What is MOBILE LEARNING?
Mobile Learning (ML) is ‘anywhere, anytime’ learning made possible by portable, internet-enabled devices.
ML extends the boundaries of the traditional classroom and uses online tools and applications to create a Blended Learning (BL) environment that promotes student-centered, personalized learning experiences that increase “student control over the time, place, path, and/or pace of learning" (Christensen Institute, 2019). ML is an optimization of BL and "offers an opportunity to rethink how teachers teach and students learn" (TNTP, 2014)
To learn more about Blended Learning click the button below.
ML extends the boundaries of the traditional classroom and uses online tools and applications to create a Blended Learning (BL) environment that promotes student-centered, personalized learning experiences that increase “student control over the time, place, path, and/or pace of learning" (Christensen Institute, 2019). ML is an optimization of BL and "offers an opportunity to rethink how teachers teach and students learn" (TNTP, 2014)
To learn more about Blended Learning click the button below.
Mobile Learning Pedagogy
Figure 1: Kearneya, Schucka, Burdenb, & Aubusson, 2012)
There are three distinctive features of ML Pedagogy, pictured in Figure 1, that mirror and optimize BL Pedagogy: personalisation, authenticity, and collaboration (Kearneya, Schucka, Burdenb, & Aubusson, 2012). ML shifts away from teacher-led, direct instruction to student-centered, inquiry-based instruction, where students have agency in their own learning process.
In this model of ML, technology is important to support pedagogy; to support teaching and learning. The use of mobile devices in the face-to-face classroom “enables and even encourages students to multitask, collaborate, and teach each other - all skills professionals practice daily in the modern workplace” (McQuiggan et al., 2015, para. 1). A mobile device “being ready at hand, being able to support artifact construction, as well as artifact viewing, and being able to access the internet on the go” (Norris & Soloway, 2015, p. 16), is the ideal means to effectively create a 1:1 computing environment that is particularly well suited to support ML Pedagogy.
Research suggests that ML will provide a flexible conceptual framework for educators to develop curricular content and resources that will create learning experiences that focus on student engagement, collaborative learning, and authentic learning (Grant et al., 2015). All of which are hallmarks of deeper learning necessary for students to gain and retain the knowledge and critical skills required for future success.
In this model of ML, technology is important to support pedagogy; to support teaching and learning. The use of mobile devices in the face-to-face classroom “enables and even encourages students to multitask, collaborate, and teach each other - all skills professionals practice daily in the modern workplace” (McQuiggan et al., 2015, para. 1). A mobile device “being ready at hand, being able to support artifact construction, as well as artifact viewing, and being able to access the internet on the go” (Norris & Soloway, 2015, p. 16), is the ideal means to effectively create a 1:1 computing environment that is particularly well suited to support ML Pedagogy.
Research suggests that ML will provide a flexible conceptual framework for educators to develop curricular content and resources that will create learning experiences that focus on student engagement, collaborative learning, and authentic learning (Grant et al., 2015). All of which are hallmarks of deeper learning necessary for students to gain and retain the knowledge and critical skills required for future success.
Below is a short YouTube video about Mobile Learning, created during the Online Learning and Teaching Diploma (OLTD) graduate work. It gives a quick summary of what Mobile Learning is and touches upon the benefits of Mobile Learning in education.
Mobile Learning Considerations
ICT and ML initiatives are not more widely implemented and have not had long-term success in the education system, as seen in the social and business sectors, because there are 3 key considerations of ML that are often overlooked in the instructional design and planning process. These areas must be examined and discussed prior to curriculum development to meaningfully inform ML initiatives and implementation:
Click the button below to access my discussion of the educational context needed for the successful implementation of ML Pedagogy in face-to-face classrooms. This information will also form an effective lens to view the benefits and current challenges of ML Pedagogy presented below and the potential impact it will have on student learning. The background information in these 3 areas is KEY in the development of comprehensive and effective ML curriculum and resources.
- Pedagogy
- School Culture and Professional Development
- ICTs and Infrastructure
Click the button below to access my discussion of the educational context needed for the successful implementation of ML Pedagogy in face-to-face classrooms. This information will also form an effective lens to view the benefits and current challenges of ML Pedagogy presented below and the potential impact it will have on student learning. The background information in these 3 areas is KEY in the development of comprehensive and effective ML curriculum and resources.
Benefits and Challenges of Mobile Learning in Face-to-Face Classrooms |
Mobile Learning is a multi-faceted area of education and while there are numerous benefits to student learning and instructional practice, there are also many challenges that impede successful and meaningful implementation in the face-to-face classroom. Below are the summarized benefits and challenges of Mobile Learning that I've collected through an extensive literature review as part of the M.EdL Process Paper.
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Banner photo by Ales Nesetril on Unsplash
