Mobile+Learning

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==One definition of mobile learning is, "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."==

==M-learning technologies include handheld computers, MP3 players, notebooks, mobile phones and tablets. M-learning focuses on the mobility of the learner, interacting with portable technologies, and learning that reflects a focus on how society and its institutions can accommodate and support an increasingly mobile population.==

==[|Blackboard], a company that specializes in learning apps and technology for schools ranging from K-12 to colleges, has also seen a significant increase in interest in its Blackboard Mobile solutions, an extension to its Blackboard Learn platform.==

==Among the schools taking the first steps with mobile are institutions, such as the [|Stanford University School of Medicine], which [|lent iPads] to all its new students last August; [|Abilene Christian University], which started giving all new students the choice of an iPhone or iPod Touch in 2008; [|Seton Hill University], which started giving iPads and MacBook Pros to all full-time incoming students last fall; and the [|University of Washington], which is focusing its efforts on expanding wireless and cellular coverage on its main Seattle campus and making its Web content easier to use on mobile devices.==

==However, these programs haven't been without problems. For instance, [|The Chronicle of Higher Education found] that in most classes, half of Stanford's medical students stopped using their iPads only a few weeks into the term.==

= Technical hurdles for mobile apps = ==Interest in deploying mobile apps may be high, but actual deployment is not without its difficulties. Aside from the challenge of delivering strong security and compliance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) pertaining to student records, as yet there are no common standards to ease the pain of cross-platform deployment.==

==When you move from iPhone to Android, it's a difficult problem because it has many different forms," he said. "The amount of testing that you need to do, maintenance, etc., rolling it out on multiple platforms could easily overwhelm a smaller institution."==

= Develop your content plan for mobile learning =

==The key here is to ensure that your content is optimized for mobile viewing. Keep in mind the environment in which the training information could be viewed. Learners could take courses anywhere, from the comfort of their home or on a long cab ride. For this reason, the best mobile learning content obeys the following principles:==
 * ==Is short, precise, and presented in brief segments.==
 * ==Features straightforward topics that are easy to consume on the go.==
 * ==Contains simplified presentations that can be easily viewed on smaller screens.==

= Current limitations of mobile technology =

(1) physical attributes of mobile devices, such as small screen size, inadequate memory, and short battery lif**e, m**ultiple standards, multiple screen sizes, multiple operating systems
==(2) content and software application limitations, including a lack of built-in functions, the difficulty of adding applications, challenges in learning how to work with a mobile device, and differences between applications and circumstances of use; reworking existing e-Learning materials for mobile platforms==

(3) network speed and reliability;
==(4) physical environment issues such as problems with using the device outdoors, excessive screen brightness, concerns about personal security, possible radiation exposure from devices using radio frequencies, the need for rain covers in rainy or humid conditions, and so on. It is important to consider these issues when using mobile devices and designing the learning environment.==