Mobile Learning M Learning In Review

Published Date: 02 Nov 2017

Mujib Abbas Tamboli,

Asst.Professor,Kalsekar Technical Campus,Panvel,(Mumbai University)

Email:[email protected]

I.Abstract:

Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has the potential to enhance people’s lives in India in many ways. Day to day activities such as simple communication, health, education and economic activities are largely improved through affordable and stable digital network infrastructure. However, to benefit from ICTs, India needs to include ICT education and training in their national strategic plans, so that more people attain skills and expertise in the area of ICT.Though education sector has seen immense technological advancement, yet the mobile technology is not widely used in the education sector for course delivery in the countries like India. Effective use of mobile technology in education paradigm could bring about better student experience, learning and performance in the examination.

The Telecom industry in India is one of the fastest growing industries and is expected to become the second largest industry in the world. According to Business India’s mobile revolution, it is mainly seen in the cities, but the real prize for phone companies is the vast rural market, where nearly 70% of the 1.1 billion strong population lives. To bridge such a vast gap between the rural and urban India, the main aim is to provide basic information on agriculture, education and health through 3G technology on mobile phones. Technology Transfer concentrates on the supply side on the willingness and ability of the supplier to transfer and assumes that demand is not a constraint. Technology diffusion on the other hand takes technology supply for granted and examines the speed of demand over space and time.

The penetration of mobile in India is very high and it can be understood from the fact that India currently has over 600 million of mobile users (Wikipedia article on number of mobile users in different countries of the world).The figure is 59.6% of the total Indian population, i.e., out of every two Indians at least one Indian is a mobile user. As per a report from Reuters, India added record 15.6 million in March, 2009 and the monthly growth in number of users is over 10 million. Seeing high penetration of the technology in Indian life, many corporate bodies and even government bodies like election commission, army and income tax department are using the medium to reach out to the people. The mobile technology may be used in education sector as well for better learning experience.

Mobile-learning (M-learning) is seen as either an extension of e-learning which traditionally meant learning that takes place at a computer or a completely new paradigm that lets someone learn anywhere and at any time. Constable et.al. (2008) define m-learning as "the combination of e-learning and mobile computing".Yordanova (2007) defines m-learning as "learning that is wireless and ubiquitous". Wains and Mahmood (2008) define m-learning as "a type of e-learning which blends wireless and mobile technology for learning experience".Deegan and Rothwell (2010) give a definition of m-learning as "Learning with the aid of a mobile device".Deegan and Rothwell (2010) have classified m-learning into five categories in terms of usability aspects and these classifications include-Learning Management, Supportive, Content-based, Context-based and Collaborative. Using the mobile device in order to register for courses, view grades, retrieve homework, submit assignments and annotate common artefacts falls under the Learning Management category of M-learning. Using the mobile devices for supporting traditional learning(in classroom or lecture hall),e-learning or distance learning like direct communication between lecture and student falls under the supportive category of e-learning.Wains and Mahmood (2008) describes the use of SMS system to supplement real-time TV learning which comes under this category. The same paper notes the use of SMS in English lesson in Japan and in distance education in Philippines as a supportive tool. Viewing video recordings of class lectures through mobile comes under the content-based category of m-learning. Context-based learning is a true mobile learning environment. A context-based learning application will focus learning objectives in the environment in which it is being used. Morrison et.al.(2009) talks about context based application of M-learning describing how users of a mobile device can use the camera function to display a map in real time while application overlays meta-data on the map. Collaborative learning refers to the notion that a learner is not a passive participant when learning but takes an active part in the learning process as per Deegan and Rothwell (2010).Participating in forum discussion using a mobile device is an example of Collaborative usability of M-learning.

