The ‘m’ in mLearning generally refers to mobile; the delivery of content and learning interactions via mobile devices. Mobile devices in education allow learning with “no fixed location or time” (Kinshuk, 2003) and he suggests that “there is much evidence that mobile technology is going to provide a natural extension for e-learning in the long run.” This fits in with the common goal of flexible learning as being able to offer options for the ‘time, place and pace’ of a students learning.

This would include devices such as mobile phones, portable digital assistants (PDAs) and iPods. It would not include laptops, as while they are portable, they are not mobile. However, laptops do offer flexibility, especially in the presence of a mobile network or wireless Internet access. Mobile devices should ‘fit in your pocket’.

More information on mLearning will be posted here soon.