What is The Purpose of Mobile Learning?
Many of us may have practiced mobile learning in one form or another, and we don’t realize it, but it has already happened if you’ve used your mobile phone to get movies, or maps, or to choose price lists, spending routes, or calories, and to send and receive e-mail or text messages, as well as when sending Tweeter messages, or when updating your Facebook page.
In general, this happens when the mobile phone is used to assist in the activities of daily life, as it is considered a tool for learning.
Mobile Learning
In contrast to traditional forms of e-learning, mLearning is a new approach for many e-learning practitioners. This includes people who are new to e-learning, and other people who are using e-learning at this time.
This is because people often do not realize that mLearning has become practically possible and one of the most familiar and e-learning methods.
Mobile learning is still in its infancy when compared to other traditional e-learning methods. It will take some time to become a standard form of e-learning.
What is mobile learning?
The term “mobile” refers to the learner, not to the device. People are constantly on the move and they use mobile devices to help them in their lives and work to learn when they want.
When people are not familiar with educational activities, it is possible to think of existing mobile technologies for use in mobile learning.
Mobile learning anywhere and everywhere
Desktop PCs are no longer the main means of connecting to the Internet. The situation has changed a lot now and multiple means are used for this purpose. Starting from the year 2010, the rates of using mobile phones and other browsing equipment became much more than desktop computers and other computers to connect to the Internet.
In 2009 there are 4 billion mobile phone users worldwide. This represents 60% of people around the world who use mobile phones. This is according to the CTIA wireless industry survey conducted in December 2009. There are 285 million Americans who are mobile phone subscribers, which is 90% of the total population in the United States.
In general, the use of mobile telephone services is increasing, while fixed line telephone services are decreasing. Statistics from the US Bureau of Labor show that mobile telephone service expenditures have now exceeded the population’s fixed-line telephone service expenditures.
The potential of mobile phones enhance the mobile learning style
Most modern mobile phones have the capabilities and computational powers that computers have these days, and many of them can record some information about communications, and enable text messages to be sent, and many of them have special cameras installed, and they can send and receive pictures. It can record and transmit audio and video. It also contains programs for browsing the Internet and applications for connecting to social networking services such as Twitter, and using e-mail, in addition to games that have become popular.
Some mobile phones can store e-books, audio books, and music files. Some of them provide navigation services and other services and capabilities such as GPS geographical location service. Some modern mobile phones contain touch screens, accelerometers, and the ability to access data faster (3G and 4G devices). In addition to the spread of cellular networks such as WiFi services, which have a wide range of applications that can be used for a wide range of purposes.
Mobile Internet access implies obtaining required information, and sometimes mobile Internet access is used to give or provide information. A Pew’s Research Center report states that 20% publish content online using phones and mobile devices. Increasingly, ubiquitous small mobile devices allow us to stay connected, share information, and consume information as required.
And as the capabilities of these devices expand exponentially, so will their potential as tools for learning. We hope this short introduction has given you insights into the many ways these mobile devices have become, and what they can represent when used as tools for learning.
Mobile learning history outline. Source (infographic labs)
Types of learning used in mobile learning
They typically think of stand-alone lessons that learners can use on their mobile phones. The following table summarizes most of the types of learning that mobile devices can be used for, and provides a description of them and the technologies used with them:
