On This Page You Can...

Mobility and Mobile Learning

ELI has posted a more up-to-date "M-Learning and Mobility" topic page in place of this one. This page is provided as an historical resource; it is not being updated or actively managed.

Using portable computing devices (such as laptops, PDAs, smart phones, and tablet PCs) with wireless networks enables mobility and mobile learning. Mobility allows teaching and learning to extend to spaces beyond the traditional classroom. Within the classroom, mobile learning gives instructors and learners increased flexibility and new opportunities for interaction. Mobile technologies support learning experiences that are collaborative, accessible, and integrated with the world beyond the classroom.

Questions the EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative (ELI) explores include:

What is the rationale for implementing mobile learning technologies?
How does ubiquitous access to a wireless network change the dynamics of learning-in and out of the classroom?
What are best practices for using mobile learning?
What end-user support is important for mobile learning? How can it best be provided?

Get an Overview of the Topic

Bryan Alexander, "Going Nomadic: Mobile Learning in Higher Education," EDUCAUSE Review, Vol. 39, No. 5, September/October 2004.
Laura Naismith et al., Report 11: Literature Review in Mobile Technologies and Learning, Futurelab Series (Bristol, U.K.: Futurelab, 2005).
Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC), e-Learning Programme, Innovative Practice with e-Learning
Developed by JISC, a major postsecondary / higher education technology organization in the United Kingdom, this site provides access to a number of resources for understanding and using mobile technologies to support teaching and learning. Among those resources is the publication on which the site is based, Innovative Practice with e-Learning: A Good Practice Guide to Embedding Mobile and Wireless Technologies into Everday Practice.

See Examples

Georgia College and State University, The iPod at GC&SU: A Pocketful of Learning
At GC&SU, institutional and university system leadership translated into a project that engaged faculty in considering potential learning applications of the iPod. This effort led GC&SU to establish pilot projects based on well-defined pedagogical goals, which generated proof-of-concept and broad-based faculty support for further integration of the iPod into the learning environment.
University of California, San Diego: UCSD Active Campus
The ActiveCampus project aims to provide location-based services for educational networks and to understand how such systems are used. ActiveClass enables collaboration between students and professors by serving as a visual moderator for classroom interaction. ActiveCampus Explorer uses context (such as location) to help engage students in campus life.
Mobile Learning at the University of Tennessee–Knoxville:
- 2004 Wireless Instructional Initiatives for the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources
  Wireless computing is emerging on select campuses as a powerful tool to enhance communication, collaboration, and information management. The University of Tennessee–Knoxville's Innovative Technology Center (ITC) collaborates with faculty to investigate the best practices for teaching and learning. This project is the first step in developing and implementing instructional strategies using wireless computing in the College and will serve as a pilot program for future opportunities.
- Mobile Learning as Observed through the Wireless Instructional Initiatives Project
  This presentation from September 2004 identifies the characteristics of mobile learning and discusses the challenges and opportunities it presents as experienced by the ITC at the University of Tennessee–Knoxville.

Access Presentations

Kenneth S. Blackney, "Charting New Frontiers: The Mobile Digital Campus," EDUCAUSE 2004 Annual Conference Presentation
Read G. Gilgen, "Creating a Mobile Language Learning Environment," EDUCAUSE 2004 Midwest Regional Conference Presentation
Robin Kay and Liesel Knaack, "Strategies for Effective Laptop Use in Higher Education,"EDUCAUSE 2004 Annual Conference Presentation
Julie K. Little and Jerry Riehl, "Strategies for the Mobile Learning Environment: Harnessing Collaborative Learning Within Nomadic Communities," NLII 2005 Annual Meeting Presentation
Ready2Net Webcast, "No Strings Attached-Wireless & PDA," May 2, 2002
Ready2Net Webcast, "Wire or Wireless-Nomadic Computing Hits the Campus," May 2, 2001
Perry J. Samson, " Using Wireless PocketPCs in Survey Courses to Expand Discourse," NLII 2005 Annual Meeting
Jim Wolfgang, "How to Select and Deploy Emerging Technologies," presented as part of the NLII 2005 Spring Focus Session activity, "How to Select and Deploy Learning Technology"

Review Relevant Web Sites

Center for Innovative Learning Technologies, Ubiquitous Computing
Founded in 1997 with a grant from NSF, the Center for Innovative Learning Technologies explored technology-enabled solutions to key problems in science, mathematics, engineering, and technology (SMET) learning. CILT identified handheld computers as an area with breakthrough potential for education and established a Ubiquitous Computing team to stimulate research, applications, and educational implementations of inexpensive, portable computers.
The Mobilearn Project
Mobilearn is a worldwide European-led research and development project exploring context-sensitive approaches to informal, problem-based, and workplace learning by using key advances in mobile technologies.
University of Michigan, Center for Highly Interactive Computing in Education (Hi-CE) Handheld Computing Site
HiCE at the University of Michigan develops learner-centered technology and curricula that enable students to engage in meaningful learning experiences.

