m-Learning: Positioning educators for a mobile, connected future

Abstract

Mobile learning is variously viewed as a fad, a threat, and an answer to the learning needs of time-poor mobile workers, so does it have a place in delivering ‘mainstream’ learning? Based on a 2005 comparative research project, commissioned by the Australian Flexible Learning Framework, the paper reports on research into web-based information about the use of mobile technologies for commerce and learning, which was then tested through 29 interviews with manufacturers of mobile devices, businesses and education providers. The research found that mobile technologies were in common use in some commercial sectors but use purely for learning was rare. However m-learning lends itself to new methods of delivery that are highly suited to the ‘just enough, just in time, and just for me’ demands of twenty-first century learners.

Keywords

• Communications
• demand
• flexible learning
• m-learning
• m-technology
• online learning