Index

Mobile Learning for the future

The same principles might be applied to the field of educational technology. Hock contends that the underpinning of management of the future – and we would contend of the future of educational technology in Australia – is ‘ to master four ways of looking at things: as they were, as they are, as they might become, and as they ought to be’ (1999, p133)


We live in a mobile society, we are always moving: travelling to work, back home, on trips, events, conferences, for pleasure, on holiday. How easy is it for learners to learn while mobile? Learning while mobile is not a new idea; the book is an ideal mobile learning “technology”. It is portable, requires no power, can be used individually or in small groups; and is relatively cheap.

There are many mobile devices and most people have more than one. From phones, PDAs to mp3 players like the ubiquitous iPod. People use these devices to communicate, for entertainment, for information. It is an entirely logical step to start using these devices for learning; in the same way that we now use computers and television for learning.

Worldwide market share of mobile devices is increasing, eclipsing traditional computer ownership. There are over four billion cellphone users worldwide, while there are only around 800 million computer owners. The smartphone market is set to exceed computer users by 2014 when the smartphone market is expected to reach 30% of the worldwide cellphone market (Hendery, 2009).

It was the launch of 3G in 2001 that changed the mobile phone, from purely a communication device to a connected device that would allow us to use our phone for information, entertainment and learning. The phone has become so much more than just a phone, it is now in many ways a mini handheld computer, but unlike the humble PDA, it is a connected
computer, one that can talk to other computers from across the world. With the advent of GPS in phones, we now have powerful devices that are location aware. These powerful tools are enabling our learners to be able to access information, facts, more quickly and easily and wherever they want to do it. The ability to use a phone to communicate other than through voice enables learners to access other learners, their teachers and experts.

Now in 2009, over five billion songs and 1.5 billion iPhone applications have been downloaded from the iTunes store. The majority of our students now own at least a cameraphone capable of mobile blogging, recording and uploading video to YouTube, email, and browsing the Internet. Smartphones have matured into feature-rich miniature multimedia computers, including features such as HSPA connectivity (3.6 Mb/s and higher wireless mobile broadband connectivity), built in virtual or physical keyboards for easy text entry, a high resolution digital still and video camera, a GPS, high capacity memory storage (now 8 Gb and higher is standard), high resolution touchscreen user interfaces, and a wide variety of preinstalled
and downloadable applications that integrate with Web 2.0 social software.

The web has been with us for some time, the mobile web is a relatively new phenomenon. As I said previously, it was the launch of 3G in 2001 that changed the mobile phone, from purely a communication device to a connected device that would allow us to use our phone for information, entertainment and learning. 3G also freed the laptop, allowing users to access the internet at any time and any place. 3G speeds have increased from a respectable 384Kbps (well respectable compared to GPRS) to in the UK speeds of 7.2Mbps in metropolitan areas. Outside learning, the mobile internet has exploded7 and we have
seen a massive increase in the use of 3G. When I first used 3G in June 2004, I was paying GB£100 per month, now you can get 3G for just GB£10 per month.

As Nielsen has outlined8:
The mobile media landscape is primed for accelerated growth. Smartphone sales are predicted to lead the way, accounting for nearly half of worldwide sales by 2013. Mobile consumers around the world weigh in on the features, functions and data applications they find most desirable. The key driver of mobile growth is good devices and fast, affordable data.

Mobile web technologies have transformed the ways in which people communicate, share and create. Web 2.0 may be the way in which we describe this, but it is the mobile web which is powering the growth of Web 2.0. These technologies allow for the creation and development of the social web, but also provide wonderful opportunities for the learning web.

As Nielsen state9:
Stateside, social networking drove the growth train for mobile Internet, with a 187% increase in audience for the year ending July 2009. The distribution of 18.3 million unique social network users by the top three sites is Facebook (26% reach), MySpace (13% reach) and Twitter (7% reach).

The leading longitudinal study11 of drop-out found that learners who felt well-informed about their courses were less likely to withdraw. In the past we may have used the post and the telephone. Today we are more likely to be using SMS, Twitter or Facebook. Keeping students informed does improve retention. Today, one option is using the communication tools that our learners are using.

The mobile technologies available now allows for the enriched and enhanced learning experiences where, when and with whom the learner wishes. You can say true mobile learning is about the mobility of the learner, the learner choosing when, where and with whom to do their learning.
As well as accessing learning in the classroom, the lecture theatre and the library, a learner should be able to access learning elsewhere in the institution or on the campus. They need to be able to access that learning using a device of their choosing; whether that be an institutionally provided device or a user owned technology.

Learners need to be able to access learning in their social spaces, such as coffee shops. It is in these places that social learning and collaborative learning can take place. Sometimes people believe that mobile learning is an individual activity. Mobile technologies, 3G and wifi allow groups of learners to work together in a mutually convenient location, such as a cafe.
There are many opportunities for learners to access learning wherever they are, connectivity and mobile devices allow learners to access learning as we have already seen when travelling, but also when waiting or queuing.

A learner learning at home may not be considered by many to be mobile learning but the learner is making that choice about how, where and when they want to learn. They may have chosen to come to the institution, they may have chosen to meet with their peers in the library, or a café, and however, they have chosen to learn at home. Mobile does not necessarily always mean moving.

Employers will welcome a truly mobile learner, able to access learning at a time and place to suit both the learner and the employer. A learner able to access learning at the workplace can save on travel costs and make it easier for employers to “release” employees for learning opportunities.

We live in a world of change, a world which the traditional limitations of time and geography no longer apply.

The question we have to ask though is the institutions which work with learners are they able to change, are they able to change fast enough.