Keywords:Mobile learning,telecom technology transfer,higher education,Moodle software

II.Scope of the Study

Education is the driving force of economic and social development in any country (Cholin, 2005; Mehta and Kalra, 2006).India like any other knowledge economy depends on the development of its educational sector. Higher education drives the competitiveness and employment generation in India. However research findings have shown that the overall state of higher education is dismal in the country. There is a severe constraint on the availability of skilled labour(Agarwal,2006).There exist socio-economic,cultural,time and geographical barriers for people who wish to pursue higher education(Bhattacharya and Sharma,2007).When it comes to employment and further education, we are still challenged with the quality of education and training imparted at the highest levels. Whilst the industries keep questioning the deploy-ability of the freshers, there are hardly any benchmarks setup that can be used to assess the quality of education imparted by the institutions and how well are the students prepared to take on more responsible roles in the industry.

Innovative use of Information and Communication Technology can potentially solve this problem. Talking about technology, mobile phones are the fastest growing technology platform in the developing world. India is the largest market for mobile phones worldwide, with the majority being bought by illiterate and semi-literate users. A growing percentage of these phones feature advanced multimedia capabilities for photos, videos and gaming. These devices are a perfect vehicle for new kinds of out of school learning, which can occur at places and times that are more convenient than school. These factors create an extraordinary opportunity for complementing the formal education system towards enhancing skills in young Indians, which is the fastest way to open the doors for employment and also further education.

Some interesting facts that would help us in understanding the exponential growth and reach of the mobile and telecom revolution that the country is witnessing are as follows:

Source: Internet and Mobile Association of India (Apr’2011)

71% of India’s population uses mobile phones-that is 858,370,000 individuals.

While there are so many mobile phones, internet penetration is still very low-as low as 8%.

Source: Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (June’2011):

The number of Mobile subscribers in India is growing at an annual rate of 34%.

There are roughly 290,000,000 rural mobile subscribers in India.

Penetration of mobile subscriptions in India is 71% as compared to 61% TV subscribers in Indian households.

There were 346,670,000 mobile data subscribers in India in June, 2011.

70% of Indian Internet users watch online videos.

M-Learning: Mobile learning is an approach in electronic learning (e-learning) that utilizes mobile devices. Although often m-learning is seen as simply an extension of e-learning, in fact quality m-learning can only be delivered with an awareness and special care of the limitations and advantages of mobile devices.

The scope of this study is to identify and assess the quality in higher education vis-a-vis students’ expectations and how technology can play a role in bridging the gaps. The research objectives are:(1) To determine from teachers’ perspective, the weak areas in higher education Institutions where improvement is required.(2)To determine if mobile learning can be useful in making improvements in those areas.(3)To present a case study showing that implementation of mobile learning in an Engineering course was appreciated and accepted by the teachers.

III.Review of Literature:

(a)Mobile Learning in review: Opportunities and challenges for learners, teachers and institutions.

Opportunities and challenges are emerging for learners, teachers and institutions from the increasing availability of low cost mobile and wireless devices and associated infrastructure. In order to ascertain the current state of knowledge and research, an extensive review and synthesis of the literature in mobile learning had been undertaken by Rachel Cobcroft,Stephen Towers,Judith Smith & Axel Bruns(Creative Industries faculty,Queensland University of Technology,Australia published in 2006 OLT conference proceedings) to identify and harness potential factors and gaps in implementation.

The review examined the preparedness of the higher education sector to comprehend,and take advantage of,the differences between the physical vs. the digital,the sedentary vs. the nomadic(Alexander,2004).It sought to provide a pathway to what Saloman(2004)refers to as the fourth generation of electronic learning environments, which would incorporate the physical and the digital, the sedentary and the nomadic, and the ,online, the offline, and the wireless.

The blended learning environments that encorporate the physical and virtual are seen as critical strategies for higher education institutes. As summarized by Mcgovern and Gray (2005,p.390), such environments have implications for learners(learning experience),teachers(practices),technology planning and sustainability. Technological changes in mobile and wireless ICTs for learning and teaching are extensive.The literature review considered the following options for m-learning:tablet PCs(Corlett & Sharples,2004),ipods(Duke University,2004;Perlman,2005),palmtop computers(Savill-Smith & Kent,2003),Personal Digital Assistants(PDAs)(Singh,Denoue,&Das,2004;Squire,Johnson,Holland,Nataf,&Klopfer,2002;Cochrane,2005),mobile phones and SMS(Wagner,2005;Chenug,2004;Faulkner,2004;Gonzales,Ittleson, & Krebs,2004;Geddes 2004;mellow 2005),and wireless infrastructure(Sotillo,2003;Falk 2003;Lu,Chun Sheng,Chang & Yao,2003).

