m-Learning Devices

August 15, 2009 · Posted in m-Learning

The Don’t Waste Your Time blog posted a poll regarding the best devices for delivering m-learning. The list was comprehensive, but made me think about when is it not e-learning and becomes m-learning. There are gray areas such as laptops and netbooks. Technically they both should be included, being very mobile, but I am still hesitant to include these as m-learning devices. Probably because what is typically accessed on these are e-learning courses and not courses designed specifically for mobile devices. As far as the other devices like phones and PDAs, you must apply “m-learning” design due to such things as the small screen, limited processing speed, lack of Flash players (in some cases), etc.

I can be swayed a bit on netbooks due to some design considerations needed. However, if m-learning is defined by the design approach not the device, then laptops are off my list.

Here is the list from the Don’t Waste Your Time…poll:

Phone / iPod Touch

MP3 Player

Mobile Phone

Smart Phone

Laptop

Netbook

eBook Reader (Sony, Kindle, etc)

PDA

Games Console (PSP, Nintendo DS, etc)

Thanks Don’t Waste Your Time.. for this comprehensive list. Myself, I cannot think of any devices to add, but if anyone out there does, please feel free to comment. And take the poll too.

Tags: m-Learning

Comments

4 Responses to “m-Learning Devices”

Robert Kennedy III on August 17th, 2009 1:33 pm

Jeff,

I went over to David’s blog and checked out the poll results there. I thought the results were a bit skewed due to the non-inclusion of certain devices and the breaking out of other devices that are, for lack of a better term, crossover devices. For instance, the iPhone IS a smartphone, PDA and mp3 player. There are other phones that fit that description as well. Some people’s ideas of a device name/description might vary. I had an HTC Mogul (aka, PocketPC 6800) which was also referred to as a PDAphone. So, in my mind, when you say PDA these days, those are the first things I think of.

I say this because if you break out the iPhone as a separate device, then technically you can include Blackberry phones as well ESPECIALLY because they are marketed more as a business user phone and business users are exactly the people who would be using m-learning……well, at least they are a good portion.
Jeff on August 17th, 2009 5:41 pm

Robert, good points. Regarding Blackberry, I think you are right about including it on its own-right if iPhone is. In fact, I believe last year’s e-Learning Guild survey identified Blackberry as one of the top devices for m-learning.

Thanks for the comment.

Jeff
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