Education for a Digital World Advice, Guidelines and Effective Practice from Around Globe, 2008a

6 – The Impact of Technology on Education
in remote locations, or who cannot attend face-to-face
schools for other reasons. The available computing power
of these technologies allows educators to better meet the
needs of individual learners.
Benefits of using emerging
technologies in e-learning
Because of the rapid development of information technology,
there is a shift from print-based learning to e-
learning to mobile learning (m-learning). M-learning
refers to the use of electronic learning materials with
built-in learning strategies for delivery on mobile computing
devices (Ally, 2004a). Mobile devices offer many
benefits. Thanks to wireless technology, mobile devices
do not have to be physically connected to networks to
access information. They are small enough to be portable,
allowing users to take the devices anywhere. Users
can interact with each other to share information and
expertise, complete a task, or work collaboratively on a
project.
Benefits of emerging technologies for education:
• Education is scaleable, since educational institutions
do not have to build classrooms and infrastructure to
hold face-to-face classes. To accommodate more learners,
educational institutions need only expand the
network and hire more instructors to facilitate additional
courses.
• Electronic learning materials are easy to update. Because
learners use their mobile devices to access the learning
materials from a central server, they can receive
these updates as soon as they are made.
• The same learning materials can be accessed by students
from different regions and countries.
• Learners can complete their education from any location
as long as they have access to the learning materials,
possibly through a wireless connection.
• Because learners can access the learning materials
anytime, they can select the time they learn best to
complete their coursework. This increases the success
rate in learning, and facilitates informal learning.
• Designers of learning materials for emerging technologies
can leverage the computing power of the technology
to personalize the learning experience for individual
learners.
• Since learning with emerging technologies is learnerfocused,
learners will be more involved with their
learning, and thus motivated to achieve higher level
learning.
• For businesses, mobile learning can be integrated into
everyday work processes, which promotes immediate
application. The emerging technologies allow workers
to access learning materials for just-in-time
training.
• Because most learners already have mobile technology,
educational institutions can design and deliver
courses for different types of mobile technology (Ally
& Lin, 2005).
Mobile technologies such as Blackberries, Treos,
iPods, and cell phones are being used in the classroom
and in distance education to reach out to students and
to deliver learning materials to students. Instructors are
taping their lectures and making them available for students
to listen whenever they like. Providing lectures
and learning materials in audio format is important for
some subject areas such as when learning a language and
English Literature. The mobile technologies are also
used to connect to students to inform them when course
requirements are due and informing them on updates to
courses. Mobile learning technologies can be used in any
discipline that can be broken down into small segments
of instruction. This will allow students to complete one
segment at a time. In addition to playing a support role
in classroom instruction, mobile technologies can play a
major role in distance education by delivering instruction
anywhere and at anytime. Books and course information
will have to be formatted for reading on
computer and mobile devices screens. A good example
of how this is being realized is the screen on the one
hundred dollar laptop (OLPC, 2006). Information on
the screen can be read in daylight as well in the dark.
The small screens on the mobile devices are becoming
more advanced for reading. As with the development of
the virtual screen, students will be able to project information
and images on a surface that is the same size as a
regular computer screen.
However, before these benefits can be realized, the
learning materials must be designed specifically for
emerging technologies.
Design principles for developing
learning materials for emerging
technologies
In developing learning materials for any technology,
learning theories must be used for effective and efficient
Education for a Digital World 59