Mobil Technology in Learning Assistance
While the new technologies open new horizons for personal development, it is with the advent of mobile learning (m-learning) that the true potential of e-learning to happen “anytime, anywhere” has finally started to be realized. The potential value of learning via mobile devices has been widely demonstrated (abHolzinger, Nischelwitzer, & Meisenberger, 2005; Naismith et al., 2005; Leung & Chan, 2003; Sharples, 2000). A number of pilot projects have sought to discover how these mobile devices (Pocket PC, Tablet PC, Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), and Smart Phone etc.) could be integrated into learning settings (Chen et al., 2002; Lundby, 2002). Ring (2001) found that students enjoyed reading course outlines and texts on mobile phones while commuting, and Thornton and Houser (2003) found that students highly rated web and video teaching materials viewed on mobile phones and PDAs. In the long run, says Quinn (2002), “We’ll realize that learning should move from an organizational function to an individual necessity.” Sharples (2000) identified m-learning, based on mobile devices, as the next generation of e-learning.
As we review, the learning model of a single instructor interacting with many students that is applied in conventional classrooms forms a passive bottleneck (abHolzinger, Nischelwitzer, & Meisenberger, 2005). Moreover, the instructor cannot effectively record students’ individual learning histories for instantaneous and suitable feed back, the new emphasis in education is on supporting the student, in collaboration with his or her peers and instructor, both within and outside the classroom. When a student’s progress is stymied by the lack of direct contact with his or her instructor and peers, mobile devices offer new forms of communication that break down the traditional barriers to education. Mobile devices include mobile phone, PDA, laptop (convertible tablet, slate tablet) and hybrid devices (smart phone). Different mobile devices have unique features and purposes. The eTForecasts (2003) forecasts in 2002 that the “total worldwide PDA in use will jump from 24,920,000 devices in 2000 to over 227,400,000 in 2007. The capabilities of the PDA will improve impressively by 2007 and it will become a multifunction device with built-in Internet access, digital camera, music player, scanner and other functionality.” PDA has been a popular choice – more so than cell phone – for implementing m-learning in the last few years, likely due to their larger screen size and higher resolution (Sampson & Zervas, 2008; Aburas & Khalifa, 2007; McAlister & Peng, 2005). However, both the display capabilities and the data capacity of a PDA are much smaller than those of a desktop. Thus, intelligent presentation of data is required to optimize the layout of the display and the structural presentation of information with minimal loss of information. This is a critical issue to consider for achieving effective communication among the participants.