Mobile learning has become a well-known method of learning for students across the globe. It's an excellent opportunity for teachers to connect with new people and meet students where they are, with mobile devices.

The average Canadian checks their phone 144 times each day, while the average American checks their phone an insane 344 times per day.

With the increasing integration of technology into their daily routines It's not surprising that people are turning to smartphones or tablets as well as laptops for learning. Mobile learning gives students flexibility like they've never seen before in their quest to learn new skills, hobbies, trades, and even careers.

Let's take a look at mobile learning's advantages and disadvantages and explore how m learning could aid your students.

Skip ahead:

•         What exactly is mobile learning (M-learning)?
•         What is some positives of learning on mobile devices?
•         What are the disadvantages of mobile education?
•         Locate the balance with mobile education

What is Mobile Learning (M-learning)?

What are the mobile learning advantages?

There are plenty of advantages of mobile learning. However, we've listed six. They are accessibility, flexibility, motivation, current content as well as engagement and cost. We'll look into each one in more detail below:

    Accessibility    

One of the significant advantages of mobile learning is its the accessibility. Online courses for M-learning are available and students are able to access their lessons from any location in the world. It makes mobile learning adaptable and helps creators connect with a larger audience.

    Flexibility    

Like accessibility, but with a different, mobile learning gives students the ability to be flexible in traditional or in-person training courses don't. Students can complete the course whenever it they prefer and their schedule, regardless of whether they want to work at 12 noon or 12 midnight.

And, if the course lets students learn at their own pace. This offers them even more flexibility as they can take the course in as little as a couple of hours, or for as long as few months.

    Motivation    

Both eLearning and mobile learning employ tech-savvy methods for teaching and assessment. Techniques such as interactive quizzes and tests can gamify the course and encourage learners to improve their performance and engage in the subject and remember important information.

A motivated and engaged student is likely to be able to recall the lessons they've taken in and be content.

    Present Content    

Because mobile learning courses live online, they have the amazing benefit of revision. Creators can't easily modify physical textbooks, live courses, and even webinars, after they've been created. Online courses can.

Course creators online can take advantage of this feature and update their courses regularly as needed. This helps them to keep their classes relevant and useful to students.

    Engagement    

Duolingo has grown to become the most-used app for learning new languages through fun methods, such as microlearning. It gives students bite-sized lessons that are easy to complete regularly.

    Affordability    

The majority of mobile learning courses don't require instructor-in-person instruction or synchronous learning They aim to teach one technique or attain a single outcome. The sheer size of mobile courses can make it much more affordable as opposed to courses that need more staff, maintenance, scheduling, as well as research.

What are the disadvantages from mobile education?

As with anything the internet has its drawbacks, there are some disadvantages of mobile learning that you should consider as well. Students who learn via mobile devices are open to distraction, lack interpersonal interaction, use technology to much, not provide individualization and leave students who do not have access to high-quality technology. We'll explore the reasons in the following sections:

    Distractions    

One of the many advantages of using mobile technology in schools is that it requires students to be able to access their material via an smartphone. But, it also means that the students are more likely to get distracted.

Students are likely to be receiving text messages, emails as well as social media updates during their lessons. They can reduce engagement and completion to drop.

    Social interaction is not present    

The use of M-learning is a way to help students make important connections on the internet, but it doesn't provide for meaningful in-person interactions.

Some students can be more comfortable in an isolated and self-paced setting, others could rely on their social connections to keep them motivated. This may be more noticeable when students enroll in an academic program that demands long-term engagement.

    Reliance on tech    

M-learning, just like eLearning relies on technology. Creators must think about compatibility with operating systems and the best way to optimize for mobile devices or risk creating awkward and hard-to-use courses.

Reliance on technology may also eliminate skills that depend upon practical knowledge. As an example, for instance, artists or mechanics might have difficulty mastering real-world skills with no personal feedback and instruction in person.

    Unprofessional personalization    

Personalized feedback often comes from a 1-on-1 mentor, in-class instructor, or cohort leader. Despite engaging assessments like interactive quizzes and tests however, students may be left without personalized feedback when they're enrolled in mobile learning courses making it harder to learn and develop new skills.

    Poor technology    

While many students have access to up-to-date technology and reliable internet, many do not. Students may be working with older tech or have poor internet and electricity access.

It can be a great way to gain access to education for the majority of students, but it may restrict access to learners who don't have the right tools for online learning. Consider your target audience and make sure you design a course that is accessible to them.

Find the balance on mobile-based learning

What may be a benefit for some may be a disadvantage for some. As an example, the total flexibility of a self-paced course may be unmotivating to some viewers. In the end, it's the responsibility of you to discover the ideal balance for the target audience and then design the course accordingly.

However, the creators have the ability to outweigh mobile learning disadvantages and make higher-quality, accessible as well as inclusive classes that have never been offered previously. If you have the appropriate content, you can utilize mobile technology to connect with people around the world, engage students, and even build a community.

If you're thinking of creating an online course, give it a try no cost! The course will include the creation along with the selling, marketing, and creation instruments you'll need to make your course into an online learning business.