mLearning
I am feeling a bit guilty right now. Today was supposed to be a day for working on my class, but I got caught up in configuring some of my devices for mLearning, aka mobile learning. I really wanted to set some time aside to explore some of the possibilities and today turned out to be the day. Up to this point, mLearning has seemed a bit hyped. But today I set up my Nokia Nuron 5230 smartphone to download several podcasts from NPR and PRI. Now I can listen and learn pretty much anywhere, anytime. I can listen to the podcasts through my BH-214 wireless Bluetooth headset or in my car through the Bluetooth connection to my car stereo. Downloading and listening to podcasts while on the road is now easy and routine.
I also set up a Stowaway wireless keyboard, and now the smartphone works just like a mini-computer. Texting, e-mailing and note taking are now extremely easy to do and just as convenient as being on a netbook. And speaking of netbooks, I also configured my netbook to tether to my smartphone using a Bluetooth connection. Now the phone provides a wireless Internet connection to my Netbook, anywhere that I have cell service.
Finally, also on the netbook, I installed Intel’s AppUp store for netbooks and downloaded several applications, some free, and some not.
While some of the innovations I describe have been around for a long time and really aren’t earth shattering, the way that I have suddenly brought everything together shows me that mLearning is more than just trying to see things on a tiny screen. It is a learning strategy of surrounding yourself with learning opportunities-anytime, anyplace through technical innovations that we are just starting to grasp. I can’t wait for the hologram screen and controlling by hand gesture to reach the market.
