Mobile Learning: Analysis of The Benefits and Drawbacks

The widespread use of technology leads to the evolution and development of constantly updated information, the need for individuals to access knowledge from anywhere, the individualization of education, distance education, e-learning, and mobile learning. Wireless communication technologies and mobile devices have contributed to the popularization of these concepts. The aim of 'Mobile Learning' essay is to investigate the impact of mobile learning and mobile educational applications on students’ academic achievement. The research problem is “Do mobile learning affect the student’s academic accomplishment and attitudes?” It discusses the advantages and disadvantages of mobile learning and its applications especially those which are related directly to students. Also, it shows the limitations of m-learning from different perspectives and its future.

The Beginning of Mobile Learning and Its Current State

Mobile learning means the use of mobile devices (such as tablets, laptops, and smartphones) in learning environments. Mobile learning (m-learning) is a methodology that has been used for almost 20 years due to the rapid spread of mobiles among people, especially children and adolescents, and its uses are available anywhere and during any time. Mobile learning has become a kind of distance education that plays a vital role in our lives, particularly in the pandemic process of the last few years. Almost all universities possess a mobile application to facilitate learning, registration and administration processes. Mobile learning devices include electronic devices like mobile phones, tablets, laptops, etc. The most used devices among young people appear to be smartphones. In addition to that, applications are continuously developed to provide availability to learning content and comfortable communication between the student and the teacher. Its introduction into our lives has greatly facilitated lifelong learning. Mobile learning ensures a sustainable education outside the classroom affecting our lives hugely in both positive and negative ways.

Alan Kay, a computer scientist, initially proposed the concept of mobile learning, in 1968, back when phones were everything but digital. Kay devised the 'Dynabook,' a portable computer that would allow youngsters to learn from anywhere. The Dynabook, which is neither a laptop nor a tablet (and certainly not a phone), was formed to be both portable and instructional. Although it was never completed, it served as the foundation for mobile learning.Mobile learning became more widespread with the introduction of the smartphone app which made the content of Learning Management Systems  available on mobile devices. Globally the number of users who use smartphones is growing at a very fast rate from 1.06 billion in 2016 to 4.3 billion expected in 2023. Another study for mobile devices owned by Americans in 2021 shows that 96% of them in the age group 18-29 years have smartphones and the largest percentage of this survey’s participants (30%) use them as the main device for internet access. Only 45 percent of top learning firms had used mobile learning in 2012 (a few years after apps became ubiquitous), and 70 percent expected to do so in the next two years. Because of the rapid advancement of wireless and mobile computer technologies, the distribution of knowledge via digital learning has shifted from distance learning to electronic learning (e-Learning), and finally to blended learning to today's mobile learning (m-learning) model. As a result, a jump in education is also required by modifying teaching and learning to the experience and talents of this generation.

According to the mobile learning concept, any location can serve as a learning environment as long as the student is near the learning tool. Even if we consider learning tools to be a small number of common tools, we can conclude that there are numerous learning tools in this type of learning. However, many of these instruments might be costly and have entered our lives as a result of technological advancements. Mobile learning proved, during years, its effectiveness in providing a suitable and flexible learning environment. The use of mobiles encourages students to engage in learning activities and currently it is becoming a necessity in education. The following are some of the reasons why mobile learning improves learning performance: It allows students to learn anywhere, at any time, encourages student-centered education, and appeals to differences and interests. Because mobile devices, which are widely utilized in daily life, offer wireless connections, portability, and simple accessibility, they are increasingly being used in educational activities.

What are the Advantages of M-Learning?

Anytime and Anywhere Learning

One of the most beneficial uses of m-learning is that students or teachers are not constrained in a specific classroom or with a certain schedule. Similarly, teachers can clearly explain the lesson, evaluate it and communicate to both students and parents in a convenient way. Mobile learning can fit different learning styles such as reading, learning through videos, listening to podcasts (Audio), and research on the internet. This accessibility sets a base for students to learn in a way where they feel enrolled in the process and not controlled by the decisions of an authority figure. Thus, the features of m-learning, such as portability, flexibility and wireless technology, enable the access to different resources of information easily and in different formats. The lack of time and location constraints offers equal educational opportunities and allows collaboration amongst persons who are separated by great distances. As a result, collaborative learning is possible with mobile learning. This feature allows us to save time in daily life and to evaluate our free time.

Dynamic Teaching Methodologies

After the development of information technology, more mobile applications arose to ease learning with the use of newer and advanced mythologies. M-learning supports interactive learning extremely supplied with visual learning including audio, videos and images… This means that its content is very dynamic where teachers can benefit from Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) to demonstrate a lesson with graphics and animations. Besides, many mobile applications and websites are providing an exceptional learning experience that is learner-centered and far away from the outmoded teaching methods. Educators genuinely try to use mobile technology to facilitate learning with advanced strategies. Nowadays, smartphones are supplied with GPS, Google, camera, Microsoft Office, Adobe reader and many other facilities that provide a rich ground for interactive multimedia learning. Google classroom, Microsoft teams, Edmodo, Kahoot and many applications are targeted to both teachers and students of different ages.