In considering the implementation of mobile learning,Atwell(2005)suggests five broad categories of technology that should be considered,namely transport,platform,delivery,media technologies,and development languages,as seen in figure 1.

Administrators and teaching staff within institutions are increasingly acknowledging and responding to external factors (such as competition, market trends and government policy imperatives) and internal factors (such as student preferences, staff capabilities and pedagogical approaches).These are the institutional changes. As with all change management projects, gaining institutional support for the m-learning approach is critical. Areas to be addressed include cost,compatibility,equity of access, security privacy and ethical concerns(Traxler & Bridges,2004;Mobile Learning Group,2004).In terms of application, issues including lack of teacher confidence,training,and technical difficulties with devices used may impact negatively on their uptake and use(Facer,Faux, & McFarlane,2005).These are systematic challenges.

While broad frameworks for e-learning provide some guidance for learning designers, the literature review indicated that there was little attention being paid to developing specific frameworks to support the design of mobile learning. An initial attempt offered by Sharples,Taylor and Vavoula(2005,p.4)suggested that a theory of mobile learning should be assessed against the following criteria:

Is it significantly different from current theories of classroom, workplace or lifelong learning?

Does it account for the mobility of learners?

Does it cover both formal and informal learning?

Does it theorise learning as a constructive and social process?

Does it analyse learning as a personal and situated activity mediated by technology?

(b)Assessing Indian Students’ Perceptions Towards M-Learning-Some Initial Conclusions:

The authors Bhagyalakshmi Venkatesh,Rajendra Nargundkar,Feroz K.Sayed,Shahaida P.(Dec 2006) tried to examine the Indian Students’ willingness to use M-learning and investigate their expectations from such a service.The specific research questions intended to: (R1) Measure the awareness of Indian students about M-learning.(R2)Understand the perceptions of Indian students towards M-learning.(R3)Understand the willingness of the Indian students to adopt M-learning as an educational tool.(R4)Verify if demographic differences exist with respect to interest in the M-Learning concept ,particularly among rural and urban respondents.

Ancar and D’Incau(2002) have proposed five missions/settings,which are of relevance to our study.According to them,mobile value can be provided for consumers in five different ways:time critical needs and arrangements-where immedicacy is essential;spontaneous needs and decisions where no planning is involved;entertainment needs-using time filler as against ‘time killer’ services(Kalakota and Whinston,1997);efficiency needs and ambitions-to increase productivity during ‘dead spots’(e.g.commuting time)of the day;and mobility related needs-where location based services can be accessed when on the move.Clark(2001)had identified value propositions for m-commerce applications around the values of ‘ubiquity’,’convenience’,’localisation’ and personalization.

Price and a user friendly device seem to be the key variables, which concern those who are interested in adopting M-learning. M-learning is a new service in its introductory stage and their study in totality investigated consumer concerns and consumer perceptions towards M-Learning.The study also made a comparison of different tools of learning which can be of use to marketing managers from the industry.The findings reveal that a section of the target audience is positive towards adopting M-learning which can have positive bearing for potential service providers in this industry.Greater awareness of features,price etc. of the proposed service may find adequate number of customers for M-learning solutions in a market such as India which has proved to be education-friendly.

(c)ICT Education and Training Services:Current Scenario and Future Prospects in India:

ICT & ITES related education and training institutions in India have huge potential to contribute by way of developing people with required expertise.Indian system of ICT education & training seems capable enough to leverage their business,is yet to be systematically studied according to Ravindra Jain and Richa Agrawal(2007).The objective of their study was to suggest,in Indian context,some pragmatic measures to strengthen the system of ICT related education & training services.The study was based on secondary data which have been collected from various sources like review reports/survey reports/research reports of NASSCOM,NASSCOM-McKinsey,IDC-NASSCOM,Economic Survey of India,Dataquest magazine,Statistical year book and reports on various websites.

