A Beginners Guide to Mobile Learning

Hi there, meet Mr John Planner of California. He is extremely happy because he has won a ticket to a 5 day all expenses paid trip to Goa India. John happily read all about Goa on the Internet and packed his beach clothes and vacation clothes. When he reached the airport he heard fellow travelers discussing about the precautions needed while travelling in India. John panicked and all his excitement turned to cold fear. He had not planned for this. Soon his panic subsided and his meticulous mind went to work. He took out his smart phone and went to a popular Indian travel site. He purchased a small 30 minute module on General Safety tips for an Indian Visit for only 30$. He got all the information he needed about the local weather, food and spices, common health problems, medicines and safety tips for dealing with touts and guides. He purchased some medicines from the airport shop and he was now good to go. Thanks to his smart phone he was able to get all the information he needed, the instant he needed it, for 30$.


The scenario mentioned above forms one of the most important uses of m-learning. Just-in-time learning is the need of the hour and m-learning provides that for you. The smart phones, blackberrys, and iphones have created a new market for the learning industry. You can now create small chunks of information, which can be bundled as interactive modules and used to give learners just in time information. Here are a few more situations where m-learning would be extremely useful.

1. Robin is a sales executive for a software company. He knows that’s his next visit is to an enterprise where a particular feature of his software would be extremely useful. He can get more information about that specific feature whenever he wants by using his touch screen ipod.


2. Jim is in a casino and wants to play blackjack. He does not know how to play the game and is embarrassed to ask for help from other. He can buy a module on learning blackjack, play a few sample games on his mobile, and then play the game with the dealers.


3. Jack wants to assemble his new computer. He can buy a small module and first try assembling the computer on his mobile. Once he is confident he can go ahead and assemble his own computer.

Now that we are familiar with the various scenarios where mobile learning can be used let us examine the evolution of mobile learning.

Sometime around 10-15 years someone got a brilliant idea around using the internet to deliver learning and this lead to the evolution of e-learning, wikis, and virtual trainings. But all these mediums required a bulky hardware device such as a laptop or a computer. Thus, was born the need for m-learning. You can learn specific information about any topic using a small device that you would generally carry around with you. It could be our phone, music player, or PDA. We could use the existing capabilities of the device and try and deliver content on them. Of course we would have some limitations and conditions such as:

• The device should have robust network connectivity.
• The screen size is limited and thus content should be adjusted to suit the screen size.
• The learner’s attention span on such a small device will be minimal. We have to create engaging and relevant content.
• We cannot use heavy graphics and animations because they will take too much time to load.
  

However we can overcome these limitations and deliver extremely innovative and informative courses to learners.
Here are some interesting facts about m-learning. Most of these facts have been gathered from the e-learning guild report (July 2008).

• Blackberry, Windows Mobile, and IPhone are the devices of choice to access m-learning.
• APAC and Americas are leading areas where m-learning is being accepted. Canada has lowest acceptance.
• Men are more likely to use m-learning at this stage.

Let us now examine some areas where you and your companies can use m-learning.
Let me start by saying that in most cases m-learning cannot take over what traditional e-learning and ILT market. M-learning will create its own niche in the learning market based on the uniqueness in the way it approaches situations. Some common uses of m-learning could be:

• Providing Just in Time Learning: You can have variety of short and crisp courses on a variety of topics such as financial management, basic healthcare, travel information, technology, computers, and variety of such domains.
  http://www.m-learning.org/demos/demo.htm is a link to some demos of mobile learning for just in time learning. These would basically be independent courses which learners can take when they are travelling or have some free time.
• Providing Independent Training Modules: There are many conceptual certifications which people like to complete but do not have time for it their daily routines. We can create small m-learning modules on such certifications so that people can access them when they are free and gain knowledge that would help them clear the certification. They do not need a notebook or a computer to access the module. A small PDA or mobile would solve their problem. Thus you do not provide just in time learning, but provide knowledge which can be used later for various purposes.
• Creating Examination Simulators and Question Banks: With increasing traffic jams and waiting time would you not love to practice for your exam while you are stuck in traffic or waiting in a long line. M-learning allows to just that. We can create examination simulators that allow people to answer sample questions and gives them relevant feedback.
• Creating Materials to Complement Existing Trainings : Imagine a situation where you have just signed up for a Basic Networking class. You receive a personalize video on your mobile phone where the instructor welcomes you to class and informs you about the training pre-requisites and objectives. After the training is over you receive periodic tips, tricks, job aids, and best practices on your mobile phone. This is not a dream situation. The technology to do all these tasks already exists. You can use m-learning to complement your existing training and provide more value to learners.
• Creating Games and Simulations: Many people are passionate about subjects such as Mathematics, English, or History. They would like nothing more than to play some games on their favorite subject in their free time. You never know when you have some spare time do you? You love English and are waiting for your friend in a cafe. You can just whip out your mobile phone and play and interesting game that’s tests and improves your English knowledge while you are having fun.

While there are many advantages of embracing mobile learning, we need to be a little careful because of the following reasons:

• Currently there is not too much practical information on implementing mobile learning practically.
• Complex navigation should be avoided. They would turn learners off.
• You need to advertise courses properly. If you’re developing courses for clients or your own enterprise, you should ensure that the relevant senior management sends the right message to people.
• There are a variety of devices that allow people to access m-learning courses. You should be clear on which devices you support and design courses according to them.

I firmly believe mobile learning is the way for the future. The sooner we realize its potential the better the trainsition for all of us.