Opportunities
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Effective content delivery by means of new technologies
With the mass use of mobile learning, more and more learners face more opportunities to decide what they will learn and what they can access on their mobile devices. Besides providing a specific subject, it becomes more important that deliveries of learning content adapt to various users, goals, and situations. Moreover, in different learning contexts, a learner often needs different assistance and cooperation from others. With the recent advent of wearable computing, context aware computing and mobile augmented reality, it has been possible to build a seamless connection between data and the real world in real-time (Lai, K.W., 2020). This will further promote online situated learning by which learners can support each other to learn complex skills and knowledge (Ifenthaler D. and Eseryel D., 2013).
Watch Florian Radke explains how the wearable augmented reality would change our learning. >>>
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User needs oriented technological innovation
Mobile technologies have been changing individuals’ learning habits as well as their relationships with others in learning. With mobile learning, an individual can conduct any kind of learning in a formal or informal context. Social media and various collaborative web applications enable learners to build a flexible connection anytime, anywhere on any device. An individual’s behavior such as following, replying, could possibly initiate a new learning journey. User needs in various situations will in turn drive new innovations in mobile technologies.
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Virtual communities cultivate collaborative learning
Conveniently accessing the open and vast learning resources makes a learner keep an open mindset, adapting to new changes in the school, workplace, or any other social circumstances. A school is no longer a place you have to go. Enrolling in an virtual community that provides learning resources and services will have a place in a learner’s daily life. This will promote cross-regional communication between learners. This phenomenon has been seen in globalized language study. For instance, the online communities of Conversation Exchange and The Mixxer provide learners the services of pairing learners, information boards and learning resources, etc., in which exchanging knowledge and skills is a model of collaborative learning. In an open mobile learning environment, learners have more opportunities to experience collaborative learning, or even create new models.
Challenges
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Train teachers to advance learning through mobile devices
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Create or update policies related to mobile learning;
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Provide support and training to teachers through mobile technologies;
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Create and optimize educational content for use on mobile devices;
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Expand and improve connectivity options while ensuring equity;
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Promote the safe, responsible and healthy use of mobile technologies;
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Raise awareness of mobile learning through advocacy, leadership and dialogue;
According to Unesco, 2013 Policy Guidelines for Mobile Learning