BY STALIN PETER Mobile Learning Devices

INTRODUCTION What is mobile learning? What tools are classified as mobile learning? Where is M-learning being used? Effective use of m-learning devices? The future of m-learning in teaching and learning and potenial Topics:

M-learning Mobile learning. Any sort of learning that happens when the learner is not at a fixed, predetermined location, or learning that happens when the learner takes advantage of the learning opportunities offered by mobile technologies. Useful for collaborative projects and fieldwork Also referred as e-learning “lite”.

Technical required tools Mobile phones (I-phone, P.D.A, & etc.) Wi-Fi GPRS

Where is M-learning being used? Work. On the job training for someone who accesses training on a mobile device "just in time" to solve a problem or gain an update. Universities (example : podcast) Lifelong learning and self-learning. Classrooms, Mobile learning can provide support that enhances training in a corporate business or other classroom environment.

Effective uses of mobile learning devices Recording tools Sound - many Mobiles provide the facility for easy voice recording. Many disabled learners have difficulty with note taking - voice recording may offer an easy alternative. Images - the inbuilt cameras on many mobiles and phones provide an alternative way for many learners to make records when (or where) traditional note taking might prove difficult. Planning Students with difficulty in planning and organisation can benefit from many of the inbuilt functions phones, such as the calendar, clock, to do lists, alarms, notepad functions etc. In respect of planning assignments and essays, mind mapping software for mobiles can allow learners to separate content from structure and focus on each independently.

Effective uses of mobile learning devices Reading tools Mobile provide Print challenged learners can benefit from the alternative media available on many mobiles and PDAs. These can include audio clips, animations, video clips or text to speech. Writing tools Word prediction and spellchecking software are available for the main PDA and mobile phones platforms and can offer support for learners in a range of environments Communication tools For example SMS and allow learners to work on collaborative tasks. Similarly, the ability to beam files wirelessly between devices means collaborative tasks are made easier for all users

General Advantages & Disadvantages Light weight. It supports the learning process. Very practical. Convenient, accessible any where. Collaborative and sharing is instantaneous. Connectivity and battery life. Screen and key size. Cost barrier. Fragile. Compatibility issue of transferring.

As mobile technology becomes more ubiquitous (for the ULearner) and interoperable with networks applications ( organisation’s intranets and internets) with enhanced capabilities for rich social interactions using Web 2.0 type services it will become more and more embedded as a flexible learning option to students studying in VET. These technologies will assist work-based learning environments as we will move more and more outside the classroom and ’in the field’ where industry base learning will be both real and virtual. Thus, becoming more situated personal, collaborative, connected and lifelong. What is the Future of Mobile Technology in Teaching and Learning?

M-learning Grown Testing, surveys, job aids and just-in-time (J.I.T.) learning Location-based and contextual learning Social-networked mobile learning Mobile educational gaming Deliver M-Learning to cellular phones using two way SMS messaging and voice-based Cell Casting (podcasting to phones with interactive assessments)

Mobile possibilities Tourist guides Language training Product training and updates Maintenance guides Medical training Software simulations

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