Answer Geek
QUESTION: I've been hearing about m-learning. What is it, where can I get more information, and should I start developing courses for it?
M-learning, or mobile learning, takes place via a wireless device such as a PDA, a cell phone, or even a laptop. In the February 2001 T+D @Work column, former Learning Circuits editor Donna Abernathy wrote, "M-learning can include anything from job aids and courseware downloaded on your personal digital assistant to Net-based, instructor-facilitated training via laptop." Abernathy is quick to point out that the m simply represents the delivery method: "Learning and performance are still the big stars."
As people become accustomed to making business calls in the car (with a hands-free cell phone, natch) and checking their email at the airport (with a PDA, cell phone, or Blackberry), mobility becomes more a requirement for technology and less a luxury. People in the new economy are working anywhere, anytime; so, they must be able to learn anywhere, anytime.
The scenario sounds great. A worker is out in the field installing fiber-optic lines. He runs into a technical snag and doesn't know how to fix it. Out comes his PDA and he accesses a couple of screens of text and graphics. In just a few minutes, he knows how to solve the problem. Work can proceed almost immediately.
Mobile learning is just getting started, though. In his article "Goin' Mobile," Paul Harris writes, "If the e-learning market is embryonic, m-learning is little more than a gleam in the eye." Geoffrey Ring, course designer and R&D manager for ICUS, says m-learning has been slow to take off because of the limitations imposed by small screens and low resolution on mobile devices. Their limited storage capacities and slow processing also add to the problem. Ring suggests that people consider m-learning as an enhancement to their current e-learning strategies, not as a replacement.
So, where can you test out m-learning for yourself? GlobalKnowledge is one of the first companies to offer e-learning courses formatted for handheld devices. To view a demo on your own wireless device, go to http://www.globalknowledge.com/training/training.asp?pageid=9#top and scroll down to the bottom, where you'll find a "mobile learning" link. Other companies developing mobile learning applications include Docent and SmartForce.
Need to know more? These articles offer additional information on mobile learning and the technologies that make it possible:
Published: July 2001