A Mobile Learning Overview by Timeline and Mind Map

The Concerns Of Mobile Learning Research

A number of authors have attempted to break down the field of mobile learning research into various specific concerns. The ways in which this has been done has, of course, varied depending on the focus of interest of these authors. From a general perspective, for example, Traxler (2009) defined a number of mobile learning categories: technology-driven, portable, connected classroom, informal, personalized, situated, performance support and in the development context. He also outlined some aspects of affordances; infrastructure, sparsity, policy agenda and blended learning modes. Laurillard (2007) provided a slightly different interpretation, pointing to aspects of mobile learning’s uniqueness as a learning mode by referencing learner generated contexts, digital objects co-located with the learner, the three ‘mobilities’ in m-learning (learners, technology objects, and information) and motivation through ownership and agency. While these categories are all relevant and helpful, this article attempts to develop a new overview, based on a broad analysis of the literature up to and including 2013, and provide visualisations of the main themes, concepts and concerns of mobile learning.