Teaching and Learning on Mobile Platforms

Submitted by Jignesh on Thursday, 1 December 2011No Comment

Online education has taken a new turn with its spread into the mobile space. Universities are using access to mobile devices an option in taking or teaching a course. Until recently online courses have been delivered via the internet to laptop or desktop computers, with students utilizing their computers both as classroom and study tool: watching lectures, reading class notes, and taking exams.

The explosion of applications for mobile devices other than computers has brought about an entirely new type of option for college students who want to continue their education on the fly. Smaller screens and RAM limitations have led to the redesign of course delivery technology, a need recognized by schools who offer up-to-date courses in technology. The University of Wisconsin, for example, has an online course in instructional design for mobile devices. It is one of many courses offered in master’s degree programs for education or for specialization in instructional technology.

Journalism is another career category where mobile technology has become a necessity. News outlets have gravitated to the internet, increasingly utilizing images and video as part of a story presentation. This issue has generated a fair amount of discussion in journalism schools about how to meet the training needs for journalism students. The University of Missouri School of Journalism is currently engaged in a debate over what sort of requirements are in order for students; it has gravitated from a simple need for a multimedia device to a debate over the iPad versus the smartphone.

Mobile technology is finding its way into many other industries as well. Engineering and construction project management are increasingly putting mobile technology to work for purposes of design as well as communication. On-site engineering issues for a construction project can be discussed on a mobile platform incorporating all of the original design drawings, code requirements, and stress calculations. Personnel in the field and in the office don’t have to wait to gather around a conference table to review project issues.

Training on some aspect of mobile technology is being incorporated into degree programs for education, for design degrees of all types, and for technical degrees in many of the science fields including biology, chemistry, and medical research. The rapid growth in functional ability and user-friendly features for mobile technology has added a new dimension to education.

About the Author:

Bob Hartzell has been writing for five years about education, business, budgets, and other life essentials on a variety of websites. He writes steadily on the changes in collegiate goals, having published multiple articles on undergraduate education and such topics as the top 10 masters online.

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