cancer cells.

Deb Polson showed the great things they were doing in Melbourne at the Australian Centre for Interaction Design She showed us a location-based learning game for kids which integrated various technologies around a treasure hunt activity in Melbourne’s city centre.

Caryl Shaw gave us a demo of Will Wright’s much anticipated Spore click for YouTube video

But for me the best bit was Nokia’s Jyri Salomaa talking about how they will offer Nokia’s platform as open source. I reckon Nokia will start something big in mobile learning soon in Asia. Watch this space.