Talent Ng’andwe (2010) Mobile Phone Learning on the Move in Africa, e-Learning Africa News Portal, June 28
From the article:
By 2009, about one third of the African population had a mobile phone subscription – as opposed to only 8.7% using the Internet through desktop computers (Internet World Stats). With approximately 360 million cell phone subscribers, Africa has surpassed the USA (270 million subscribers), according to the UN Information Economy Report 2009. And there is still great potential for further development. Will future African students, therefore, be learning from the telephones in their pockets rather than from the laptops in their classrooms?
To find the answer, read the article!
Dr. Tony Bates is the author of eleven books in the field of online learning and distance education. He has provided consulting services specializing in training in the planning and management of online learning and distance education, working with over 40 organizations in 25 countries. Tony is a Research Associate with Contact North | Contact Nord, Ontario’s Distance Education & Training Network.
The mobile “phone” is certainly a great medium for learning especially with its greater penetration into the market than the laptop. This allows them to take advantage of the phone they have to carry with them anyway. We are certainly progressing with podcasts as a teaching tool and when created as AAC instead of mp3 format, it is easy to embed images and URLs directly into the display when playing (I do this in my Talking About Glaucoma podcast). So iPhone or Android devices sound like a great idea.