I recently spoke with a colleague about advancements in online Learning. Our opinions converged on the idea that COVID-19 propelled us towards what techno-educators have been fighting for several years: the legitimacy of digital technologies in education. However, we did not agree on the concepts of

E-learning and Mobile Learning.

No, Mobile learning is not e-learning on a smartphone. Indeed, with the proliferation of mobile devices and the exponential growth in the pace of evolution of today's smartphones, mobile learning (or m Learning) has spilled much ink. Given the similarity between the terms, one might be tempted to assume that mobile learning is little more than online learning on a mobile device. This hypothesis could not be further from the truth.

We don't use our smartphones the same way we use our computers. The smartphone is walking with us, in every room of the apartment or house, at the grocery store, at the doctor's, in front of the school door, etc. With one hand, we can:

Access tons of information

Click with a finger to view a video

Scroll the screen or change page

The kind of learning that is appropriate on a mobile device is very different from what we do on a computer. In fact, the differences between mobile learning and online learning are at least as great as those between online learning and face-to-face training. The distinctions between these 2 deployment routes are such that they require different approaches in educational and graphic design, but also in the design of the user experience and the presentation of information.

To fully understand the disparities between e-learning and mobile learning, one must first define the concept of mobile learning. According to the association monitoring the evolution of technologies in education, EDUCAUSE, mobile learning is characterized by:

The use of portable devices connected to the wireless network

Teaching and learning that goes beyond the traditional classroom

The flexibility of educational content that offers greater possibilities for interaction

Therefore, the main differences between mobile learning and online learning are reflected in 4 broad categories:

The "moment" factor

Access to information

The context

The evaluation

The first distinction between e-learning and mobile learning is when the learning is supposed to take place and the expected duration of the learning session.

Most online courses are designed to allow the learner to sit in front of a computer and progress on a number of topics over a period of time. The time required to complete an online module varies between 20 minutes and 2 hours.

Conversely, mobile learning, by its very nature, can be followed anytime, anywhere. Smartphone screens allow more and more varied interactions, but shorter than with a computer, because learners do not want to spend an hour staring at their phone to achieve a single learning goal. Mobile learning is great for conveying small amounts of information that can be absorbed while waiting for the bus, queuing at the grocery store, etc.

Access to information

Taking an e-learning course on a given subject requires 2 key learning objectives which are:

Comprehension

Retention.

When the learner takes an online course, the information learned is applied later. It is then essential to understand and retain the content until there is a need for application or assessment.

Mobile learning is more about accessing information when it is needed. This implies that the success of this type of learning relies more on easy and convenient access to content and less on memorizing information.

The context 

The notion of context is also one of the factors in which mobile learning differs from online learning.

Indeed, online learning requires integrating into the scripting of the course, the context that will allow the learner to understand the nature of the learning session and its objective.

In the case of mobile learning, the context is already established visually. It is part of the universe of games applications and social networks which draw their strength from the visual, interactive and intuitive aspect of their content. So when the learner clicks on the mobile learning app, a visual checklist (easier to use and interpret than a written document) can appear. To this, we add the possibility of clearly seeing close-ups or levels of detail that are not so easy in an online learning context (open a document, click on a link, etc.).

Evaluation

With e-learning, the time lag between when learning takes place and when it is applied can be significant. Therefore, the assessment methods are very different for the 2 learning styles.

Although Donald Kirkpatrick's (1959) 4 Levels of Assessment of Learning apply to both online and mobile learning, the approach to assessment is different.

When evaluating an online module, it is relatively easy, through a series of questions, to determine the success of Level 1 - Learner Response (how the learner felt about the training) and Level 2 - Learning (the resulting increase in knowledge or skills). However, with Level 3 - Behavior and Level 4 - Outcomes, it becomes much more difficult to assess the impact of online learning in the cognitive process. This is not to say that behavior and results are difficult to measure per se. But there are so many other factors that can influence a person's behavior and outcomes that it's hard to relate these changes specifically to the online learning context.

Conversely, in the case of mobile learning, since the time between when mobile learning occurs and when the learning is put into practice is usually very short, it is much easier to assess the impact of online learning in the cognitive process. Additionally, mobile learning is less about understanding and retaining and more about having easy access to the right information. Level 1 and 2 assessments are less important if the learner's behaviors and outcomes change appropriately.

Mobile learning better than online learning?

In sum, one might think that by doing the exercise of highlighting the differences between mobile and online learning, I am suggesting that one style of learning is better than the other. But this is not the case. The 2 types of learning are appropriate as long as they are adapted to the right situation. To give just one example, an online learning module on the history of prominent figures in Montreal can be both interesting and educational. The depth of the content might require multiple views, each of them bringing out a myriad of fascinating details. But a Montreal walking tour that uses the smartphone's GPS function to point out and explain important landmarks based on your current location is much more interesting than learning at home, sitting in front of your desk.

The point is that the capabilities and characteristics of today's mobile devices allow us to create innovative ways of learning. In this time of lockdown, let’s think of phones and other mobile devices in a way that improves learning processes and allows students to not have to sit in front of their computer all day long.

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