Literature on the safe and disruptive learning potential of mobile technologies

Worldwide growth in use of mobile phones has fostered the emergence of mobile learning. Mobile technologies are used both in classrooms to support instruction (safe) and as tools that significantly change instructional activities, learner roles, and learning location (disruptive). Learners become less consumers of information and more collaborators, researchers, and publishers on‐the‐go (Stead, 2006 Stead, G. 2006. “Mobile technologies: Transforming the future of learning”. In Emerging technologies for learning, Edited by: Pinder, A. 6–15. Coventry: BECTA ICT Research. Retrieved from http://publications.becta.org.uk/display.cfm?resID=25940&page=1834 Google Scholar). Scholarship in m‐learning is scarce and lacks rigor (McNeal & van't Hooft, 2006 McNeal, T. and van't Hooft, M. 2006. Anywhere, anytime: Using mobile phones for learning. Journal of the Research Center for Educational Technology, 2(2): 24–31. Google Scholar). Even with increasing numbers of investigative studies there are still significant gaps in the literature (Litchfield et al., 2007 Litchfield, A., Dyson, L., Lawrence, E. and Zmijewska, A. Directions for m‐learning research to enhance active learning. ICT: Providing choices for learners and learning. Proceedings Ascilite 2007. pp.587–596. Retrieved from http://www.ascilite.org.au/conferences/singapore07/procs/litchfield.pdf Google Scholar). Little is understood about when m‐technology is most useful and what constitutes good m‐learning. A review of a broad range of investigative cases is presented and critiqued with suggestions for further research. Although both classroom‐based and distance education topics are discussed, the distance education scholar and practitioner may benefit from learning more about these emerging technologies being used in face‐to‐face instruction.