M-learning Totally Explained

Everything about M-learning totally explained

M-learning, or "mobile learning", now commonly abbreviated to "mLearning", has different meanings for different communities. Although related to e-learning and distance education, it's distinct in its focus on learning across contexts and learning with mobile devices. One definition of mobile learning is: Learning that happens across locations, or that takes advantage of learning opportunities offered by portable technologies.
The term covers: learning with portable technologies, where the focus is on the technology (which could be in a fixed location, such as a classroom); learning across contexts, where the focus is on the mobility of the learner, interacting with portable or fixed technology; and learning in a mobile society, with a focus on how society and its institutions can accommodate and support the learning of an increasingly mobile population that isn't satisfied with existing learning methodologies.

History

1970s and 1980s Alan Kay and colleagues in the Learning Research Group at Xerox Palo Alto Research Center [PARC] propose the Dynabook as a book-sized computer to run dynamic simulations for learning. Their interim Dynabooks are the first networked workstations.

1990s Universities in Europe and Asia develop and evaluate mobile learning for students. Palm corporation offers grants to universities and companies who create and test the use of mobile learning on the PalmOS platform. Palm Education Pioneers project.

2000s The European Commission funds the major multi-national MOBIlearn and M-Learning projects.
Companies were formed that specialise in three core areas of mobile learning.

Authoring and publishing
Delivery and Tracking
Content Development

Conferences and trade shows were created to specifically deal with mobile learning and handheld education, including: mLearn, WMUTE, and IADIS Mobile Learning international conference series, ICML in Jordan, Mobile Learning in Malaysia, Handheld Learning in London, SALT Mobile in USA.

Growth

Over the past ten years mobile learning has grown from a minor research interest to a set of significant projects

in schools, workplaces, museums, cities and rural areas around the world. The mLearning community is still fragmented, with different national perspectives, differences between academia and industry, and between the school, higher education and lifelong learning sectors.
Current areas of growth include:

Testing, surveys, job aids and just in time learning

Location-based and contextual learning

Social-networked mobile learning

Mobile educational gaming

"Lowest common denominator" mLearning to cellular phones using two way SMS messaging and voice-based CellCasting (podcasting to phones with interactive assessments)

Scope

The scope of mobile learning includes:

Children and students using handheld computers, PDAs or handheld voting systems in a classroom or lecture room.

Students using mobile devices in the classroom to enhance group collaboration among students and instructors using a Pocket PC.

On the job training for someone who accesses training on a mobile device "just in time" to solve a problem or gain an update.

Learning in museums or galleries with handheld or wearable technologies

Learning outdoors, for example on field trips.

The use of personal technology to support informal or lifelong learning, such as using handheld dictionaries and other devices for language learning.

Improving levels of literacy, numeracy and participation in education amongst young adults.

To provide audiovisual support in order to enhance training that has been provided in a corporate business or other classroom environment.

Challenges

Technical challenges include:

Connectivity and battery life

Screen size and key size

Ability for authors to visualize mobile phones for delivery

Multiple standards, multiple screen sizes, multiple operating systems

Repurposing existing e-Learning materials for mobile platforms Social and educational challenges include:

Accessibility and cost barriers for end users: Digital divide.

How to assess learning outside the classroom

How to support learning across many contexts

Developing an appropriate theory of learning for the mobile age

Design of technology to support a lifetime of learning

Tracking of results and proper use of this information

Technologies

Most personal technologies can support mobile learning, including

Personal Digital Assistant, in the classroom and outdoors

Tablet PC UMPC mobile phone, camera phone and SmartPhone

Learning Mobile Author, for example for authoring and publishing WAP, J2ME and SmartPhone

Personal audio player, for example for listening to audio recordings of lectures

Handheld audio and multimedia guides, in museums and galleries

Handheld game console, modern gaming consoles such as Sony PSP or Nintendo DS/Wii

3GP For compression and delivery method of audiovisual content associated with Mobile LearningFurther Information

Get more info on 'M-learning'.

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