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M-LEARNING (TOUCH AND LEARN); LEARNING BY TOUCHING AND LEARNING WHILE MOVING: A CONCEPT

VENKATESH S

 Assistant Professor

Mob: 9900990973, Mail: ssvenkatesh10@gmail.com

Tungabhadra College of Education

Kotture -583134, Kudligi TQ, Bellary

Vijayanagara Sri krishnadevaraya University Ballary

Advantages of using mobile and wireless technologies in education

•      Mobile learning is a great opportunity for students. A student learning to smart phone learning by touching and learning while moving it’s a learning ubiquitous tool.

•      A mobile learning process is not limited to one particular place

•      The use of mobile technology in education is known as "mobile education" or "m-education".

•      It may be defined as "any service or facility that supplies a learner with information, educational-content through mobile phones -that aids in acquisition of knowledge, skills and culture regardless of location and time".

•       It will extend the desktop-based online learning environment to mobile and will make the education to take place anytime and anywhere.

•      M-Education will provide opportunities for educators to deliver educational materials efficiently and dimension for learner-educator interaction.

•      Students can communicate and interact with peer students and educators in real time using mobile technology.

•      M-Education provides greater flexibility in student learning. It enables them to learn when the need arises, no matter where they are.

•      Devices used are more lightweight than books and PCs.

•      Mobile learning can be used to diversify the types of learning activities students partake in (or a blended learning approach).

•      Mobile learning supports the learning process rather than being integral to it.

•      Mobile learning can be a useful add-on tool for students with special needs. However, for SMS and MMS this might be dependent on the students‘specific disabilities or difficulties involved.

•      Mobile learning can be used as a hook to re-engage disaffected youth.

•      Mobile learning enhances interaction between instructors and learners/students.

•       Mobile learning is a great opportunity for students and instructors to continue to learn while on the move.

•      Students in mobile learning practice and undergo self-centered learning with focus.

•      Mobile learning is a great opportunity for just in time training or review of content.

•      Mobile learning facilitates collaboration among students and instructors through both asynchronous and synchronous communication techniques

•      Relatively inexpensive opportunities, as the cost of mobile devices are significantly less than PCs and laptops

•      Mobility allows teaching and learning to go beyond the traditional classroom; this provides a wide range of opportunities

•       Support for vital communication - Opportunities for learners to give immediate feedback on their learning experience

•      Better assessment and diagnosis of learning problems as they occur

•      Psychological support for those at risk of dropping out, through social networks or personal guidance from a teacher

•      Improving teaching quality - Revitalizing the curriculum, rethinking teaching methods and implementing improved feedback to learners

•      Turning geographically dispersed learners into a valuable teaching resource by enabling them to contribute their local knowledge and research data more easily

•      Supporting learner retention, progression and transition

•      Supporting continuing education - Making the learning experience more tailored to the changing needs of individuals, encouraging learners to return for knowledge updating and further study

•      More equitable access to education, for those suffering exclusion for social or economic reasons

•      A culture of lifelong learning; learners taking part in organized education but also habitually using personal technologies to support inquiry and knowledge building whenever the need arises

•      A culture of life-wide learning, whereby individuals recognize the value of learning in unconventional or everyday contexts and are enabled to realize the full breadth of their potential contributions to society

•      Provide online students with the ability to exchange text messages, images, videos, and voice notes to their social network or group and contacts.( WhatsApp)

•      Many  educational apps is available in smart phone eg: Education stories App, Education painting  App, Education math game, oxford English dictionary , English grammar, English learning, English listening and speaking, GK kannada English app, Mission KPSC, KAS in Kannada, Kannada English Grammar, NCERT Solution, news hunt, Maps,   play books, Solar explorer hd , translate, SSC Bank PO Railway exams GK ete..

Social and educational challenges for M-Learning include:

§  Connectivity and battery life

§  Screen size and key size (Maniar and et. Al. 2008)

§  Meeting required bandwidth for nonstop/fast streaming

§  Multiple standards, multiple screen sizes, multiple operating systems

§  Limited memory (Elias, 2011)

§  Risk of sudden obsolescence (Crescente and Lee, 2011)

§  Accessibility and cost barriers for end users: Digital divide.

§  How to assess learning outside the classroom

§  How to support learning across many contexts

§  Content's security or pirating issues

§  Frequent changes in device models/technologies/functionality etc.

§  Developing an appropriate theory of learning for the mobile age

§  Conceptual differences between E-Learning and M-Learning

§  Design of technology to support a lifetime of learning (Sharples, 2000; Moore, 2009)

§  Tracking of results and proper use of this information

§  No restriction on learning timetable

§  Personal and private information and content

§  No demographic boundary

§  Disruption of students' personal and academic lives (Masters, K.; Ng'ambi D. , 2007)

§  Access to and use of the technology in developing countries (Masters, K., 2007)

§  Risk of distraction (Crescente and Lee, 2011).