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Machine_Learning
 

Definition

M-learning is the term given to the delivery of training by means of mobile devices such as Mobile Phones, PDAs and digital audio players, as well as digital cameras and voice recorders, pen scanners etc. M-learners are seeking lessons in small, manageable formats that they can undertake when it suits them.

Differences between M-Learning and E-Learning

If e-learning took learning away from the classroom or campus, then m-learning is taking learning away from a fixed point. Where e-learning is an alternative to classroom learning - m-learning is a complementary activity to both e-learning and traditional learning.

M-learning respects that a user would like to interact with educational resources whilst away from their normal place of learning - classroom or computer.

In one sense m-learning has been around for longer than e-learning, with the paperback book and other portable resources, technology is what shapes today's usage of m-learning. Technology now allows us to carry vast resources in our pockets and access these wherever we find convenient. Technology also allows us to interact with our peers instaneously and work together remotely in ways never before possible.

Whilst the opportunties that m-learning devices present us with are new - the challenges are quite old, smaller screen sizes, limited processing power, reduced input capabilities. These challenges mean that adapting existing e-learning services and content to m-learning is not a trivial task.

Challenges with m-learning

The connectivity is one of the main differences if we compare a mobile device with the PC (the usual medium for delivering e-learning). Nowadays mobile devices might be connected to ‘The Net’ via many technologies – WAP, GPRS, UMTS, Bluetooth, WiFi, etc. Although it is predictable that in the future the ‘always on’ will be wide spread still it is not the case. Mobile devices often have periods of disconnection, either intentionally (when the connection is too expensive) or not (when no infrastructure is provided).

Devices’ hardware and software characteristics have a big impact on what content is possible and meaningful to be delivered. Usually the web content is designed for desktop PCs, thus unpleasant and even rarely useful from a small-screened device. Nowadays mobile phones are rapidly becoming increasingly powerful (both from hardware and software point of view) however their screens will remain comparatively small. Often also the navigation is hard. Equipped with a small phone-style keyboard or a touch-screen (for the PDAs) the users might lose more time in searching where on the page the information they need is than in reading it. We can imagine alternative ways of navigation, for example voice commands. The memory available on a mobile device is also relatively small. It is possible to use extension packs on some devices like PDAs, which reduces some of the restrictions.

Location is a new thing to be considered. Although up to now we are talking only about limitations confronting m-learning and e-learning, there are also advantages. The small size of the device and the wireless connections make them available anytime and anywhere. The mobility opens variety of new scenarios. Services involving location-discovery are, for example, receiving directions on how to get to a certain room, or alerts for seminars/lectures that can be triggered while taking into consideration the current place and the time to get to the needed destination; location-aware printing of the learning content, etc.

Source: Copied rather too directly from Trifonova A., Ronchetti M. (2004). "A General Architecture to Support Mobility in Learning". Proc. of ICALT 2004 Computer Society Press 2004, ISBN 0-7695-2181-9. pp. 26-30 *

Organizing the content

  • For whom do we develop a M-learning environment?
  • What is the educational information we need to provide?
  • How do we develop the structure?
  • For which mobile devices do we develop?
  • Which tools / software do we use? For creating? To present?

Different communication methods

Different program languages

References

  • Sharma, S., F.Kitchens. Web Services Architecture for M-Learning, Electronic Journal on e-Learning, Vol.2, Issue 1, 2004.
  • T Georgiev, E Georgieva, A Smrikarov - Proceedings of the 5th international conference on Computer Systems and Technologies - CompSysTech'2004. http://ecet.ecs.ru.acad.bg/cst04/Docs/sIV/428.pdf
  • A Trifonova, M Ronchetti. A General Architecture to Support Mobility in Learning. Proc. of the 4th IEEE ICALT 2004
  • B Sanregret, Hot Lava Software, MLearning Basics 2005
  • T Toth. Technology for Trainers, ASTD Press 2003

External links

M-Learning | Aprendizaje electrónico móvil

 

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the "M-learning".

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