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Readings & useful links

 

How would I use what I learned

 

It is obvious that at this moment m-learning can not fully replace convenient face-to-face or distance course delivery. But it could be great addition for more effective, collaborative and entertaining experience.

 

I believe that Athabasca University could be considered as Canadian leader in distance education, but needs to start concentrating its efforts with making course materials more tablet and smart phone friendly. Although Athabasca University delivers all of their courses online, they should invest in Moodle mobile theme and mobile-friendly course development.

 

I personally use my mobile phone and tablet to read articles, book chapters and posts, but I prefer to use laptop for making posts and write papers (especially in APA format).

 

M-Learning

 

M-learning basically means "mobile learning". It is convenient and as long as you have wireless Internet you can access it virtually anywhere and any time. M-Learning could mean different things to different people: e-learning, distance education, educational technologies that focus on using personal mobile devices.

 

M-learning technologies include PDA’s, MP3 or video players, notebooks, smart-phones, tablets and e-readers. M-learning emphasises mobility of the learner, and interacting of learner with portable technologies. Using of mobile tools for creating learning materials, instructions, collaboration and social networking is important part of informal mobile learning.

 

Diagram on the left gives visual representation of mobile learning and its tools, which includes:

 

  • Basic communications;

  • Content creation;

  • Social networking;

  • Information access;

  • Training delivery.

 

M-learning also brings portability by replacing books with smaller pieces of tailored learning contents.

 

 

We can find great examples of Mobile learning on ITunesU: course building and distribution tool for IPad and IPhones. The problem with this tool – courses will only be available through Apple platforms.

 

 

Other example of the mobile delivery is podcast. We can divide podcasts on three types:

 

  • audio only podcasts (30 Audio Podcast tools),

  • "enhanced" podcasts that included presentations and audio/video (Screen Casting software, Google MoveNote, Google Powtoon etc.), and

  • video podcasts sometimes called vodcasts that include video (video editing software for creation (Studio 11, Google WeVideo, Apple Final Cut Pro, etc) and destributed through YouTube).

 

 

Athabasca University currently moving most of their readings to e-Texts, that will help students to access and work on their readings on multiple mobile devices through the Vital Source licensing.

 

 

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