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Abstract
This paper describes a mobile learning development
and future trends of education, where mobile devices
are used for educational activities. The main focus of
this paper is to find out the problem of the incorporation
of mobile learning into mainstream education and
training. Find out the answer that how we can implement
M-learning in mainstream education? The goal of this
paper is to create flexible teaching solutions which will
enable access to information using different devices, and
support learning in a variety of situations.
Keywords: m-Learning, Mobile devices, Flexible
teaching.
Introduction
The evolution in education and training at a distance
can be characterized as a move from d-learning to e-
learning to m-learning. These three stages of
development correspond to the influence on society
of the industrial revolution of the 18th to 19th centuries,
the electronic revaluation of the 1980’s and the wireless
revolution of the last years of 20th century and now its
mole revaluation. E learning is the state of the art in
distance learning at the time of writing.
Mobile learning seeks to put in place a new virtual
learning environment for the future which might be
represented thus. This will be followed by the mid
2000’s by the introduction of voice input and voice
recognition into wireless devices to create a more user
friendly environment for learners.
A first step in postulating a theory of mobile learning
Future Trend of Education – Mobile Learning
Problems and Prospects
Sangeeta Paliwal
HOD, Institute of Library Science
IPS Academy, Indore, India
paliwalsangeeta@yahoo.co.in
K.K. Sharma
Director
CEDMAP Centre, Ujjain, India
KK8034 @gmail.com
is to distinguish what is special about mobile learning
compared to other types of learning activity..
Definitions
According to Quinn ( 2000)1 ‘Mobile learning is learning
through mobile computational devices.’
Shepherd ( 2001)2 Says: M- learning is not just
electronic , it’s mobile.
Kynaslahti (2003)3 identifies three different elements
for mobility and all of these are valuable to teachers
and students while they are teaching and learning –
lConvenience
lExpediency
lImmediacy
Teachers are able to work anywhere even if that
requires access to the Internet or a connection to
others kind of electronic environment But I think and I
feel the definition of mobile learning the focus should
be on mobility. M learning should be restricted to
learning on devices which a lady can carry in her
handbag or a gentleman can carry in his pocket. I
there fore define mobile learning as “ the provision of
education and training on PDA’s/ palmtops/smart
phone and mobile phone.
The failure of mobile learning
When one is discussing the question of the
incorporation of mobile learning into mainstream
Functionality Mobility
Computer Laptop computers PDA’s handhelds Smart phones Mobile phone
palmtop
E- Learning M-Learning
Figure 1: Functionality and mobility in a definition of mobile learning
658 ICAL 2009 – POSTER PAPERS
education and training it is important to realize that
these projects were projects. That is, they were
research undertakings to set out the first building
blocks of a new sector of education and training
provision.
The problem is that wireless applications are being
developed for wireless devices for all walks of life.
Learning and training do not figure in these
developments. Learning and training do not seem to
be high on the list of applications that are receiving
attention today.
Isn’t it strange that all higher and further education
institutions today have frequent needs for providing
information to their students about timetable changes,
assessment deadlines, feedback from tutors and other
urgent administrative details? Nearly all of these
students carry a sophisticated communications device
which they use constantly in all walks of life except
in their education or training Programme.
The answer to these questions that I have been posing
about why mobile learning has not moved from project
status into the mainstream is well known. It is that
mobile learning is not seen as a satisfactory revenue
stream for the telecommunications operators. The
urgent need for mobile learning is to emerge from its
fragile project status and convince the
telecommunications
Operators that it represents a viable and valuable
revenue stream.
Towards a solution: a matrix for mainstream provision
We have posed the problem of the status and
acceptance of mobile learning –we must now look for
solutions to the problem.
One can develop a nine-point matrix for the use of
mobile learning in mainstream education and training.
One axis is made up of the three types of devices
that make up mobile learning provision:
lPDAs
lSmartphones
lMobile phones.