As per their findings,it may be foreseen that India will continue to enjoy advantages of its highly skilled,talented,sophisticated and cost effective people and due to such advantages India will continue to offer at increasing rate its cost effective and good quality ICT services with or without combination of additional services and with ongoing value addition to thousands of firms including majority of fortune 500 companies operated in more than 125 countries.ICT education and training market will also grow proportionately as Indian ICT firms need maintaining the existing talent on one hand and on the other,they have to drive further to expand their work force base in order to ensure their operational effectiveness and competitive edge over its overseas rivals.

(d)Mobile Learning and Student Retention:

Student retention in open and distance learning (ODL)is comparatively poor to traditional education and in some contexts low.Even when interventions are designed and undertaken to improve student retention,they tend to fall short.The Authors Bharat Inder Fozdar & Lalita S. Kumar(2007) aimed to better understand and measure students’ attitudes and perceptions towards the effectiveness of mobile learning.Their hope is to determine how this technology can be optimally used to improve student retention at Bachelor of Science programmes at IGNOU in India.The first part of their research was based on Roger’s model of innovation diffusion(Roger,1995).According to Roger’s model,the diffusion of any innovation follows five steps:Knowledge,Persuasion,Decision,Implementation and confirmation.The second part of their research aimed to determine ‘how’ mobile technologies can be used to improve student retention in IGNOU’s ODL system.They found that in developing countries like India,where WAP and PDA based mobile technologies are not yet popular due to costs involved,less expensive SMS-based mobile technologies such as mobile phones,hold tremendous potential,which can be strategically used to support and improve student retention.But they found that we still have to go a long way before an entire course can be delivered via mobile phones.We can also explore the use of micro learning blended with DE system using mobile systems for support.

(e)Mobile Learning in Higher Education: An empirical assessment of a new Educational Tool:

The authors Douglas MCCONATHA,Matt PRAUL of West Chester University of Pensylvania and Michael J.LYNCH of Temple University assessed some of possible methods, challenges and future potential of using M-learning approach in a college classroom and described an empirical evaluation of the effectiveness of M-learning in a college classroom.112 students in an introductory survey course in sociology were given opportunity to use M-learning product offered by HotLava software for the purpose of assisting them in preparation for two scheduled exams. Both practice and review questions were made available on smart phones, PDAs, Web enabled phones and other internet capable mobile devices via learning mobile author.42 of the 112 students in classroom chose to access the data via their personal devices and their responses were collected and recorded. The results of their performance were compared to outcomes of for students who chose not to use M-Learning tool.

The authors recommend that more college courses utilize a mobile learning ready framework. If instructors begin experimenting with mobile learning, the field will experience a rapid growth in the quality and quantity of studies about the effectiveness of these tools and technique. The materials and knowledge required for an instructor to begin taking part in these new possibilities and pedagogies are becoming increasingly available to customers. Many colleges around the world have begun this process. As in this current study, practice material for an examination can be made available so students can truly study, and review and prepare for tests using a wide array of delivery options that will allow them to do this virtually anywhere at any time.

(f)A classification of M-Learning Applications from a Usability Perspective:

M-learning has long been on academic agenda as a new form of education delivery.One of the restricting forces of the successful integration of m-learning into mainstream education is the set of issues associated with the usability of applications designed on these m-learning devices.Robin Deegan and Paul Rothwell from Cork Institute of Technology,Cork,Ireland classified mobile learning applications to enable to understand specific issues, challenges and benefits of mobile devices in education. These are: Pedagogical classifications, contextual classifications, blended classifications, application based classification and the best application classification.The authors conducted a review of mobile learning applications and attempted to insert the applications into the frameworks and models.They manipulated the classifications until they found a way to classify each and every application.From the review,they concluded that m-learning applications could be organized into five distinct categories:Learning Management,Supportive,Content-based,Context-based and collaborative.

