mLearning Hub - How eLearning Goes Mobile

What is Possible with mLearning?

What is possible in the world of mLearning? Many different products and learning aides can be utilized in the mobile environment. While some are more suited than others for the small screens and limited storage capacities of mobile media devices, all can be leveraged to enhance a student's learning and understanding. What follows is a brief overview of the different types of products that can be successfully integrated into a mobile learning environment.

Audio

The most basic of mLearning products, audio can range from lectures to narrated glossaries. Podcasts, popularized by the iPod, also fall into this category. Basically if you can get an audio recording of the content, it can be deployed in the mobile environment. Common audio file types such as .mp3 and .mp4 are almost universally supported by mobile devices. Educators within minutes can have their audio-based presentations prepared and ready for their student's mobile devices.

Video

Most modern mobile media devices support video playback in at least one of the major digital formats (.mov, .mp4, .wmw, etc.). Content in this category can include lectures, presentations, interviews, visual "how-to" guides, documentaries, etc. Since the display area on mobile devices is limited, video whose content is dependent on minute visual detail or extremely complex visual representations may not transfer to the mobile environment as desired. Most video transfers without issue however.

Flashcards

Basic to semi-interactive flashcards are a great learning tool for the mobile environment. The range of content that can be harnessed in flashcards is vast, covering educational levels from kindergarten to graduate studies, and subjects such as math, biology, medicine, anatomy, physics, english, language, history, law, etc. Devices such as the iPod, which have built-in image libraries and support a slideshow feature, are very well suited for flashcards.

Quizzes

Quizzes comprised of "simple" questions such as multiple choice and true / false can now be integrated into the mobile environment. These are great resources for pre-exam reviews or end of chapter quizzes. Support for quizzes is found with devices the have native quiz applications, such as the iPod, or mobile devices that have Web capabilities.

Slideshows & Presentations

Virtually any slideshow or presentation can be integrated into the mobile environment with great success, especially those created with programs such as Microsoft PowerPoint. The presentations can contain images, graphs, tables and even audio. This type of content is normally supported by mobile devices with video capabilities. Since the display area on mobile devices is limited, presentations whose content is dependent on minute visual detail or extremely complex visual representations may not transfer to the mobile environment as desired.

Glossaries

Glossaries are possible in the mobile environment in a basic static form which consists of a term, its audio pronunciation and a small accompanying definition or image. At this time there is limited support for glossaries, but they can be created for newer iPods and Web-enabled devices.