Has technology changed the way we learn?

Since the recent millennia applications have become widely available and successful as a low cost service for educating, applications can be selected directly for different learner needs and interests. This introduction of bought applications immediately enriched and customized individual mobile learning, one that initially designed for commercial purpose only before realising its potential as a educational tool. Beetham discussed how this customization then catered for four learning means Personalized, Situated, Authentic and Informal learning ( Helen Beetham 2013, p. 247)  Personalized learning can support differentiation in learner types and abilities. Education through mobile technology provides a unique opportunity of engagement. It provides for learners with different disabilities and physical needs through recognizable design and can deliver to any learner wherever they are. Therefor, allowing it to be seen and used by all.

'Prototypes exist for learning designed on the basis of knowing where the learner is, how long they have been there, where they were before, who else was learning nearby, their likely schedule and itinerary, their social networks and communities, their progress and preferences as learners see Yau 20011 (Beetham 2013, p.247)

This personalised way of engaging with design encourages and develops individual learning through the simplest of changes. It can also be designed for situated learning meaning 'learning that takes place in the course of activity, in appropriate and meaningful context (Lave and Wenger 1991). By working out its relevance within a context-specific space, analysing the engagement within the field of career choice e.g Mechanic at a car garage or surgeon in a operating theatre and hospital. Through pin pointing the space design can be created for its main function or purpose, similar to personalized learning but emphasising on the context of which it will be used, its environment and relevance in consideration to a specific space. Authentic learning then provides stimulation of real life scenarios quite like a virtual world allowing learners to engage in a near enough live enquiry and exploration. 'Mobile learning enables these conditions for authentic learning to be met, allowing learning tasks designed around content creation, data capture, location-awareness and collaborative working in real-world setting (Hine et all 2004; Betham 2013, p.247). This idea of mobile technologies enhancing learning can be applied with in a field trip context or museum visit as a means of directing the learning through instructional design within a authentic environment therefor providing a real life space to consider. Museum spaces and other such like spaces can also engage informal learning where independent and spontaneous learning can occur e.g. art exhibition spaces often provid opportunity for informal learning through such instruction as look here, find this, press this, see this and so on through the most subtle of technology engagement. 

Taking in to consideration Beetham's writings and four learning means it may not answer the question of wether mobile technologies enhance learning as the above refers to spaces and different reasons of learning that would occur in certain spaces therefor with or without technology to hand we assume learning will occur, however, by having the mobile technology to hand and by considering its design for personal, situated, authentic and informal learning we would inevitably encourage and excite learner engagement as it is enhancing with in those spaces, at those times and for different learner needs, immediately with in that context.

References

Lave, J and Wenger, E, 1991, situated learning: legitimate peripheral participation, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, Uk.

Helen Beetham, RS 2013, rethinking pedagogy for a digital age : designing for 21st century learning, 2nd end, Routledge, New York.