The evaluation of m-learning applications is not a simple task.There is interdisciplinary disconnect within this field.Computing professionals are reluctant to fully enter into the field of pedagogy and pedagogues are often out of their comfort zone in the technological arena.Therefore usability evaluation of m-learning application must focus on the context of use(task,user,environment, and technology) and also the pedagogical aspects(e.g. cognitive load).Further research will investigste each category and elaborate on their specific usability challenges.In addition,the concept of a new set of m-learning heuristics was presented and these will be developed further.Based on the classification of m-learning applications,future research will also attempt to establish a usability framework for m-learning application development by creating and evaluating usable m-learning applications.The main strength of above authors’ paper is in providing the foundations for further investigation into usability issues specifically concerned with m-learning.These foundations are the classification of types of m-learning and the central positioning of the context of use in application development.As stated,the discussion of the usability issues associated with the categories of m-learning is superficial at this stage and simply serves as an indication of future directions.

(g)Using mobile phones to promote lifelong learning among rural women in Southern India:

The study done by K.Balsubramanian,P.Thamizoli,Abdurrahman Umar,Asha Kanwar is an attempt to study the role of mobile phones in the non-formal and informal context among rural women from resource poor communities.In particular,it focuses on the women’s control over the mobile phone as a learning tool through demonstration of technologies.The study focused on a group of illiterate and semi-literate women in Southern India who are challenging existing social relations through mobilization and learning.It attempted to understand relationship between social context and use of mobile phone as tools for lifelong learning via the gender dimension.The study was based on the premise that the digital divide in terms of gender should be perceived beyond the issues of simple access to ICT.Education,age,occupation,family size,caste status,economic status are the independent variables.The study adopted a two-pronged approach-quantitative analysis using a structured survey and qualitative analysis using social-anthropological tools.Their study demonstrates that the transition from silence to voice,from powerlessness to empowerment is possible in non-formal learning contexts,just as it is in formal contexts, and that technology offers a means to accelerate this process if the use of technology is placed in an appropriate social context.

(h)M-learning in distance education libraries:

A case scenario of Indira Gandhi National Open University was studied by Seema Chandhok and Parveen Babbar,IGNOU,Delhi.The purpose of their paper was to discover the perspectives of M-Technologies in Distance Education Libraries.The study proposes a model for providing e-resources and other information services through mobile technology to its learners in IGNOU,India.In this qualitative study, data were gathered through questionnaire and interviews from Distance Learners of IGNOU to access the actual requirement of Distance Learners for various m-library services in the present scenario.The study is guided conceptually by the perceived need for m-libraries and a growing usage of mobiles in India.The data suggested that M-Libraries offer a unique opportunity for distance learners in different kinds of learning environment settings.The proposed m-library services architecture suggests developing an M-library web site at IGNOU library to effectively facilitate m-library services,hence strengthening the M-Learning in Distance Education System.Considerably less literature exists about the m-libraries and its services in Distance Education.The study would be helpful to distance education library and information professionals who wish to obtain a better understanding of M-Libraries scenario and practices.

(i)A Model for Integrating Mobile Technology in Education Management:

Education sector has seen immense technological advancement,yet the mobile technology is not widely used in the education sector for course delivery in the countries like India.Effective use of mobile technology in education paradigm could bring about better student experience ,learning and performance in the examination.Shubhabaha Pal proposed a model for integrating mobile technology in the day-to-day education management(including course delivery).The model is proposed to automate processes like attendance registering,testing the students’ knowledge and other academic-related activities using mobile technology.

Mobile Technology based Education Management System:The model is based on the use of mobile technologies like SMS,SMS polls and bulk messaging etc. in educational activities.The system in a slightly modified form may be used in any educational institution catering to the needs of the students who are efficient in the use of mobile.The model is based on currently available mobile technologies widely used in India in corporate companies,game show response systems as well as mobile bank statements sent immediately after a transaction among others.The system will require separate mobile numbers for each entity-student,library,institute,teacher and class.

