Where will OOKL work?
Can students use their own phones?
Our school already has pdas - can we use those?
Can we use the mobiles in any cultural venue?
Which students is it most relevant to?
Can our school tag objects?
How does OOKL connect to our VLE?
What if students create inappropriate content?
Can the phones be used to make phone calls or send texts
Do the phones have to be new or can we get recycled ones?
What evaluations of the service have taken place?
What type of mobile does it use?
Can we take our handsets abroad?
What does it cost?
Who bears the cost of moving data across the mobile network?
What is the standard contract period?
Who owns the handsets?
Can parents see what their children have created?

The OOKL experience is delivered over a mobile phone which will work anywhere there is mobile reception. Please check to make sure you have adequate coverage.
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OOKL requires a high end handset that very few students possess. The only way to ensure that all students are able to use the service is to have dedicated handsets.
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The quick answer is maybe. OOKL now works on some windows mobile devices so please contact us to discuss your specific requirements.
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Some cultural venues have tagged their content for use with OOKL. That is, you can visit the venue and use OOKL to learn more about their collections.

Many schools encourage their local venues to participate with OOKL (ie: tag their content so it's accessible to all students). If you'd like to work with a local venue do get in touch with us to discuss how. It's a great way to connect schools and cultural venues.
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The service is designed for Key Stage 1 and above. There is no upper limit.
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Yes, the service has the facility for teachers to choose objects and create content which the students can access.
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Individual objects (photos, sounds and text files) can be exported to a VLE. The ability to export an entire on-line presentation to a VLE will be coming soon.
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The service has various safety features to ensure that if inappropriate content is created that it is easy for teachers to remove. No content can leave the on-line classroom without being vetting by a teacher.
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The biggest concern teachers express is that students will make a long-distance call and the school will get billed for it. With OOKL students cannot use the phones to make calls (except 999) or send texts.
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Recycled phones (used but refurbished) work perfectly well - some students even prefer them. We also have a 'green-OOKL' service where parents can donate their handsets to the school (check with us how this works)
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There have been four independent reviews of OOKL by leading academics. The Department of Culture Media and Sport commissioned a year long study undertaken by Professor Mike Sharples of the University of Birmingham in 2006. Further studies were carried out by the Institute of Education, London Knowledge Lab and the National Maritime Museum. You can read more about them here.
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OOKL works on Nokia and Windows mobile smart-phones and PDA's. These are mass-market devices that are highly robust and familiar to all uses.
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Unfortunately, the contract with the mobile operators do NOT include international roaming. If you do use them abroad you will be recharged all roaming costs.
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You can get started for as little as £20/handset/month - probably less than what you spend on your personal mobile. Many schools start with 4 - 8 handsets and provide access to the web-space to all of their pupils.
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The standard solution is a flat-fee regardless of the number of users or how much they use it. There are no surprises.
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One year. Discounts apply for longer contracts. Ask us for more details.
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The handsets remain the property of OOKL and are returned at the end of the contract (unless otherwise agreed).
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Yes! The students can log on at home and show their parents what they have created.
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