Mobile Learning: Factors to Consider when Designing and Incorporating Educational Deliverables

Mobile learning is a great resource for providing educators with a widely used platform to design and deliver learning experiences for various students, allowing for “learning on the go”, and facilitating communication and connection between educators and students. With that said, there are several factors that educators and technologists need to consider when designing deliverables that could impact the learning experience for students.

 

First, for some mobile users, a mobile device is the “ultimate personal device” (Laura et al., 2011). As such, some may feel there should be limitations on academic practices of their personal devices (Laura et al., 2011). It is important for educators to understand that academic practices be delivered in formats that not only feel non-intrusive, but also welcoming and part of the personal devices being used.

 

Second, educators may have difficulties in incorporating and effectively using new mobile technology because it may demand a lot of energy to execute (George, 2019). It is important in these instances that educators and technologists work together to understand how the technology works and how to use it to better facilitate the development of deliverables. Furthermore, it is important that students also understand how to use mobile academic applications to make the most out of the experience.

 

Third, there is digital distraction. It can impede learning and produce more complicated obstructions to student learning (George, 2019). It is important for educators to develop mobile learning applications and/or content that is engaging and purposeful to keep students focused on their studies and counter digital distraction.

 

These three factors can have an impact for both educators and students, and educators such as myself, who teaches uses a mobile application for online teaching, need to be mindful of when designing educational deliverables.  

 

George, O. (2019). The Impact of Mobile Devices In Higher Education: Student Perceptions on the

Advantages and Disadvantages (Publication No. 13862048) [Doctoral dissertation, Wilmington University]. ProQuest Dissertations Publishing. The Impact of Mobile Devices in Higher Education: Student Perceptions on the Advantages and Disadvantages - ProQuest

 

Laura, C., Benachour, P. & Coulton, P. N. (2011). Virtual Learning Environments for mobile learning:

Constrained by infrastructural and sociological boundaries? Innovations in teaching and learning in information and computer sciences, 10 (1), 12-21. VIRTUAL LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS FOR MOBILE LEARNING: CONSTRAINED BY INFRASTRU...: EBSCOhost (queensu.ca)