Mobile Learning Concept: Advantages and Disadvantages

MOBILE LEARNING
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Introduction
There are trends in learning and teaching that have developed over the years to facilitate the effectiveness and efficiency of learning in this fast changing world. The development of the internet plus technology with the introduction of handheld gadgets has tremendously changed the face of education. The trends in wireless technology and networks and devices that support these gave rise to the mobile learning concept.
Mobile learning concept
Mobile learning involves learning through social interactions and across multiple contexts. It comprises of the use of handheld gadgets, therefore, making it very flexible, mobile and convenient for learning. It involves the use of devices like mobile phones, notebooks, iPads, mp3 players, handheld computers, and tablets. The idea came from the known fact that the current generation is attached to handheld devices, and it has become part of their lifestyle. The Mobile learning concept is about the student or learner not being restricted to a physical location when engaging in learning activities. The notion of this concept also includes matters of urgency and timing. This makes mobile learning support the personal urgency of the learners’ decision on when, where and how they will learn (Khaddage, Muller and Flintoff 2016, p. 16). What differentiates mobile learning from e learning is mobility, personal ownership and informality.
Advantages of mobile learning
Mobile learning is easily accessible and enables learning on the go. Due to the availability of handheld gadgets to the learners, they can use their time at their own freedom to study a particular topic of interest or engage in the education forum. Mobile learning is also very convenient since the learner can study a particular course and learn about any topics as per their programme and time schedule. This is very suitable for learners that are slow as compared to the fast learners as they would be able to catch up at their own pace due to the convenience of mobile learning (Zahrani and Laxman 2013).
These handheld gadgets have been a leeway for further research on learners who when studying, come across a particular topic that they don’t understand and so they can research more there and then without waiting to communicate with other people. This has made learning to happen at any moment and at the convenience of the learner.
Mobile learning has been very favourable for the disabled in the learning field. Google`s android and apple`s iOS systems have come up with applications that foster their learning for people with disabilities. There are features on Google and apple devices that contain particular disability units on vision, hearing, physical and motor skills and learning by having speech apps, braille display for iOS, iPhone hearing aids and major learning resources available for people with disability (Hennig 2016, p. 7).
Mobile learning has helped to connect formal and informal learning in the modern school setting. Since mobile technologies offer the most convenient way to access information, especially though apps and social networking platforms, the school system can use this to reach and extend to spaces that have been regarded as outside the education scope. This has made learning flexible and it has also complemented the formal learning (Khaddage, Müller and Flintoff 2016, p. 20).
In addition, the gap of the older generation is bridged through mobile learning. Using a handheld device is as easy as taking a tablet or an iPad and typing the topic one is interested in, searching the web browser and the results come automatically. This learning system has helped the older generation catch up with learning in a manner that is very easy and efficient (D’Errico 2016, p. 13).
Disadvantages of mobile learning
Connectivity problems is an issue to mobile learning since this kind of learning should happen anywhere and anytime. When there is no or limited internet and mobile network connectivity, the learners are restricted to learning since the information becomes impossible to access. (Zahrani and Laxman, 2013 p.85)
Sometimes, device compatibility could be a problem. The mobile phone one possesses may not easily convert content to HTML5. There are very many mobile resources produced that may not support the learners study content. There are also charges that come with getting information from mobile sources like downloading a large file would cost learners a lot of monthly data charges depending on the network provider (Imtinan 2013).
Professionals in the education sector have inadequate understanding of Mobile learning and this is a huge disadvantage. Teachers need to have enough knowledge and understand mobile leaning for successful implementation. When students are aware of mobile technologies in learning, but their teacher still are not aware, this situation becomes a barrier to this technology. The audio podcast k-12 review conducted in a higher education setting by Hew in 2009 revealed that there was limited knowledge of the technology in podcast in relation to how the teachers and students use it (Zahrani and Laxman, 2013 p.85). This clearly showed the limit to the knowledge on Mobile learning. Furthermore, teachers` attitudes towards mobile learning d...