Abstract
The concept of learning with small portable computers was developed by Alan Kay in 1972. Since that early conception, scholars, such as Traxler, Sharples, and Soloway are the pioneering scholars who paved the way to a better understanding of the philosophical, pedagogical, and conceptual underpinnings of mobile learning today. In this chapter, an overview is provided to explicate the initial foundations of the emerging field of mobile learning (mlearning). Next, current scientific knowledge is delineated with explicit references to the early scholars. This chapter concludes with a preview of the future research directions in mobile learning.
TopBackground
The concept of learning with small portable computers was developed by Alan Kay in 1972. Since that early conception, scholars, such as Traxler, Sharples, and Soloway are the pioneering scholars who have paved the way to a better understanding of the philosophical, pedagogical, and conceptual underpinnings of mobile learning today. Kay began with the initial idea of a portable device for learning. Traxler, Sharples and colleagues have explored the emerging theoretical frameworks of mobile learning to provide us with a better understanding of this field. Soloway and Norris have focused their work on how the affordances of mobile learning can extend traditional classroom pedagogies.
Key Terms in this Chapter
Mobile Learning: Mobile learning is defined as “learning across multiple contexts, through social and content interactions, using personal electronic devices” (Crompton, 2013 AU91: The citation "Crompton, 2013" matches multiple references. Please add letters (e.g. "Smith 2000a"), or additional authors to the citation, to uniquely match references and citations. , p. 4).
User Generated Content/Information: This term is used to describe content/information created by consumers or end –users, such as video, digital images, audio files, and blogs.
Personal Computers: Another term typically used to describe mobile devices.
Pedagogies: Methods of teaching.
Tethered Technologies: Digital Technologies that typically require a constant electrical source, such as desktop computers.