(a)Attendance Tracking:

(b)Student Response Tracking:

(c)Library Book Requisition Management-

The parts of the model proposed can be implemented in a stand-alone classroom using Desktop Mobile SMS campaign software.This will substantially reduce the time for non-academic activities during the class –hours.If the model is implemented in a large scale connecting with central institute database,it can bring automation in many aspects like sending of reminders about examination fee submission and other activities,getting automatic intimation if the attendance is less,ensuring student participation in academic activities even when students are away and many more.It will also facilitate growth of the mobile market and the education sector will be benefitted with the advancements of the M-technology.

(j)Regional Study of Telecom Technology options for Indian Rural Education:

Dr. Milind Pande & Ms.Neha Patel studied the above topic and explained the nature of benefits conferred by mobile technology and how it improves convenience plus saves time and travel.The authors gave the possible strategies for penetration of mobile technology in rural areas in two categories:areas without mobile coverage and areas already having mobile coverage.They also asked the telecom service providers to come up with innovative concessional schemes for new subscribers.The authors recommended and suggested that the government should provide a higher subsidy to the operators or else set up the telecom infrastructure in these areas itself and then lease it out to operators.More projects need to be implemented on a public-private partenership basis,such as BOT(Build,Operate,Transfer).All telecom stakeholders,including the government,operators,equipment vendors and local bodies,need to collaborate to tap this market.3G technology can be extensively used as a substitute to satellite phones.This can also be used for tele-medicine,tele-education etc.3G uptake in rural areas will be based on the mobile broadband connectivity offered in future.The industries,non-governmental agencies and private enterprises should provide the necessary equipment,infrastructure and supply of ICDs(Information and Communication Devices)to facilitate ICT and for effective teaching and learning in primary and secondary schools in India.Companies,government and other international organization should provide fund and take the social responsibility for providing ICT equipments,computer systems and related programmes to improve the poor state of instruction delivery in schools.Supervisors and inspectors from ministry of education should inspect and ascertain the degree of utilization of ICT equipments and related progrmmes provided by the government and other private organizations.Computers,equipments,tools,gadgets provided by the government should be installed in different locations will enable the teachers to use ICT for teaching during the practical classes/demonstrations.The rehabilitation of the secondary school buildings and provision of ICT equipments and facilities should be carried out to improve the learning environment.The authors highly recommend the proven role of Telecom Technology Options in promoting Rural Education(Basic Education,Primary Health Awareness and Agricultural Information Updates).To solve the problems of power cut-off,huge transportation costs,difficulty in backhaul connectivity,lack of infrastructure sharing,high operation and maintainence cost low ARPU and literacy levels,wireless broadband technology is the only solution in the true sense."Telecom technology Options for Indian Rural Education" based on 3G technology enabled solar-powered handsets,providing a Mobile Multimedia Learning(MM-Learning)environment,can offer a perfect knowledge delivery mechanism suitable for enriching the lives of rural masses with features of access anywhere,anytime,anybody.

(k)Telecom Technology Transfer in Rural India:

The authors Dr.Milind Pande and Neha Patel proposed a solution to transfer telecom technology to rural India to provide basic amenities to the below poverty line families as below:

Today Information and Communication Technology(ICT)has become an essential part of the common man’s life.It is a fact that communication innovations at the global level are occurring at a very fast rate,but its outreach to population in general and rural population in particular is very poor,especially in underdeveloped and developing nations.Of late,the developing nations,like India,have started giving a thrust to developing technology realizing its immense role in changing the economic ans social face of its population.Around 65% of the nation’s population lives in rural areas.Further,there are cascading effects of poverty,unemployment,poor and inadequate infrastructure in rural areas on urban centres,resulting in the rise in slums and consequential social and economic tensions manifested in economic deprivation and urban poverty(http://abhinavnirman.in/programmes/rural-development).

