Mobile Learning: Challenges and Opportunities in K-12 US Education

Mobile learning represents a unique opportunity to utilize existing technology to create new ways for students to engage with learning materials. Whether delivering educational content in bite-sized applications, facilitating participating in online discussions, or providing a platform for inquiry-based labs and creative learning projects, mobile devices are well positioned to deliver new learning solutions to K-12 schools. Experience has shown that it often takes many years before a new technology establishes itself as a mainstream product in the market. At this point in time, mobile learning technology is still in its infancy. However, early research has shown that mobile devices have the potential to reshape the student learning experience in the future by providing students with complete access to a more personalized, collaborative, and experiential learning environment. The U.S. is currently lagging behind Europe and Asia in its deployment of mobile technologies. However, many K-12 educators have begun to take note of the opportunities presented by mobile learning, and are trying to determine how they can best incorporate this technology effectively within the classroom. In this session, we will strive to provide academic leadership with a better understanding of the challenges and opportunities they are likely to face with respect to mobile learning over the next several years. Our presentation will include demonstrations of mobile applications that are available from several third-party providers in the marketplace, and we will discuss how these applications contextualize learning for students. We will also present research and case studies showing how certain U.S. schools and programs have effectively used mobile devices to increase engagement and promote creative, experiential learning among students. Finally, we will address lessons learned from European and Asian educational institutions, and discuss how these lessons might be applied to K-12 education in the U.S. The ultimate goal of this session is to show educators the potentially transformative power of mobile learning as a tool to engage and excite students. The session promises to be an exciting, informative look at the tools and technologies that are currently available to teachers, and how these tools can be effectively leveraged in the classroom to enhance student learning.