Vicarious Learning Blog

Mobile Learning, an informal learning bridge

The MobilEd initiative is a collection of research programs running in South Africa, Brazil, India, and Finland. They are seeking to research and explore the educational benefits of Mobile Learning. One important component of their work is looking at using mobile communications as a means to exploit the power of social networks and informal learning. The idea being to bring the outside world into the classroom as much as enable the classroom to extend beyond the curriculum timetable. One such example is work being carried out in South Africa - 'Jozi college goes mobile'. Almost all schools in South Africa have a ban on mobile phone use, because of their disruptive influence on formal learning. However, this study seeks to achieve a balance, they are looking at supporting mobile learning through 'values-based principles' rather than a 'rules-based system'. Real value is also being sought in leveraging the combined resources of other schools:

Cornwall Hill College is now collaborating with Irene Middle School in developing and testing mobile supported learning to determine its impact in a resource-limited environment.

The potential of mobile learning to develop and support what I'll call the 'Classroom without Walls' is going to have an increasingly important impact on the way we educate and are educated. It obviously blurs a lot of traditional boundaries and will perhaps render the (already confused) distinction between formal and informal learning redundant.

Additional Resources

• Mobile Learning Reading List
• Another blog dedicated to Mobile Learning
• The Future Lab also has a good review of the Mobile Learning Landscape

Posted at 05:38PM Jun 24, 2008 by Finbar Dineen in General  |  Comments[0]