Nanu, a new term in the world of further education? Perhaps like us, you have never heard of "M-Learning". Here, once again, the wheel has not been reinvented!
What is M-Learning?
For the research of this blog, we at the blink.it editorial team gather information from specialist publications and online portals around the topic of further education. Recently, I came across a term that I had never read before: M-Learning. Huh, what could that be?
I had to read and compare a few articles to understand what this "new trend" actually is. What is complicatedly expressed in many places is actually quite simple:
M-Learning is the shortened form of Mobile Learning. The term "demystified" – sometimes a definition can be that simple! My colleague Laura recently wrote a nice article about the advantages of Mobile Learning: Mobile Learning 2019
M-Learning vs. E-Learning
Articles like this one in the American observatory initially create the impression that there is a completely new trend in digital further education. Here, M-Learning is defined and compared to E-Learning in a complicated way. In summary, the author of the article comes to the following conclusions:
E-Learning | M-Learning |
formal | informal |
more time-intensive | quick to process: concise, simple content |
designed for computers or large screens | designed for smartphones and other mobile devices |
The central point I agree with here: M-Learning is designed for smartphones. Of course, if M-Learning stands for Mobile Learning! The other points, on the other hand, are a matter of interpretation. Presumably, M-Learning is only defined as "informal and brief" because that is the best method for mobile devices.
My bold thesis: E-Learning can also contain informal parts and be kept short! Yes, an E-Learning can even be designed as M-Learning. After all, E-Learning stands only for electronic – or today actually more for digital learning. And that can work just as well on mobile devices as on a computer.
This means: E-Learning can simultaneously be or contain M-Learning. According to definition, M-Learning is always also E-Learning!
So why not design an E-Learning that works just as well on mobile devices? Ultimately, it is up to the learner whether they are doing an exercise on their smartphone (that would then be M-Learning) or the same exercise on a laptop (that would then be E-Learning).
Conclusion: Don’t be confused!
My research into the seemingly new trend M-Learning has once again shown: One can make a small science out of any topic. M-Learning simply means Mobile Learning according to the definition. Moreover, the language among further educators is already very heterogeneous and doesn’t need to be further complicated.
We have therefore already examined the following questions:
What falls under E-Learning?
What distinguishes E-Learning from M-Learning? (this article)
How is Blended Learning to be understood?
And what exactly is Live Online Training?
Clear, unequivocal definitions for terms like M-Learning are extremely helpful for exchanging ideas. That’s why we at blink.it strive to question the terms and – yes, sometimes also to demystify them a bit.
