Mobile learning (m-learning) is new but it is growing in visibility and significance. There are four types of learning systems which include the mobile learning after conventional, instructional and electronic learning. For the purpose of the study, mobile learning which also known as ‘m-learning’ is defined as ‘using mobile and wireless technologies to support students in a blended learning environment’. Mobile learning also can be defined as ‘any educational provision where the sole or dominant technologies are handheld or palmtop devices'. This definition means that mobile learning could include mobile phones, smartphones, personal digital assistants (PDAs) and their peripherals, perhaps tablet PCs and laptop PCs but not desktops in carts and other similar solutions.
Besides, the practice of mobile learning currently exploits both handheld computers and mobile phones. Mobile learning covers the delivery and support of learning using mobile phones and in the last five years, mobile phones have steadily assumed a place in further and higher education in USA, Far East/Pacific Rim and UK, supporting distance learners and part-time students. As the distance education started more and more proliferating, it had to make more and more use of information communication technology (ICT). In fact it has already crossed a stage wherein ICT became an indispensable part of distance education. This is true from 3rd generation of distance education onwards. Thus the wedlock of distance education and ICT has been already endorsed and is universally accepted.
Other than that, the usage of ICT is also proceeding towards maturity starting its journey from print and audio to intelligent computerized system. E-mail and discussion forums are used exhaustively nowadays. ICT not only has its implications for developmental and academic activities, but also a crucial role to perform in operational activities. When it comes to the options in ICT, there have been discussions on possible usage of mobile learning as a step ahead of e-learning. If one looks into the
comparative figures of users of Internet and mobile, it can be understood that mobile could be the best possible media for communicating quick and small chunks of information to the learners.
Table from the study :
Effectiveness of Mobile Learning in Distance Education
The mobility of media with the user without much technological pre-requisites is a crucial aspect of the mobile which goes much ahead of Internet. This particular aspect has tremendous implications in operational activities of distance education. Mobile learning has lot of potential for quick and wide reaching out to the geographically wide-spread learners, even though they have no Internet connectivity. As for the conventional classroom learning, it has certain weaknesses. Based on a survey’s result from two hundred undergraduate students on the problems faced in conventional classrooms, specific mobile learning applications are being developed for students and instructors which could be used on a Pocket PC, notebook and mobile phone. A variety of instructional application have been provided such as classroom chat room, collaborative text editor, synchronization of power point slides, accessing on line courseware on a mobile device, sending and receiving feedback, email and accessing to remote computing resources. The system allows the instructor to give on line assessments in class, which are graded instantly and the learning objects are proposed to keep track of learning activity effectively.
Similar to e-Learning, mobile technologies can also be interfaced with many other media like audio, video, the Internet, and so forth. Mobile learning is more interactive, involves more contact, communication and collaboration with people. The increasing and ubiquitous use of mobile phones provides a viable avenue for initiating contact and implementing interventions pro-actively. For instance, Short Message Service (SMS) is highly cost-effective and very reliable method of communication. It is less expensive to send an SMS than to mail a 7reminder through regular postal mail, or even follow-up via a telephone call. Besides SMS, distance learners can use mobile phones/ MP3 players to listen to their course lectures, and for storage and data transfer. Today the more and more rapid development of the ICT contributes to the increasing abilities of the mobile devices (cell phones, smart phones, PDAs, laptops) and wireless communications, which are the main parts of the mobile learning. On the other hand for the implementation of mobile learning it is necessary to use a corresponding system for the management of such type of education.
When people are using the laptop while walking, it is not classified as a mobile learning but then it is a mlearning when they are using it in a static place or maybe in a car (environment factor). This example was given by Mr Tg Norazlan during Computer in Education’s class yesterday so I include it together here.
Below are the references that you can refer to :
http://www.iadis.net/dl/final_uploads/200506C018.pdf
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