Introduction

Mobile learning refers to education via the internet using portable computing devices such as smartphones, laptops, iPods, tablet PCs, and PDAs. Students access learning materials through online educational hubs, mobile apps, and social interactions. Mobile learning offers a way for teachers and educational institutions to deliver learning materials and knowledge on different platforms to students anywhere, anytime. It also provides students with tools and apps to download course materials and instructions, complete and upload assignments to teachers, and participate in online social groups to complete course-related tasks. Tools such as blogs, YouTube, and podcasts are transforming learning significantly. Mobile learning is an effective way of acquiring knowledge in the digital era as it extends teaching and learning beyond the traditional classroom spaces while also offering instructors and students increased flexibility and interaction opportunities.

Mobile learning seeks to use the unique capabilities and ubiquity of mobile technology to avail content materials to students irrespective of their physical locations. It also creates diverse kinds of learning experiences that aid students’ engagement both with the course content and the world. As technology tools and learning practices continue to evolve, mobile learning will also change. More focus is thus directed on the diverse challenges that this form of learning faces, ranging from learners’ access to content to the definition of curriculum. New technological advances such as access to broadband internet, apps, and tablet PCs are easing the shift to mobile learning. However, the mobile learning environment is highly immersive such that it goes beyond the tools of learning to the lives and communities of learners. Therefore, it is from the understanding of the learners’ lives and respective communities that the context of learning can be understood.

Mobile technology offers unique affordances that support learning in the digital world by providing new kinds of learning experiences. Mobile devices allow the provision of content that students can access anywhere, and in specific contexts, to promote learning. With mobile devices, it is possible to capture learning content including images, audio, videos, GPS, and coordinates to enhance learners’ comprehension. Mobile technologies also promote communication and computing capabilities. Students can stay in touch with one another irrespective of their location or time zones. They can also use devices in computational activities and language translating. Hence, mobile technologies provide the basis upon which mobile learning rests.