Learning on the Move

Posted on August 10, 2007 by David Gray

The media frenzy and hoopla surrounding the unveiling of Apple's iPhone has been extraordinary. I cannot recall any mobile device launch that has inspired a remotely equivalent amount of hype and interest. Come to think of it, when was the last time that any single product enjoyed the kind of pre-release buildup enjoyed by the iPhone? A few days ago, I got to take a relative's new iPhone for a short test drive. In many respects, it truly is a groundbreaking device, though I currently regard it mainly as a consumer device rather than a business tool.

Still, the iPhone's release to market is another clear indication of the staying power of the related trends of mobility, convergence, and miniaturization. The considerable power and functionality that can now be packed into a relatively small, lightweight device is at the very least noteworthy; some might even use the term "incredible." What, if anything, do these trends and their product manifestations (iPhones, smartphones, Blackberries, PDAs, etc.) mean to higher education institutions? In what is best described as an offshoot of eLearning, many are now starting to talk about "mLearning," with the "m" referring to "mobile." EDUCAUSE, the association that represents the interests of higher education IT professionals, has been building a repository of information about mLearning and mobility. Communities of interest in mLearning have launched web sites such as mLearnopedia and the European Community's MOBIlearn project. A quick visit to either of these sites will quickly reveal the decidedly international flavor and interest in this topic.

But, there are critical questions worth raising. How much can people learn from small form factor devices with inherently limited screen real estate and with limited, albeit improving, functionality? Are there constraints to the kinds of content and/or pedagogical techniques that can be employed via these mobile devices? Should these devices be seen as adjuncts or complements within an e-learning "technology suite," or could they function as the whole suite? Will it be necessary (and affordable) for institutions to create and maintain distinctly different learning content/object sets for different technology platforms? These are great questions to ponder by faculty, students, instructional technologists, and administrators. Each of these groups will come at these questions from different, but valid, angles. As we form answers and, yes, more questions, we need to remain cognizant of the reality that the mobile technology landscape is ever shifting. With the given of expanding technology capabilities, what kinds of functional improvements or new features would make mLearning more viable? For those who have firsthand experience with mLearning, your thoughts would be particularly welcome.