(l)Using Mobile Learning to enhance Quality in Higher Education:

The authors Mahendra Gupta and Pradip Manjrekar studied the potential of mobile learning in enhancing the quality of higher education. The students were surveyed on which areas in higher education they feel improvement is required and if mobile learning can be useful in those areas. The perspective and experience of students towards an actual implementation of m-learning is also taken in the study. Recommendations were made towards where all m-learning could be useful in bringing about a change in higher education.

The research objectives of their study were:(1)To determine from students’ perspective,the weak areas in Higher Education Institutions where improvement is required.(2)To determine if mobile learning can be useful in making improvement in those areas.(3)To present a case study showing that implementation of mobile learning in a management course was appreciated and accepted by the students.

A small case study was also done to see the acceptance of mobile learning by the students.MLE-Moodle software was installed on the institution’s server.The MLE-client server was installed on students’ mobile phones.Students used this software for their course activities.Later,feedback was taken from their experiences.The students involved in this case study were about 60. The questionnaire was distributed to 125 students.It had three sections-(1)What should a higher education institution promote or have its main focus on?(2)Which are the areas where improvement is required in your institution?(3)Can mobile learning be useful in improving quality in higher education?

Summarizing the results obtained from the study,it can be said that there’s a lot of scope for imrovement in the quality in higher education institutions,research facilities,bridging gap between classroom teaching and real life scenarios,curriculum/syllabus,teaching strategy,employability of graduates etc.With the ubiquitous presence of mobile technologies around us and students’ acceptance and comfort towards mobile technologies,mobile learning can be very handy in bringing about this improvement.

The study can be further enhanced by taking the perspective of teachers towards the use of m-learning and also validating if m-learning is actually improving the learning outcomes of the learners.

(m)Empowering rural people to use Information Technology Services:

The authors P.Nagrajan and G.Wiselin Jiji tried to identify the role and implication of Information and Technology, in the form of computers and telecommunication,for rural areas.The objectives were:Investigation of rural people awareness in use ICT services,suitable content for rural power empowerment and identification of solutions to empowerment to use ICT services.

The first hypothesis is that the empowerment of rural people will facilitate the illiterate people.The second hypothesis is that rural people will help in controlling the provision of basic family planning services and improve their living.The methodology of implementation of the research work is essentially people-oriented.To be successful for this,one should (1) create an appropriate learning environment,(2)Develop the community involvement,(3)Frame the

curriculum,the structure of which is built on three areas-(i)community needs,(ii)current curriculum and(iii) strategies for development,(4)Training based on the curriculum,(5)Assessment of Program.

Research findings regarding the strategies used to empower villages in the short term action should be an investment on fundamental plan,facilitation and increased access to education services and will encourage decentralization.Among the long term focus it also serves as facilitator and an increased access to education.For empowerment it should be as much as possible like the methods for a valuable training of rural people in ICT,emphasizing the benefits of services,awareness on the methods of obtaining services,obtain full service and to encourage using multimedia.Research findings regarding the content to be presented,should focus on the personal benefits and advantages described in the use of ICT’s services,the benefits of service to the local community and the disadvantage due to the lack of use of ICT.Empower villagers to the awareness-communication factor and facilitator-motivator.

Summary:

This literature review has presented a comprehensive overview of current considerations to the philosophy,practice and research of mobile learning.The focus was on what all should a Higher Education Institution have or promote as its main focus.Also the impact of various factors on the telecom technology transfer in rural area was studied.

But the main focus of the study is to promote lifelong learning in higher education institutions,these institutions should include diverse backgrounds to ensure a good socio-cultural representation at universities and study programme should focus on teaching specialized knowledge in a given field of study.Study programme should also include generic competencies like communication skills,teamwork and attitude to learn.It is important for higher education institutions to foster innovation and an entrepreneurial mindset among students and staff.Higher education should provide tailor-made study programmes for enterprises, to help upgrade their work force.Enterprise should be more involved in higher education management,curricula design and funding.Higher education institutions should not work like placement agencies.