Personalization of Learning

One of the most appealing aspects of mobile learning is its flexibility. Students and teachers can learn on the go and at their own speed. To great impact, a variety of teaching approaches and active content can be used. Mobile learning is ideal for personalizing learning because of its flexibility. Students can use their personal mobile learning devices to access course materials, tests, assignments and other resources according to their preferences and skills. Why do we need individualized learning in the first place? As we learn more about education, we realize that categorizing students into broad groupings is not beneficial. Mobile learning, with its intrinsic flexibility, is better suited to meet their diversity in thinking since students are different in nature, with varied abilities, backgrounds and needs. M-learning promotes independent learning since learners can personalize their learning depending on their qualities and interests, as well as the tools and apps that are available to them, without having to worry about time or space constraints. Through the use of web-based applications and social media to establish personal and authentic learning communities, the student builds and develops his or her own choice of educational activity.

Specific Nature of Motivation 

The goal of constructing digital classrooms was originally to encourage and enhance students' computer skills, as well as to prepare them for life outside of school. However, because of new-generation learners' attraction to digital devices, it served a higher function of motivating them. M-learning motivates students to engage in the learning process by incorporating gamification techniques as game quizzes that encourage students to perform better from their previous score. Because peer intervention is such an important part of this learning activity, digital classrooms are fundamentally learner-centered. Furthermore, through active contact with other students, digital classrooms provide learners with a variety of techniques for obtaining and organizing their knowledge. In such a way, students will intrinsically be motivated to learn. Furthermore, the new generation of learners enjoy experimenting with numerous applications of technology, not only in their daily lives but also in their educational pursuits. It is an effective method for motivating even disinterested students in the class to approach on-task behaviors. It can simply get rid of boredom while studying.

Significant Consequences of M-Learning

Distracted Learning

One drawback of mobile learning is that it increases the amount of screen time a student spends in a single day. While we strive to limit the amount of time children spend in front of a computer, mobile device, tablet, or television screen – especially for younger students — mobile learning requires students to spend time in front of a screen to learn. Screen usage can become habit-forming and addictive in some situations. As a result, mobile learning should be regulated in light of how much time a student spends in front of a screen during the rest of the day. In addition to that, during a mobile learning session, the smartphone user may receive several  ads, SMS, social networking, or news messages. This lowers the learner's sensation of isolation, potentially lowering engagement levels when compared to a classroom setting. In fact, research shows that taking notes with a pen and paper is less disturbing. Many students open their phones to learn something but wind up accessing social media sites, chatting, exchanging photos, or playing video games instead. These types of diversions squander time that may be better spent on more important tasks.

Lack of Social Interaction

Traditional classroom teaching offers beneficial real-time feedback in terms of encouraging good mental health and delivering a new sort of positive reinforcement. However, the benefit of this will be totally dependent on the teacher's unique qualities, and some students do not perform as well in classrooms as they would with individual study. Excessive usage of cell phones and the Internet can be detrimental.  It is linked to higher degrees of depression and loneliness in relationships.  When you consider this, it's no surprise that teenagers have the greatest rates of depression.  Face-to-face encounters have decreased as a result of social networking and texting. Technology's negative consequences are also a significant component of its impact on all of our lives. There has been some research on the influence of mobile on face-to-face relationships.  Researchers linked the amount of internet usage to the new technologies being produced in one study that we found. They discovered that the majority of participants continually assessed the internet as less beneficial for communication and that face-to-face conversations were considerably superior for maintaining connections at the conclusion of their study.

Technical Issues

M-learning requires all students to have a mobile device and a consistent wireless connection, something that may be unavailable to students in isolated areas or with limited incomes. Some countries suffer from the lack of electricity and fast internet resulting in an inadvertently fragmented learning experience that lowers participation. Also, due to the lack of standardization in cell phones, device compatibility issues may develop. Learners may use different operating systems or versions that are incompatible. Screen sizes, battery life, and other features vary across editions. As a result, some learners may be unable to load courseware while others are able to do so, putting learning content delivery at risk and putting certain students at a disadvantage. Software compatibility issues, failure to upgrade to a new version, frequent system crashes, and other issues obstruct the software's operation, interrupting your continuous mobile learning experience. Similarly, as technology advances, some devices may become incompatible fast, making it difficult for students to keep up with shifting trends. These issues can cause anxiety to students in their learning process particularly while taking an online session or test. 

Eyestrain (Asthenopia)

 The most extensively utilized mobile learning tool is a cell phone. Because reading text on a small screen on a phone is challenging, consumers choose devices with larger screens. Transporting these devices becomes a difficulty as well. As a result, many eye illnesses, such as asthenopia, are caused by spending a lot of time with these instruments and staring at a screen for a long time.

Conclusion

In conclusion, mobile learning presents both advantages and disadvantages that have a significant impact on education and training. On the one hand, mobile learning offers unparalleled flexibility and accessibility, enabling learners to engage in educational activities anytime and anywhere, which is especially beneficial for those with busy schedules or limited access to traditional learning settings. The ability to access a vast array of educational resources, interactive content, and collaborative tools through mobile devices empowers learners to take ownership of their learning journey and tailor their experiences to suit individual preferences and needs.

Additionally, mobile learning facilitates personalized and adaptive learning experiences, where content and assessments can be tailored to each learner's proficiency level and learning pace, leading to improved learning outcomes and retention. Moreover, the integration of multimedia, gamification, and augmented reality in mobile learning enhances engagement and motivation, making the learning process more enjoyable and effective.

However, mobile learning is not without its challenges. Technical issues, such as limited internet connectivity or device compatibility, can hinder the seamless delivery of content and communication. Moreover, the potential for distractions and multitasking while using mobile devices may impede focus and deep learning.

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