When people use the word “mLearning” or the phrase “mobile learning,” each person comes with a potentially different interpretation of what that means, based on their experience. As a learning provider, it’s imperative that you begin with the same common understanding of what that means. Because there are many different interpretations of mobile learning, the challenge is to determine how to best suit your client and align each stakeholder’s expectations. This session was given to help consider all aspects of mobile learning, and how stakeholders and learners may misinterpret intentions. This session was intended to open the mind to how others, in both the corporate and academic world, view mobile learning today, and how to align their thinking with your own. Presented at mLearnCon 2014.

1. my mlearning your mlearning≠
@seanbengry Christopher Jepson

2. What are
you thinking?
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3. What is mLearning?
Seriously? Again?
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4. Did we have this problem
with eLearning?
Why is it so difficult?
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5. “the use of mobile technology to aid
in the learning, reference or
exploration of information useful to
an individual at that moment or in a
specific use context.”
-Float Learning
"...the use of mobile or wireless devices for
the purpose of learning while on the
move.“
-Yeonjeong Park
“all ‘knowledge in the hand.’ It includes
the use of mobile/handheld devices to
perform any of the following:
• Deliver education/learning
• Foster
communications/collaboration
• Conduct assessments/evaluations
• Provide Access to performance
support/knowledge”
-Elliott Masie
“any educational provision where the
sole or dominant technologies are
handheld or palmtop devices”
-John Traxler
Mobile learning is…
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6. Urgent Bored Repetitive
Something to consider…
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7. Platform
Introduction,
Native
Technology
Tracking
Instructional
Maturity
Rapid
Development
mLearning
eLearning
1994
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8. What are
they thinking?
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9. Not all stakeholders and solution
vendors may have the same
understanding and background of
mobile learning.
Each may have their own unique point
of view or need that defines exactly
what mobile learning is and isn’t (to
them).
It is necessary to achieve a common
understanding of mobile learning
before the right solution can be put
into place.
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10. Convert OriginalDevice
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11. Convert
When a stakeholder wants to simply
convert existing eLearning objects, and
“make them play” on smartphone and/or
tablet devices.
This also includes segmentation, or
modularizing existing objects (breaking
them into smaller chunks), and making
these accessible on smartphone and/or
tablet devices
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12. Device
Due to the use of a mobile device to complete
a task or gather information, mobile learning
is assumed.
The stakeholder classifies this as “mobile
learning” because they are simply using their
smartphone/tablet to gather information,
complete a task, or use a productivity tool.
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13. Original
The design, content, and delivery is
completely novel and optimized towards the
mobile learner, not necessarily the device.
Although this may be based on existing
content, the design and development of these
objects are focused specifically for the mobile
learner, not the mobile user.
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14. Tactics to
Bring the Love
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15. What are the business problems
that need to be solved?
What are the business
constraints that are present?
Know Your
Organization
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16. Are they mobile competent?
Are they mobile comfortable?
Know Your
Audience
Are they mobile enabled?
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17. Is it instructionally viable?
Does need/availability outweigh
design?
Know Your
Limits
Does preference outweigh
design?
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18. my mlearning your mlearning=
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