As is well known, the world of education, both in the form of traditional learning in the classroom and in the Distance Learning (DL) one, is constantly evolving. Thanks to the new technologies, indeed, the training experience is increasingly moving towards interaction not only between the learners, but also between the learners and the smart devices. Furthermore, the new technologies aim towards usability that has no limitations neither from the point of view of time, nor of the place.
Mobile learning aims at making educational courses available wherever you are.
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MOBILE LEARNING: A GENERAL DEFINITION
The mobile learning is a particular kind of learning, belonging to the macro set of micro-learning, which is born to be usable through any mobile devices: indeed, all the learning material is conceived, designed and developed to be available even on low resolution screens, such as those of the smartphones and tablets; moreover, it can take place anywhere, or at least at any place with an internet connection through which access the material to be viewed or downloaded.
It can be said, therefore, that mobile learning has the objective of making distance learning available not only from the PC and through the classic e-learning platforms, but from wherever you are.
Storia del mobile learning
La storia dell’apprendimento mobile, com’è facile intuire, è direttamente collegata a quella degli smartphone.
La creazione di questi ultimi ha infatti fornito al m-learning una piattaforma operativa che prima non esisteva (benché si parlasse di mobile learning sin dagli anni ’70 grazie ad Alan Kay).
La ricerca sul mobile learning è stata divisa in tre fasi: la prima si è concentrata sui dispositivi; la seconda sull’apprendimento fuori dalle classi; la terza sulla mobilità del discente.
La seconda fase, intorno al 2005 ha visto un grande incremento del numero di progetti con focus sugli effetti dell’apprendimento mobile come la motivazione, il coinvolgimento, il sostegno alle persone con esigenze speciali.
Mobile learning e microlearning
Com’è facile immaginare, l’evoluzione del mobile learning è andata di pari passo con la diffusione del micro-learning. Quest’ultima è infatti una tecnica di apprendimento che si esprime al meglio proprio sui dispositivi portatili.
THE FEATURES OF MOBILE LEARNING
Let’s find out the main characteristics of this new kind of distance learning (DL):
ANYTIME & ANYWHERE EDUCATION
The first characteristic of mobile learning is related to the fact that you are able to follow the courses wherever you are and whenever you want. Compared to the courses designed for LMS Software, in which the use of a PC is necessary, mobile learning courses are specifically designed and developed to be followed through the mobile devices.
MOBILE LEARNING HELPS LEARNERS WITH DISABILITIES
Thanks to the possibility to zoom the text, to use voice-transcription systems, to the geolocation technologies and the text-to-speech (TTS), it allows to reach higher number of people than the traditional classroom training.
MOBILE LEARNING SUPPORTS SEAMLESS LEARNING
Since both teaching materials and the information about the students’ progress are stored on remote servers, and not locally on the hard disk of a single device, the learners can access their educational material from different devices, how and when they need it.
MOBILE LEARNING IMPROVES EDUCATION POSSIBILITIES
Mobile learning extends the educational opportunities for those users who, for different reasons, cannot have access to external institutions; it creates students’ communities within companies; it allows to reacha higher number of people than the traditional classroom training.
Mobile learning: approcci
In classe
Il mobile learning per classe (o un qualsiasi altro tipo di spazio formativo) prevede la combinazione di smartphone, tablet e altri dispositivi. Può essere di supporto sia per la didattica in presenza che per quella a distanza.
Classe fisica
Nelle classi fisiche i dispositivi mobile possono essere impiegati per potenziare la collaborazione, l’interazione e, in generale, l’apprendimento degli studenti.
La tecnologia mobile può sostituire sia materiali classici come i libri di testo sia le presentazioni. Il vantaggio è che gli studenti possono interagire e manipolare le risorse in maniera diretta, senza mediazioni.
La possibilità di accedere in maniera on-demand permette di mantenere un continuum di formazione dentro e fuori la classe.
Teledidattica
Le tecnologie mobile possono essere impiegate anche in ambiente online con grande successo.
I servizi di messaggistica favoriscono l’interazione fra studenti e insegnanti, nonché all’interno del corpo studentesco.
La possibilità di fuire della formazione in qualsiasi momento è inoltre di particolare vantaggio per i lavoratori con poco tempo.
MOBILE LEARNING IN BUSINESS CONTEXT
In the business context, mobile learning could bring many advantages both for the company and for its employees:
- Flexibility: the employees would have the chance to choose the moments in which follow the courses, being available always and everywhere;
- Cost cut: the company would reduce the costs related to training. In fact, mobile learning courses are less expensive than organizing workshops;
- Possibility of verification: to verify that the personnel correctly carries out the proposed training, the company can prepare quizzes or checks.
Mobile learning is one of the new e-learning trends for this 2019. To find out what are the others please read our article “The new trends in e-learning“.