Published in AITD Training & Development magazine April 2013

1. TECHNOLOGY & RESOURCES
| 028 | APR 13 | TRAINING & DEVELOPMENT
Mobile learning is predicted to become the great disruptor to our learning environments
that eLearning was always promised to be.
While Australians are some of the most active users of mobile devices
per capita, there is a disconnect between how smartphones and
tablets are integrated into our personal lives and our experiences in
educational institutions and corporate workplaces. In this two part
article, mobile learning (mLearning) will be defined, results from
recent surveys discussed and barriers to mLearning examined.
Before exploring the disconnect between personal/educational/
workplace mobile environments, it’s appropriate to review the
current state of mobile devices and their impact on our lives.
To provide some perspective, consider the following statistics from
Google’s Our Mobile Planet: Australia research conducted in May
2012, and based on personal mobile usage:
• 52 percent of the Australian population own a smartphone
• 58 percent use their smartphone to access the internet
• 65 percent access the internet daily—to check emails, social
networking sites and search.
• 74 percent of people state they wouldn’t leave home without
their smartphone!
• On average, people have 27 apps installed on their smartphones
(I have124 and that’s not counting what’s on my iPad!)
Reviewing these figures in the context of the global workspace, it’s
not surprising that two in five students or younger employees would
accept a lower paying job if they had a choice of device, access to
social media and mobility.
The rise of the smartphone
It is now indisputable that the smartphone has emerged as a
ubiquitous communication device. It has morphed into what
Google is labelling a ‘multi-activity portal’—in fact, I’m wondering
why we still call them phones at all?
Notwithstanding the status of the smartphone—where once the
Blackberry was the status symbol of many in the workforce—the
proliferation of iPads in the business community is experiencing
rapid growth. A number of large organisations are purchasing
thousands of iPads for their management teams, sales teams and
dispersed workforce. Predictions by Forrester in a recently published
report predicts 375 million tablets will be sold globally in 2016,
with over one third being the primary device for business users, and
71 percent of global workplaces intending to develop customised
business specific apps.
To add further complexity to the use of smartphones and tablets
in workplace and education scenarios, we now have the practice of
Bring Your Own Device (BYOD). Twenty eight percent of the global
workforce are already using their own personal devices at work.
BYOD is the current default position for many people whose
workplace or educational institution does not provide the type of
device they want to use. How many people do you know who carry
a smartphone and a ‘work’ mobile? Sometimes it’s the personal
iPhone compensating the workplace Blackberry.
Taking into account the extent of mobile (smart device) usage,
could we expect that mobile learning will be the great disruptor?
At this stage in Australia apparently not.
At the end of 2012, the Ripple Effect Group conducted a brief
survey to extend existing research into the use of mobile apps in
business and how mLearning was being used in Australia. The
responses have shaped further areas of inquiry, in particular case
studies with innovative implementations which indicate trends in
future developments. Future developments include custom app
development, location-based scenario learning and personalised
content related to the situation, or context, or fully integrated
approaches that form part of the overall learning strategy.
The research, however, had limited success in uncovering any
widespread adoption of mLearning approaches.
mLearning defined
Prior to reviewing some of the survey findings, there is a need to
position the use of the term ‘mLearning’.
Defining mLearning remains a contentious issue as most definitions
appear to relate more to the actual device than the nature of how
learning is being enabled. In the early 2000s, mLearning referred
literally to mobile learning, where mobility was about not being
tethered to a desk top computer; consequently the definition included
laptops. This is reminiscent of early definitions of eLearning, where
the focus was more on the technology and method of delivery. The
distinction between eLearning and mLearning creates a critical point of
difference and it’s NOT about the technology.
