Mobile learning: tendencies and lines of research

• Authors: José Carlos Sánchez Prieto;Susana Olmos Migueláñez;Francisco J. García-Peñalvo
• Venue: Proceedings of the First International Conference on Technological Ecosystem for Enhancing Multiculturality
• Year: 2013

As mobile technologies have gained presence in all social groups, the interest for their applications in the educational field has grown steadily. The present article proposes an exploration of the concept of mobile learning with the intention of describing the possibilities of this methodology and establishing its development tendencies. To that end, we will focus in three key aspects: didactic uses, pedagogical criteria and lines of research. We will begin with a definition of the key concepts and an analysis of the features of the devices, addressing the didactical implications of each one's use. Secondly, we will address the pedagogical criteria for the integration of mobile learning (mLearning), and we will describe its connection with the different theories of education and we will establish the guidelines to follow when developing activities within this methodology. Lastly, we will present the main lines of research, with a particular focus on Europe and Spain. As a closure, we will pose a series of conclusions and proposals to improve the development of mobile learning as an educational solution. Currently, research on the possibilities of mobile terminals in the field of teaching is focusing particularly on the development of a pedagogical framework from which to elaborate a proper didactic methodology. This article aims to reflect this growing tendency.