Read Related Writings

Bryan Alexander, M-Learning: Emergent Pedagogical and Campus Issues in the Mobile Learning Environment (Boulder, Colo.: EDUCAUSE Center for Applied Research, Research Bulletin, Vol. 2004, Issue 16, 2004).
Bryan Alexander, "Teaching in the Wireless Cloud," The Feature , April 7, 2003.
Paul Arabasz and Judith Pirani, Wireless Networking in Higher Education in the U.S. and Canada (Boulder, Colo.: EDUCAUSE Center for Applied Research, Research Study, Vol. 2, 2002).
Sheryl B. Ball, Catherine C. Enkel, and Kevin Oliver, "Wireless Interactive Teaching Simulations," Syllabus Magazine , October 1, 2002.
Anne L. Bishop, R. Kriss Dinkins, and James L. Dominick, " Programming Handheld Devices to Enhance Learning," EDUCAUSE Quarterly , Vol. 26, No. 1, 2003.
David G. Brown, ed. Ubiquitous Computing: The Universal Use of Computers on College Campuses (Bolton, Mass.: Anker Publishing, 2003).
Alan Livingston, "Smartphones and Other Mobile Devices: The Swiss Army Knives of the 21st Century," EDUCAUSE Quarterly, Vol. 27, No. 2, 2004.
Josh McHugh, "Unplugged U," Wired , Vol. 10, No. 10, October 2002.
Howard Rheingold, "M-Learning 4 Generation Txt?" (Interview with Bryan Alexander), The Feature, November 4, 2004.
Carol Savill-Smith and Phillip Kent, The Use of Palmtop Computers for Learning: A Review of the Literature, (London, UK: Learning Skills Development Agency, 2003).
"Unwired," Wired Special Report, Vol. 11, No. 5, May 2003.
Ellen D. Wagner, "Enabling Mobile Learning," EDUCAUSE Review, Vol. 40, No. 3, 2005.
Karen Wood, "Introduction to Mobile Learning (M Learning)," Ferl, March 18, 2003.