More recent definitions of mLearning have evolved to acknowledge
and emphasise the nexus between mobile devices (widely accepted
to include smartphones and tablets though not laptops), and
the occurrence of learning that is situated, social, and facilitated
The state of mobile
learning – Part 1Anne Bartlett-Bragg

2. TECHNOLOGY & RESOURCES
TRAINING & DEVELOPMENT | APR 13 | 029 |
through interactions with people, where learning is mediated by the
device of choice. JISC (formerly the UK based Joint Information
Systems Committee) refer to Mike Sharples (2007) definition that
allows for a contextualisation of learning that has not been possible
with desk-bound computing. This position is currently being
supported and investigated by other recognised mLearning experts
such as Clark Quinn.
The key influence in the evolving definitions has been the
significant improvements in the capabilities of mobile devices.
These improvements include screen size and resolution, processing
power, network speed, location-based systems and battery lifetime.
As devices continue to evolve, it will require our definitions to be
flexible and agile while incorporating new opportunities. Consider,
for instance, the upcoming release of Google glasses: how will our
definitions include these or will that become ‘gLearning’?
mLearning initiatives—pockets of innovation
An overview of mLearning initiatives from both the survey and
additional research indicate early pockets of innovation, rather
than a fully integrated strategic approach to mLearning inclusion.
In many instances, mLearning appears to be considered a subset of
eLearning, where existing eLearning courses, content, and LMS are
being made available for access on mobile devices.
Some high level indicators from the survey:
Does your organisation or institution currently have any mobile
learning initiatives?
• 49 percent of survey respondents said Yes
• 19 percent were considering it
• 32 percent had no mLearning initiatives
The range of initiatives uncovered through our research and the survey
suggests early stages of adoption, with some pockets of innovation appearing
more recently. This is a positive indicator of the diversity and potential
through the incorporation of mLearning.
How mLearning was viewed (from survey responses)
• Supply of devices—across wide range of contexts—en masse. This
is NOT mLearning. This is a technology infrastructure strategy.
mLearning refers to how the devices will be used, for learning!
• Enabling existing eLearning content/courses for mobile devices
• Providing access to LMS via mobile devices
• Providing access to existing enterprise platforms
mLearning & the learning sectors
The school sector has recently introduced iPads at both senior and
primary levels with varied applications of use. Positive outcomes
have been reported and continued research into new and innovative
practices is occurring. In particular, children with learning difficulties or
special needs are responding positively to specifically designed learning
initiatives for communication, reading and writing skills. Improved
academic results and higher levels of student engagement demonstrate
their success beyond the anecdotal observations of teachers.
The TAFE sector reports a higher proportion of mLearning
initiatives than other sectors. Many initiatives are supported by the
Emerging Technology Trials, part of the Australian Flexible Learning
Framework. The initiatives include mobile video assessment,
augmented reality projects, and the more widely reported
developments using HTML5 for specific access to mobile websites.
The higher education sector drew attention to the integration of
mobile devices earlier this year when the University of Western
Sydney supplied iPads to all new undergraduate students and
academic staff. Although this is not considered an mLearning
initiative, the strategic intention and enablement through supply of
devices could be indicative of further approaches.
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3. TECHNOLOGY & RESOURCES
| 030 | APR 13 | TRAINING & DEVELOPMENT
Additional widely reported university approaches include access to the
institutional LMS via mobile devices, access to Library materials and
e-readings, and a number of apps for informational purposes. A large
proportion of Australian universities have a presence on iTunesU with
a diverse range of offerings, although no survey respondents referred to
these as mLearning initiatives. Intentional mLearning approaches being
used in specific subjects or across courses were not uncovered, however,
that does not imply they do not exist.
Finally, the corporate organisational learning sector shared limited
initiatives, either through the survey or publicly available case studies.
Examples of initiatives included access to LMS, using quizzes as follow-
up and review for product updates, and making existing eLearning
modules available for mobile. Disappointingly, the research did not
uncover any specific mLearning apps being created, although there are
a number of organisations using apps for business operations.
Barriers to adoption
The survey results highlighted a number of major concerns from
respondents as outlined in the table below. Significantly, these
concerns or barriers to adoption align with similar research projects
conducted globally.
Many of the cited barriers could be applied to many new technology-
based initiatives. A number of these barriers could be managed
through planned approaches, research and professional development
support. It is the professional development support that remains
sadly lacking across all sectors of learning and development.
