"e" or "M" learningThis is a featured page


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 is 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. In other words, mobile learning decreases limitation of learning location with the mobility of general portable devices.


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 is not satisfied with existing learning methodologies.

M-learning. (2008, September 28). InWikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 23:26, October 4, 2008, fromhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=M-learning&oldid=241554864

Opportunities

There are many additional factors driving the trend in mlearning, from business to cultural to technologies and just the need for people to be increasingly mobile. Accessiblity both physically (e.g. travelling to work/school) and mentality (between students, their networks, education, personal/family) are key to meeting the individual and organizational needs. Individual needs refer to students having access to context, information and each other (including the instructor). Individual needs also deals with staying connected, informed and being aware of whats going on. This will contribute to the students participation and how they will participate. Organisational needs can be seen as keeping up with the growing technological demands of society and how to prepare students to meet those demands.

Consider what mobile apps are useful for virtual worlds.

  • Handheld computers and pocket PC's
  • PDA's
  • Handheld Voting Systems
  • Cell phones
  • 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
  • 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.
  • There are currently over 700 applications available from Apple for iPhones and iPod touches, not to count the iTunesU store.

    What opportunities might there be for using mobile learning in virtual worlds?

    What are the benefits?

    M-learning has many advantages in the mobile world, in schools and workplace. In most countries, the mobile communications infrastructure expands a wider footprint than any other telecommunications network. It is also cheaper and more accessible than computers. Technology has made it possible to communicate over vast distances with a very wider audience, whether it be in the rural areas of the Carribbean or the hills of India. M-learning has reached out to many individuals who can now access learning materials at their own will regardless of their commitments.Other benefits include:^
  • Content is adaptable to meet individual needs
  • Easily accessible
  • Available in your pocket (unless you loose your phone)
  • More independent
  • Improved communications
  • No time constraints
  • Depending on where the item comes from there can e cost involved. eBooks come with a price just a normal book would.
  • Challenges What are the issues with mobile learning?Are there cost implications? What are the implications for virtual worlds?
    • More vulnerable to viruses and hackers
    • Connection costs can be expensive in areas where monopolies exist
    • Frequency interference with other devices (e.g. bluetooth, radio, wireless might be running on the same frequencies)
    • Require learner motivation
    Examples
  • To what types of learning has M-Learning been adapted?Consider how can they be used and/or how can we incorporate them into our teaching.

  • Projects

    m-Learningis a pan-European project funded by the European Commission under theEducation Area of the Information Society (IST) Programme. The three-year projectbegan in October 2001 with a programme co-ordinated by the Learning and SkillsDevelopment Agency (LSDA) in London. Participant organisations include universitiesand commercial companies based in three European Union countries: Ultralab and CTAD(Britain), CRMPA (Italy) and Lecando (Sweden).m-Learningharnesses mobile technologies to address three social/educational problemsspecifically relating to many young adults aged 16-24 in the European Union:
    • poor literacy/numeracy;
    • non participation in conventional education;
    • lack of access to web-enabled computers.

    Read the whole documentm-Learning support for disadvantaged young adults

    MOBIlearnis a worldwide European-led research and development project exploring context-sensitive approaches to informal, problem-based and workplace learning by using key advances in mobile technologies.

    The MOBIlearn project is based on an international partnership which includes well-known Universities and public bodies, mobile operators, leading European software and learning technologies companies, World-class mobile devices manufacturers, market analysis consultants, publishers and content providers. Those partners bring a real cross-disciplinary know-how, with expertise in pedagogy, adaptive interfaces, collaborative learning, context awareness, business modelling and e-learning technologies.

  • References
    Feel free to incorporate images, links, tools, ideas, thoughts.
    Add any papers, presentations, blogs, wikis and tools that you find useful.

    Useful Papers:
  • Chen, C.-M., & Hsu, S.-H. (2008). Personalized Intelligent Mobile Learning System for Supporting Effective English Learning.Educational Technology & Society,11(3), 153-180.
  • Farrell, M.J., Rose, L. (2008). Use of Mobile Handheld Devices in Clinical Nursing Education. Journal of Nursing Education47(1), 13-19.
  • Franklin, T., Sexton, C., Lu, Y., Ma, H. (2007). PDAs in Teacher Education: A Case StudyExamining Mobile Technology Integration.JI. of Technology and Teacher Education 15(1) ), 39-57
  • Zurita, G., Nussbaum, M. (2007). A conceptual framework based on Activity Theory formobile CSCL.British Journal of Educational Technology 38 (2),211-235
  • Son, C., Lee, Y. & Park, S. (2004). Toward New Definition of M-Learning. In G. Richards (Ed.),Proceedings of World Conference on E-Learning in Corporate, Government, Healthcare, and Higher Education 2004(pp. 2137-2140). Chesapeake, VA: AACE.


    Selected References Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M-learning"



    • MissAnnie
    MissAnnie     		Latest page update: made by MissAnnie , Aug 27 2009, 5:17 PM EDT (about this update About This Update MissAnnie Moved from: Teaching Spaces on EDTECH Island - MissAnnie

    No content added or deleted.
    - complete history)
    Keyword tags: None
    More Info: links to this page

    Threads for this page

    Anonymous  (Get credit for your thread)

    There are no threads for this page.  Be the first to start a new thread.