ELI Archives Archived ELI Topics Archived NLII Topics		On This Page You Can... Get an Overview of the Topic See Examples Access Presentations Review Relevant Web Sites Read Related Writings Mobility and Mobile Learning ELI has posted a more up-to-date "M-Learning and Mobility" topic page in place of this one. This page is provided as an historical resource; it is not being updated or actively managed. Using portable computing devices (such as laptops, PDAs, smart phones, and tablet PCs) with wireless networks enables mobility and mobile learning. Mobility allows teaching and learning to extend to spaces beyond the traditional classroom. Within the classroom, mobile learning gives instructors and learners increased flexibility and new opportunities for interaction. Mobile technologies support learning experiences that are collaborative, accessible, and integrated with the world beyond the classroom. Questions the EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative (ELI) explores include: What is the rationale for implementing mobile learning technologies? How does ubiquitous access to a wireless network change the dynamics of learning-in and out of the classroom? What are best practices for using mobile learning? What end-user support is important for mobile learning? How can it best be provided? Get an Overview of the Topic Bryan Alexander, "Going Nomadic: Mobile Learning in Higher Education," EDUCAUSE Review, Vol. 39, No. 5, September/October 2004. Laura Naismith et al., Report 11: Literature Review in Mobile Technologies and Learning, Futurelab Series (Bristol, U.K.: Futurelab, 2005). Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC), e-Learning Programme, Innovative Practice with e-Learning Developed by JISC, a major postsecondary / higher education technology organization in the United Kingdom, this site provides access to a number of resources for understanding and using mobile technologies to support teaching and learning. Among those resources is the publication on which the site is based, Innovative Practice with e-Learning: A Good Practice Guide to Embedding Mobile and Wireless Technologies into Everday Practice. See Examples Georgia College and State University, The iPod at GC&SU: A Pocketful of Learning At GC&SU, institutional and university system leadership translated into a project that engaged faculty in considering potential learning applications of the iPod. This effort led GC&SU to establish pilot projects based on well-defined pedagogical goals, which generated proof-of-concept and broad-based faculty support for further integration of the iPod into the learning environment. University of California, San Diego: UCSD Active Campus The ActiveCampus project aims to provide location-based services for educational networks and to understand how such systems are used. ActiveClass enables collaboration between students and professors by serving as a visual moderator for classroom interaction. ActiveCampus Explorer uses context (such as location) to help engage students in campus life. Mobile Learning at the University of Tennessee–Knoxville: 2004 Wireless Instructional Initiatives for the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources Wireless computing is emerging on select campuses as a powerful tool to enhance communication, collaboration, and information management. The University of Tennessee–Knoxville's Innovative Technology Center (ITC) collaborates with faculty to investigate the best practices for teaching and learning. This project is the first step in developing and implementing instructional strategies using wireless computing in the College and will serve as a pilot program for future opportunities. Mobile Learning as Observed through the Wireless Instructional Initiatives Project This presentation from September 2004 identifies the characteristics of mobile learning and discusses the challenges and opportunities it presents as experienced by the ITC at the University of Tennessee–Knoxville. Access Presentations Kenneth S. Blackney, "Charting New Frontiers: The Mobile Digital Campus," EDUCAUSE 2004 Annual Conference Presentation Read G. Gilgen, "Creating a Mobile Language Learning Environment," EDUCAUSE 2004 Midwest Regional Conference Presentation Robin Kay and Liesel Knaack, "Strategies for Effective Laptop Use in Higher Education,"EDUCAUSE 2004 Annual Conference Presentation Julie K. Little and Jerry Riehl, "Strategies for the Mobile Learning Environment: Harnessing Collaborative Learning Within Nomadic Communities," NLII 2005 Annual Meeting Presentation Ready2Net Webcast, "No Strings Attached-Wireless & PDA," May 2, 2002 Ready2Net Webcast, "Wire or Wireless-Nomadic Computing Hits the Campus," May 2, 2001 Perry J. Samson, " Using Wireless PocketPCs in Survey Courses to Expand Discourse," NLII 2005 Annual Meeting Jim Wolfgang, "How to Select and Deploy Emerging Technologies," presented as part of the NLII 2005 Spring Focus Session activity, "How to Select and Deploy Learning Technology" Review Relevant Web Sites Center for Innovative Learning Technologies, Ubiquitous Computing Founded in 1997 with a grant from NSF, the Center for Innovative Learning Technologies explored technology-enabled solutions to key problems in science, mathematics, engineering, and technology (SMET) learning. CILT identified handheld computers as an area with breakthrough potential for education and established a Ubiquitous Computing team to stimulate research, applications, and educational implementations of inexpensive, portable computers. The Mobilearn Project Mobilearn is a worldwide European-led research and development project exploring context-sensitive approaches to informal, problem-based, and workplace learning by using key advances in mobile technologies. University of Michigan, Center for Highly Interactive Computing in Education (Hi-CE) Handheld Computing Site HiCE at the University of Michigan develops learner-centered technology and curricula that enable students to engage in meaningful learning experiences. Read Related Writings Bryan Alexander, M-Learning: Emergent Pedagogical and Campus Issues in the Mobile Learning Environment (Boulder, Colo.: EDUCAUSE Center for Applied Research, Research Bulletin, Vol. 2004, Issue 16, 2004). Bryan Alexander, "Teaching in the Wireless Cloud," The Feature , April 7, 2003. Paul Arabasz and Judith Pirani, Wireless Networking in Higher Education in the U.S. and Canada (Boulder, Colo.: EDUCAUSE Center for Applied Research, Research Study, Vol. 2, 2002). Sheryl B. Ball, Catherine C. Enkel, and Kevin Oliver, "Wireless Interactive Teaching Simulations," Syllabus Magazine , October 1, 2002. Anne L. Bishop, R. Kriss Dinkins, and James L. Dominick, " Programming Handheld Devices to Enhance Learning," EDUCAUSE Quarterly , Vol. 26, No. 1, 2003. David G. Brown, ed. Ubiquitous Computing: The Universal Use of Computers on College Campuses (Bolton, Mass.: Anker Publishing, 2003). Alan Livingston, "Smartphones and Other Mobile Devices: The Swiss Army Knives of the 21st Century," EDUCAUSE Quarterly, Vol. 27, No. 2, 2004. Josh McHugh, "Unplugged U," Wired , Vol. 10, No. 10, October 2002. Howard Rheingold, "M-Learning 4 Generation Txt?" (Interview with Bryan Alexander), The Feature, November 4, 2004. Carol Savill-Smith and Phillip Kent, The Use of Palmtop Computers for Learning: A Review of the Literature, (London, UK: Learning Skills Development Agency, 2003). "Unwired," Wired Special Report, Vol. 11, No. 5, May 2003. Ellen D. Wagner, "Enabling Mobile Learning," EDUCAUSE Review, Vol. 40, No. 3, 2005. Karen Wood, "Introduction to Mobile Learning (M Learning)," Ferl, March 18, 2003.
		© Copyright 1999-2009 EDUCAUSE Need Help? \| Feedback \| Privacy Policy
	Unless otherwise noted, EDUCAUSE holds the copyright on all materials published by the association, whether in print or electronic form. In certain cases the work remains the intellectual property of the individual author(s) (see Special Circumstances). Content from conference speeches, presentations, blogs, wikis and feeds reflect the opinions of the author, and not necessarily those of EDUCAUSE or its members.