The other axis is the types of education provision that
can reasonably be provided by mobile learning:
lMobile learning academic administration SMSs.
lMobile learning academic summaries.
lFull modules by mobile learning.
This is the presentation of full courses, or full modules
of courses, on mobile devices.
This gives the following nine possibilities:
lMobile learning for academic administration on
PDAs
lMobile learning for academic administration on
smartphones
lMobile learning for academic administration on
mobile phones
lMobile learning academic summaries for PDAs
lMobile learning academic summaries for
smartphones
lMobile learning academic summaries for mobile
phones
lFull modules by mobile learning for PDAs
lFull modules by mobile learning for smartphones
lFull modules by mobile learning for mobile
phones.
Towards a solution: criteria for inclusion in
the mainstream
There are four criteria for the inclusion of mobile
learning in mainstream education and training. These
are:
1. Enrolment of mobile learning students in courses
on the institution’s official prospectus. This is
essential for incorporating mobile learning into the
mainstream. If the mobile learning course is not
included in the institution’s prospectus and listed
as available for student enrolment it remains
peripheral with the status of a research project in
an isolated university department and cannot be
considered as part of mainstream provision.
2. Enrolment of mobile learning students into fee-
paying courses. This is essential for incorporating
mobile learning into the mainstream. This is
applicable to countries in which fees are payable
for enrolment in further and higher education
courses.
3. Enrolment of mobile learning students into
assessed courses.. If the mobile learning course
is not assessed with the same procedures as
other courses offered by the institution it remains
peripheral with the status of a research project
and cannot be considered as part of mainstream
provision.
4. Enrolment of mobile learning students into
accredited courses. As happened in the field of
distance education and then in e-learning, the
achievement of accreditation for mobile learning
is an indication that the sector has entered into
the mainstream.
Towards a solution – the literature
The development of the literature of mobile learning
has high importance in the move of mobile earning
into the mainstream. Mobile learning will never emerge
from its present fragile project-based status and take
its place in mainstream education and training unless
659SANGEETA PALIWAL AND K.K. SHARMA
it has a vibrant literature. Deans of Faculties at
universities throughout the world will never accept the
introduction of mobile learning into their courseware
unless they can verify the claims of mobile learning
by consulting the research literature.
Similar initiatives are necessary for the literature of
mobile learning if it is to convince academics in
universities worldwide that it is a viable form of
educational provision.
Conclusion
Finally, the problem of the incorporation of mobile
learning into mainstream education and training has
been addressed in this presentation. The answer to
the question ‘Why has mobile learning not moved from
project status to the mainstream?’ has been identified.
It is that mobile learning is not seen as a satisfactory
revenue stream by the telecommunications operators.
Solutions have been proposed for this problem. Firstly,
there are thousands of universities and further and
higher education colleges all over the world. If they
can all be convinced to accept mobile learning as their
normal means of communication with all their students
on changes of timetable, submission deadlines,
enrolment procedures and other administrative
necessities, a massive mobile learning revenue stream
will already be set up.
Secondly, the production of a mobile learning
development kit for distribution to universities and
colleges to enable them to introduce mobile learning
will set up another revenue stream.
Thirdly, the production of course guides, course
summaries, examination reminders, helps with difficult
parts of a course, will set up another revenue stream.
Fourthly, the production of full course modules for
PDAs, handhelds, palmtops, and also for smartphones
and eventually for mobile phones, will set up another
revenue stream.
Finally, the literature of the field needs to be developed,
books on mobile learning need to be written,
conferences like this one need to be organized. The
challenge to all of you attending this conference is to
go away from here convinced of the need to establish
mobile learning as a viable and valuable revenue stream
for the telecommunications industry.
References
1. Quinn,C. (2000) mLearning: Mobile, Wireless and
In-Your-Pocket Learning. Line Zine.
2. Shepherd C. (2001) M is for Maybe. Tactix: Training
and communication technology in context. p.5
3. Kynaslathi, H (2003) In search of element of Mobility
in the Context of Education. In Mobile Learning.
pp.41-48