Barrier Description Myth or
reality
1. Change Speed of change Reality
2. Management
acceptance
Creating the business case—including
associated costs of development, supply
of tools and resourcing to support.
Reality
Is this another gimmick? Reality
3. Lack of skills Looking for quick solutions,
eg., rapid authoring tools.
Reality
Nervous to use external resources
(seen as cost prohibitive).
Myth
Lack of knowledge regarding different
operating systems and mobile options.
Reality
4. Cost of
development
Limited knowledge of costs for
development—content vs apps.
Reality
Concern about support for ongoing
upgrades and frequency required.
Reality
5. Technology Connectivity—mobile plan costs for data. Reality
Wifi networks. Myth
Infrastructure (organisational
institutional).
Reality
6. Multiple
devices
Designing and building for different
platforms and devices.
Reality
Consistency of design for
varying screen sizes.
Reality
7. Learner
resistance
Not all learners want to use mobiles. Myth
Learners don’t want to learn
in their own time.
Myth
Perceptions of eLearning resistance
being applied to mLearning.
Myth
8. Educator
resistance
Lack of professional development
to learn new skills.
Reality
Trying to learn how to use
all the new devices.
Myth
Lack of mobile ‘trainers’. Myth
Of greatest concern is the barrier cited as ‘learner resistance’. We
know many learners are active mobile device users and they are
frustrated by the lack of provisions for mobile working and learning.
Unlike the early eLearning implementations where many learners
did not have the digital literacy skills, the current learner is already
immersed in the mobile environment.
The disconnect between personal use and corporate/institutional
integration of mobile learning strategies is alarming. Fundamental
changes in the way we share, communicate, search, shop and travel
have all been enabled through a device we carry everyday—our
smartphones. The ability to embed location-based, rich learning
experiences is an opportunity already being provided by consumer
products (think of the Commonwealth Bank’s Property Guide app
with augmented reality and real time data); so why aren’t we seeing
more mLearning initiatives?
The message is clear: mLearning must start to be integrated into
the overall learning strategy. It doesn’t have to be a huge initiative;
even access to existing enterprise platforms is a great first step. Find
out what other apps exist across the business—could any of these be
incorporated or adapted?
Even a small step is better than doing nothing. The technology is
no longer a constraint and the learners are already there. Find the
inspiration and mobilise your imagination!
The June edition of Training Development will feature Part 2 of this
article and will include examples of best practice with tips for successful
implementation of mLearning strategy. It will also take a look ahead with
some big predictions in the mLearning space.
If you have an example or case study you would like to share with us for
inclusion in the next article or our whitepaper, please get in touch.
References:
State of Mobile Learning in Australia
whitepaper, Ripple Effect Group, to be
published May 2013
Our Mobile Planet: Australia, Google,
May 2012
Connected World Technology Report,
Cisco, 2011
Tablets will rule the future personal
computing landscape, Forrester,
April 2012
IT embraces BYOD, Citrix
Designing mobile apps for business,
Ark Group, 2012
Mobile Learning Infokit, JISC, 2011
Real mLearning, Learnlets blog, Clark
Quinn, 2013
Mobile Learning for the NHS: Research
Report 2012 (United Kingdom)
Transforming learning through mEducation,
McKinsey Co, 2012
Mobile Learning: The Time is Now
authored by Clark Quinn, The
eLearning Guild, 2012
Further reading:
Designing mobile apps: A Roadmap for
business, the ArkGroup, authored by
James Dellow (Ripple Effect Group)
Planning Designing mobile apps for
business—a set of infographics: http://
www.slideshare.net/headshiftoz/mobile-
apps-webinar-diagram-pack
Anne Bartlett-Bragg is Managing Director of Ripple Effect
Group APAC, a leading social business consultancy. She
specialises in the creation of innovative communication and
learning networks with social technologies. Anne recently
completed her PhD which explored the development social
learning networks. Contact via annebb@rippleffectgroup.com