Mobile Learning in the Classroom

Mobiles in the classroom can be a very controversial topic. Some people see them as a distraction and non-helpful to the average student, however some people also see mobile devices in the classroom as a positive and educational advantage. Personally I feel that that in reference to mobile devices in the classroom that the negatives out weigh the positives. In an article written by C.Dale and J.Pymm it says,

"Within a classroom environment, Slykhuis (2006) recognises the usefulness of the iPod for playing music, for use as a portable hard drive, for 
displaying pictures and for recording audio. It is unsurprising, therefore, 
that iPods have been viewed as a disruptive technology challenging the 
conventional practices of educators. (Berry, 2006)"(p.86)

As shown in this article it can be said that the mobile in the classroom can be seen as disruptive. In the modern day, a mobile can be used to access the internet, socialize with peers, listen to music, take photos and record movies. With this fantastic technology in such a small device, it can also be seen that mobile devices can be an advantage to the modern classroom giving the students a way to access information in any place at any time. In the article by C.Dale and J.Pymm they also say that,

"the iPod enables educators to generate innovative learning opportunities."

The only problem with this is that when creating a task for the students with a mobile device the teacher has to take into account that not every student is going to have the same mobile device or even a smart phone. In a blog post written by Alana she states that,

"Whilst the Australian Government through the Digital Education Revolution, is providing $2.2 billion dollars over 6 years to provide equipment, training and access to broadband internet. Mobile devices may be overlooked, this is indicated by the recent initiative within Canberra where secondary schools are being provided with smartboards, computers and internet with no mention of mobile devices."

This poses the question what can a monile device do that a laptop cannot. In a classroom environment the laptop can be seen as a far superior alternative. Athough the mobile device is small and easily portable, in todays society there are still some websites that are not mobile friendly and actually need a computer to access them properly. The government has already started to both purchase and lend laptops to students for their own private use, making a laptop a lot more accessible to a student then any mobile device.

In conclusion I think it can be said that although mobile devices provide some interesting features and few possible advantages the disadvantages are far superior  Therefore it can be said that todays society are not quite ready for the benefits of a mobile learning system.

References

            Alana. "Who Pays? The Cost of Mobile Learning." Enhanced Learning in Professional Context. (9th April 2010) Accessed 23rd May 2013. http://alana6705.blogspot.com.au/2010/04/who-pays-cost-of-mobile-learning.html

           Crispin, Dale; Pymm, John. "Pedagogy: the Ipod as a Learning Technology." Active Learning in Higher Education. (2009) Accessed 23rd May 2013. http://alh.sagepub.com.ezproxy.library.uq.edu.au/content/10/1/84.full.pdf

           Gifari, Arry. "M-Learning Activities." Teach One Letter Find Much Better. (28th September 2011) Accessed 23rd May 2013. http://relaxteacher.wordpress.com/tag/mobile-learning/