I recently spoke with a colleague about advancements in online learning. Our opinions converged on the idea that COVID-19 propelled us towards what techno-educators have been fighting for several years: the legitimacy of digital technologies in education. However, we did not agree on the concepts of
E-learning
and mobile learning.
No, mobile
learning is not e-learning on a smartphone. Indeed, with the proliferation of
mobile devices and the exponential growth in the pace of evolution of today's
smartphones, mobile learning (or m Learning) has spilled much ink. Given the
similarity between the terms, one might be tempted to assume that mobile
learning is little more than online learning on a mobile device. This
hypothesis could not be further from the truth.
We don't use
our smartphones the same way we use our computers. The smartphone is walking
with us, in every room of the apartment or house, at the grocery store, at the
doctor's, in front of the school door, etc. With one hand, we can:
Access tons
of information
Click with a
finger to view a video
Scroll the
screen or change page
The kind of
learning that is appropriate on a mobile device is very different from what we
do on a computer. In fact, the differences between mobile learning and online
learning are at least as great as those between online learning and face-to-face
training. The distinctions between these 2 deployment routes are such that they
require different approaches in educational and graphic design, but also in the
design of the user experience and the presentation of information.
To fully
understand the disparities between e-learning and mobile learning, one must
first define the concept of mobile learning. According to the association
monitoring the evolution of technologies in education, EDUCAUSE, mobile
learning is characterized by:
The use of portable
devices connected to the wireless network
Teaching and
learning that goes beyond the traditional classroom
The flexibility
of educational content that offers greater possibilities for interaction
Therefore,
the main differences between mobile learning and online learning are reflected
in 4 broad categories:
The "moment"
factor
Access to
information
The context
The
evaluation
The first
distinction between e-learning and mobile learning is when the learning is
supposed to take place and the expected duration of the learning session.
Most online
courses are designed to allow the learner to sit in front of a computer and
progress on a number of topics over a period of time. The time required to
complete an online module varies between 20 minutes and 2 hours.
Conversely,
mobile learning, by its very nature, can be followed anytime, anywhere.
Smartphone screens allow more and more varied interactions, but shorter than
with a computer, because learners do not want to spend an hour staring at their
phone to achieve a single learning goal. Mobile learning is great for conveying
small amounts of information that can be absorbed while waiting for the bus,
queuing at the grocery store, etc.
Access to
information
Taking an
e-learning course on a given subject requires 2 key learning objectives which
are:
Comprehension
Retention.
When the
learner takes an online course, the information learned is applied later. It is
then essential to understand and retain the content until there is a need for
application or assessment.
Mobile
learning is more about accessing information when it is needed. This implies
that the success of this type of learning relies more on easy and convenient
access to content and less on memorizing information.
The context
The notion
of context is also one of the factors in which mobile learning differs from
online learning.
Indeed,
online learning requires integrating into the scripting of the course, the
context that will allow the learner to understand the nature of the learning
session and its objective.
In the case
of mobile learning, the context is already established visually. It is part of
the universe of games applications and social networks which draw their
strength from the visual, interactive and intuitive aspect of their content. So
when the learner clicks on the mobile learning app, a visual checklist (easier
to use and interpret than a written document) can appear. To this, we add the
possibility of clearly seeing close-ups or levels of detail that are not so
easy in an online learning context (open a document, click on a link, etc.).
Evaluation
With
e-learning, the time lag between when learning takes place and when it is
applied can be significant. Therefore, the assessment methods are very
different for the 2 learning styles.
Although Donald Kirkpatrick's (1959) 4 Levels of Assessment of Learning apply to both online and mobile learning, the approach to assessment is different.
When
evaluating an online module, it is relatively easy, through a series of
questions, to determine the success of Level 1 - Learner Response (how the
learner felt about the training) and Level 2 - Learning (the resulting increase
in knowledge or skills). However, with Level 3 - Behavior and Level 4 - Outcomes,
it becomes much more difficult to assess the impact of online learning in the
cognitive process. This is not to say that behavior and results are difficult
to measure per se. But there are so many other factors that can influence a
person's behavior and outcomes that it's hard to relate these changes
specifically to the online learning context.
Conversely,
in the case of mobile learning, since the time between when mobile learning
occurs and when the learning is put into practice is usually very short, it is
much easier to assess the impact of online learning in the cognitive process. Additionally,
mobile learning is less about understanding and retaining and more about having
easy access to the right information. Level 1 and 2 assessments are less
important if the learner's behaviors and outcomes change appropriately.
Mobile
learning better than online learning?
In sum, one
might think that by doing the exercise of highlighting the differences between
mobile and online learning, I am suggesting that one style of learning is
better than the other. But this is not the case. The 2 types of learning are appropriate
as long as they are adapted to the right situation. To give just one example,
an online learning module on the history of prominent figures in Montreal can
be both interesting and educational. The depth of the content might require
multiple views, each of them bringing out a myriad of fascinating details. But
a Montreal walking tour that uses the smartphone's GPS function to point out
and explain important landmarks based on your current location is much more
interesting than learning at home, sitting in front of your desk.
The point is
that the capabilities and characteristics of today's mobile devices allow us to
create innovative ways of learning. In this time of lockdown, let’s think of
phones and other mobile devices in a way that improves learning processes and
allows students to not have to sit in front of their computer all day long.
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