L Kember, What’s the difference between wireless learning and mobile learning?

deployment of mobile learning systems. Mobile learning is said to come from the confluence of three technological streams: ambient computing power, ambient communication and intelligent user interfaces. The guidelines are based on theories of learning, mobile learning projects and any existing guidelines that could be identified.

This is an example of the work:

Guideline 2

The potential for m-learning is clear. It's expected to level the economic playing field, allowing people to purchase a relatively inexpensive handheld device and enjoy the same access to learning programs that laptop users have. It will have global impact, bringing highly regarded learning programs to anyone, anywhere, in an affordable, portable device.

Overcoming the limitations of an always-connected e-learning model, mobile learning completely fulfills the promise of anyplace, anytime learning. While e-learning must be a planned learning event, m-learning can be more spontaneous, allowing learning-on-the-run.

Mobile learning could be the next killer app we've been waiting for; it certainly fits well with the original vision for e-learning and the trend toward learning objects rather than full courses.

While some issues still need to be resolved for the end-to-end mobile learning solution, m-learning offers tremendous potential. The future is clear: users will take learning wherever they go for complete convenience. And they'll enjoy the knowledge advantage.

Advantages of Mobile Learning

No other learning approach matches the integrated, continuous flow of m-learning:

Seamless access to learning resources: With mobile learning, you can learn and study anywhere - from the classroom to your desktop, or laptop to your pocket. A true

mobile learning system allows users to take a course on any device.

Freedom, power, and choice: M-learning students can choose where, when, and how they'll study. The new range of options includes online synchronized, online

self-paced, downloaded courseware, and computer-based training. M-learning offers new levels of freedom with the ability to exercise control over learning patterns.

Organized productivity: With only a cell phone, handheld device, PDA, or hybrid unit, users can access administrative functions, download courses, and review their learning history through a learning management system. M-learning offers an efficient way for learners to access key information and maximize their time.

Flexible, portable convenience: The ability to customize learning schedules is a key advantage to m-learning. Learners are not restricted to a specific physical environment, a particular delivery channel, or a fixed set of times for undertaking training and education. Using the latest technology, students can update their knowledge base on a just-in-time basis to prepare for meetings or presentations.

11. http://www.pjb.co.uk/m-learning/

This is a website on mobile learning maintained by P.J.Bates and Associates of Ely, Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom.

m-learning Developments

New opportunities are starting to emerge for learning using portable devices like smartphones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), tablet PCs and laptop computers which can also be linked via communications systems like Wi Fi (wireless LAN) or GPRS and GSM. pjb Associates has been monitoring these developments and analysing these trends for more than four years.

We have collected a number of useful papers and articles and other resources as well as continue to monitor research

projects. We also run a m-learning newsclip service aimed at keeping you up to date with developments in this area.

In addition we edit the MOBilearn Newsletter for the MOBilearn Project. The MOBIlearn Project is a worldwide European-led research and development project exploring context-sensitive approaches to informal, problem-based and workplace learning by using key advances in mobile technologies.

In September 2001 we established the m-learning Forum with the purpose of encouraging new business opportunities and stimulating mobile learning products and services within the overall Learning Business. This in turn we hope will create new opportunities for widening access to learning in order to reduce social exclusion and opportunities for the continuous up-skilling of the workforce in order to maintain competitiveness.

Under the Forum we organised two successful meetings one in London, UK at the Pearson Headquarters on “Developing the Mobile Learning Business” and the other one in Helsinki, Finland entitled “Finland as a laboratory of mobile

technologies” and have helped organise the "Interactive TV &

Mobile Learning" conference. We have also been associated with with a number of other conferences - “European Workshop on Mobile And Contextual Learning” - Birmingham University, UK and "mLearning: the Cutting Edge" Dublin, Ireland

12. http://www.e-learningcentre.co.uk/eclipse/Resources/mlearning.htm

There is an important and authoritative section on mobile learning on the e-learning portal site maintained by the United Kingdom e-learningcentre.

The material on mobile learning is grouped under these headings:

Mobile and wireless learning Introduction

Mobile learning in the workplace

Mobile learning in Further & Higher Education Informational solutions on mobile devices e-Books on mobile devices

Streaming media on mobile devices Interactivity and testing on mobile devices Mobile games

Mobile tutorials

Mobile communications and collaboration Costs, time and other

Under all the headings the material is always useful and helpful. Glimpses of the material are given in what follows.

Mobile and wireless learning in further and higher education Some of the reasons why PDAs are popular in education include:

* They are scaled-down versions of PCs.

* They require minimal energy.

* They are a reasonable price (compared to laptops).

* There is a quick turnaround time for enhancements and updates.

* There is a wide variety of software available for PDAs.

There are also plenty of sites that support the use of PDAs (both Pocket PCs and Palms) in an educational context (both for Further and Higher Education and schools).

Here are just two.

pdaED.com <http://www.pdaed.com/vertical/home.xml>(Articles, products, discussions and news). Handheld Learning http://www.educatorspalm.org This site is dedicated to the use of handheld technologies in education for leading, teaching, and learning.

Streaming media and presentations on mobile devices

Many of the newer phones and PDAs include a media player, which can both play a live stream of video or audio from the Internet as well as play media downloaded to the device. As for streaming presentations, here is an example of a product which you can download to try out on a Pocket PC. It demonstrates how a presentation can be viewed on a PDA, either as a live stream or as content downloaded to the device. An example is also included with the client software.

Mobile communication and collaboration

Here we look at how mobile devices can be used for communications and collaborative activities.

Voice communication

Mobile phones and PDAs with phone capabilities provide this essential means of communication - between learners, and between tutor and learners for support and collaborative purposes. This prime functionality should be not overlooked.

Learning by e-mail

Some PDAs and Smartphones are able to access email. Pocket PCs have Pocket Outlook, a cut-down version of the PC version, which lets you read and send messages.

So this means that there is always the potential for opportunities for learning by email Learning by SMS

The use of text messaging (or SMS, short for Short Message System) was one of the early uses of phones in e-learning. This involved tutors and coaches sending reminders and alerts to students on courses, and this is still a powerful way for instructors to support their students and help to keep them on track.

Another use of text messaging is sending a daily message to learners, thereby providing them with a daily dose of learning. The message is pushed to the learners so that they don't have to actually go out and get it every day.