There are certain areas where improvement is required in the institution like collaboration with other higher education institutions,providing facilities and resources,research collaboration and links outside the institute.The institutions should have learning environments,facilities for research,bridge gap between classroom teaching and real life scenarios and staff should possess professional classifications and specialization.Curriculum/syllabus,teaching strategy,employability of graduates,students feedback as an input to facilitate change,assessment of students including feedback of students,practical training and industry exposure,support for extra-curricular activities to students,counseling/mentoring of students and industry exposure of teachers are some factors where improvement is required in the institution.Overall the students found mobile learning to be a beneficial educational tool to be used to enhance the quality in higher education.

Research Gaps and Future Scope:

This review report is based on extensive analysis of mobile learning and its opportunities and challenges for learners,teachers and institutions.What is evident from the discussion above is the need for conceptual frameworks to guide the design of learning–centred educational environments that best exploit mobile and wireless devices.During this review,certain research questions are explored.These are:

Is it significantly different from current theories of classroom, workplace or life-long learning?

Does it account for the mobility of learners?

Does it cover both formal and informal learning?

Does it theorise learning as a constructive and social process?

Does it analyze learning as a personal and situated activity mediated by technology?

The future scope remains in analyzing these questions more carefully and in this context, the following points (gaps) are raised:

While broad frameworks for e-learning provide some guidance for learning designers, the literature review indicated that there was little attention being paid to developing specific frameworks to support the design of mobile learning.

It would help if the study is validated further using samples from different cities, fields of study or country.

ICT education and training market will also grow proportionately as Indian ICT firms need maintaining the existing talent to one hand and on the other, they have to drive further to expand their work-force base in order to ensure their operational effectiveness and competitive edge over its overseas rivals.

The current research on ‘Mobile Learning and Student Retention’ can be extended by undertaking a control experiment to determine the actual impact of mobile technology on student retention in open and distance learning(ODL) in an University programme.One can also explore the use of micro-learning blended with DE system using mobile systems for support.

The web-enabled phones, along with the increasingly popular PDAs and blackberry devices, can receive text, audio, and video information, as well as access web pages. It is doubtful that academia will let such a potentially transforming opportunity pass them by without taking advantage of this opportunity to deliver educational content.

From the review-learning applications could be organized into five different categories: Learning Management, Supportive, Content-Based, Context-Based, and Collaborative. Further research will investigate each category and elaborate on their specific usability challenges. In addition, the concept of a new set of m-learning heuristics will be developed further. Based on the classification of m-learning applications, future research will also attempt to establish a usability framework for m-learning application development by creating and evaluating usable m-learning applications.

The study demonstrates that the transition from silence to voice, from powerlessness to empowerment is possible in non-formal learning contexts, just as it is in formal contexts, and that technology offers a means to accelerate this process if the use of technology is placed in an appropriate social context.

M-libraries offer a unique opportunity for distance learners in different kinds of learning environment settings. It enhances flexibility for distance learners; however, it demands new pedagogies and new approaches to deliver the requisite library services.

If the model for integrating mobile technology in day-to-day education management (including course delivery) is implemented in a large scale connecting with central institute database, it can bring automation in many aspects. It will facilitate maximum use of M-technology in order to improve course delivery and education management activities substantially. It will also facilitate growth of the mobile market and the education sector will be benefitted with the advancements of the M-technology.

"Telecom Technology Options for Indian Rural Education" based on 3G technology enabled solar-powered handsets, providing a Mobile Multimedia Learning (MM-Learning) environment, can offer a perfect knowledge delivery mechanism suitable for enriching the lives of rural masses with features of access anywhere, anytime, anybody.

The authors highly recommend the proven role of telecom technology options in promoting rural education (basic education, primary health awareness and agricultural information updates).

The study can further be enhanced by taking the perspective of teachers toward the use of m-learning and also validating if m-learning is actually improving the learning outcomes of the learners.

ICT strategies can be used to empower rural people by investing on fundamental plan, facilitation and increased access to education services and will encourage decentralization. The content to be presented should focus on the personal benefits and advantages of ICT’s services, the benefits of service to the local community and the disadvantage due to the lack of use of ICT.The rural people should be empowered to the awareness-communication factor and facilitator-motivator.