Different levels of "m"

Week 2 of mobiMOOC is underway - and there's been a ton of discussion during week 1! (much more than I expected actually).  It's amazing to me than mLearning has become synonymous (these days) with smartphones, apps on those smartphones and mobile data.  One doesn't have to go too far back in the research literature to find mLearning to be something that was based on regular phones, using regular SMS and MMS messages, and even voice communications!

In the shuffle in the developed world we seem to have lost that simplicity of just voice and SMS/MMS and we've gone with things that require expensive handsets and expensive data plans.  Even if you get a sort of cheap Android phone (certainly cheaper and an iPhone) you still have to pay for a data plan.  I don't know how data rates are in countries other than the US, but until recently (recent being 3 years of fewer) data on a phone cost a lot and you just didn't get that much of it!

I know it's tempting to go the App route, or mobile-web route, but what about lean mLearning? Back in the days computers had limited availability of things like RAM and hard drive space. This made developers THINK about how they would best implement their program so that they can get the most out of it on limited hardware.  I think that THIS is the mindset that designers of mLearning and designers of mLearning applications need to be in to NOT just think of those of us who are privileged in our position to be able to afford a smartphone and a data plan, but also those who have access to voice and SMS only.

Comments

Apostolos K. ("AK") said…
I agree with your remark Apostolos. We need to keep our minds set on lean and simple (m)learning, where engaging design and accessibility increase the learner experience.
April 13, 2011 at 9:50 AM
Apostolos K. ("AK") said…
Hi Apostolos,
You raise some very valuable points that may not occur to those with easy access to technology. It is perhaps easier to assume that less-developed countries are more limited, but like many other global concerns, limited access to technology affects us locally as well. Thank you for the reminder!
I've taken your suggestion to heart as I ponder a potential project for mobiMOOC; I like the concept of text4baby.org and wonder about creating something SMS based that could be a valuable learning resource for teachers working on call. Would love to hear any thoughts you may have.
~Sheena
April 13, 2011 at 7:46 PM
Apostolos K. ("AK") said…
Tell me more about the project you're thinking about. What do these teachers do on call? I think that something along the lines of text4baby has potential both on its own and as part of a "regular" education environment.
April 15, 2011 at 2:04 PM
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