Mobile Learning

Mobile Learning (M Learning)

Picture courtesy of http://theconversation.com/

Mobile learning is the trend of on the go learning by taking advantage of using a portable tablet or phone to access learning material. There is no need to be confined to a desktop computer to complete your studies.  The convenience of accessing your coursework from multiple electronic devices, allows the learner to budget their time wisely.  Communication between instructors and peers have increased due to the ease of on the go social apps like Facebook to exchange valuable information.

Additional advantages of mobile learning are stronger retention rates and higher performance ratings. (Jenkins, 2016) With M learning instructional design being engaging, learners look forward to participating and completing the required curriculum. Learners perform at a higher rate because the curriculum can conform to all learner’s style and speed of learning. The flexible learning allows the learner the opportunity to excel at their own pace without feeling the need to compete with other learners.

Notably, there are disadvantage to mobile learning that can hinder the movement to totally rely on this new trend of learning. For example, not all schools can afford to supply all their students with mobile devices. This limits under privileged schools the opportunity to move forward in this new learning curriculum.  Same goes for students that can bring in their own personal mobile devices for learning purposes. Not all students have funds to purchase mobile devices and would be at a disadvantage. Another issue would be policies and safety issue with mobile devices while on school grounds. The dilemma is how to remove third party trackers and how to implement rules on personal mobile devices. There are limited standards on how to avoid third party vendors from evading the privacy of student’s usage on mobile devices which poses a safety issue. The other dilemma is that school issued mobile devices can be fixed to cater to the school standards but personal mobile devices cannot be prepared in the same manner.  (Lynch, 2015)

In conclusion, with mobile learning having the capability to dissect the learning material into smaller segments, the learner can retain the information. This promotes learners to keep involved in the learning process and look forward to being an active participant in the classroom. Mobile learning affords the learner to be entertained with podcasts and other media outlets to motivate the learner to enjoy the curriculum. Allows the learner multiple electronic device options to access their assignments and provides an open line of communication to collaborate with peers through social media apps. Although, there are some safety and policy issues relating to mobile learning, the overall concept is a great way for students to have a new outlook on how fun learning can be.

References

Jenkins, J. (2016, 07 05). How Mobile Learning Benefits Employee Training Revolutionizes eLearning. Retrieved 01 15, 2017, from https://elearningindustry.com/6-mobile-learning-benefits-mobile-learning-revolution

Lynch, M. (2015, 03 31). Do Mobile Devices in the Classroom Really Improve Learning Outcomes? Retrieved 01 15, 2017, from http://theconversation.com/do-mobile-devices-in-the-classroom-really-improve-learning-outcomes-38740