Is mLearning Like eLearning?

Is mLearning Like eLearning? This is a question I recently responded to as posed by Janet Clarey, Technology Editor from ELearning! magazine from a LinkedIn group she moderates (The ELearning! Magazine Network). In one of Janet's comments, she thinks the key in in the "m," - I agree. It's an important question and because we've discussed mLearning several times in this blog, so I thought I would share my response...

Great question and to Janet's response, the "m" is very relevant right now. To answer directly, mLearning is a form of eLearning in that it's electronic but should otherwise be treated as a very different medium. At the same time, some are making many of the same mistakes made when eLearning first came out...

 
For instance, efforts and tools designed to convert and deliver PowerPoint and traditional eLearning into mLearning eerily parallel efforts to convert traditional classroom training and later PowerPoints straight to eLearning. We all now how that turned out... Why did they do it that way? Because it was new, shiny, and at least in the beginning, eLearning differentiated itself from classroom training as the latest and greatest... (and probably also because true instructional designers were not used to develop). However, it also resulted in very expensive and time-consuming development cycles along with content that often did not address the needs of its learners. Yet now, we are seeing new mobile products designed to develop and deliver "rich mobile media" that allow conversion of PowerPoints or include interfaces that are either not intuitive or are hard to use because they were really designed for use in a standard PC, Mac, or Linux browser. Some have come full circle...

 
For mLearning as with any medium, instructional designers and course developers need to ensure the medium will meet the needs of the organization's business context and learner. Mobile is useful when it is short, simple, and can be agnostically delivered to many devices. Think 2 minutes with content that's light to stream or download. Think MP3 for audio, think MP4 for video, think HTML or PDF for talking points, process diagrams, checklists, sales positioning, etc... As opposed a large PowerPoints or movie files that are large to download or stream, too long to maintain an attention span on a smart-phone, and are just plain not appropriate for the mobile learner. Mobile is meant to be augmentative and add value as part of a larger and blended learning path. It's for the learner on a plane, train, or automobile; for sales person on the way to propose a new product, for the field-tech who is making an on-site repair. Mobile is for the learner on the go. It needs to be designed, developed, and delivered that way.

 
So in the end, mLearning can be like eLearning if we make the same mistakes we did 10 years ago, or we can make it different... ;]

How to Play MP3s or MP4s on a Mobile Device for mLearning: Part 4 - mLearning Playback on a BlackBerry

My apologies for being away and not continuing the series. Work has had me very busy and frankly, I am quite thankful for that. When we last hit this topic, we reviewed how to play on laptops, MP3/MP4 players such as the Zune and iPod Touch, most smartphones, and even how to burn to CD so that simple media like this can be played by execs who have been living under a rock and probably want to bring back the 8-Track! So now we get to BlackBerries...

Part 4: Play mLearning on a BlackBerry

Play MP3 > Play on BlackBerry > Play Direct from browser on a BlackBerry
These instructions assume your BlackBerry model has the ability to browse the Web and store downloaded file data. Some BlackBerry models require you set the default browser to Internet Browser as opposed to BlackBerry browser so that the BlackBerry Enterprise Server (BES) does not impose limits on file types or bandwidth affecting file size.

1. From the appropriate web page or email, click on the hyperlink provided to you for mobile content.
2. Click on the MP3 title-link you want to listen to.
3. When prompted to Open or Save select Open.
4. The MP3 should play from the BlackBerry audio player.
5. (Note that depending on your connection strength and file size, the file may need to load before it starts to play.)

Play MP3 > Play on BlackBerry > Save to BlackBerry and Play
These instructions assume your BlackBerry model has the ability to browse the Web and store downloaded file data. This solution is useful for playing files locally from the BlackBerry if you expect to lose data connectivity, such as when traveling on a plane.

1. From the appropriate web page or email, click on the hyperlink provided to you for mobile content.
2. Click on the MP3 title-link you want to save.
3. When prompted to Open or Save select Save.
4. Click Save again when prompted again at the Save file applet.
5. The MP3 file will save to the default audio directory (device media storage or on a media card if enabled).
6. Click Music.
7. Navigate to your MP3 and click to play.

That's it for BlackBerries.

How to Play MP3s and or MP4s on a Mobile Device for mLearning: Part 2 - mLearning Playback on an MP3/MP4 Player or Smartphone

In the last entry, we discussed how to play mLearning media such as MP3 audio files and MP4 video files from a laptop; whether direct from an enclosed link in a browser and email, or if saved locally to the hard drive. Rudimentary stuff for some of you, but it's good to start simple. What's great about knowing how this is done from a laptop is that very similar methods and applications are used when playing from an MP3 player such as an iPod Nano, an MP3/MP4 player such as an iPod Touch or Zune, or a smartphone such as a Droid or iPhone. Most such devices have a local web browser or at least synchronize through one on your laptop, and each has local storage capacity in the form of a hard drive. Thusly, the tutorials we discuss moving forward are very similar in that we will access media directly from a browser on each device, or save locally and play later – just like music.

Part 2: Play mLearning on an MP3 or MP3/MP4 Player or SmartPhone

Play MP3 > Play on an MP3/MP4 Device or SmartPhone > Play Direct from Browser

These instructions assume your device has the ability to browse the Web and store downloaded file data, such as with an iPod Touch or Droid.

1. From the appropriate web page or email, click on the hyperlink provided to you for the MP3 or MP4 files.
2. If prompted to display non-secure items, click Yes (assuming you trust the source).
   
3. Click on the title-link you want to listen to.
4. The MP3/MP4 you selected should open and play in the device’s default audio player. Note that depending on your connection strength and file size, the file may need to load before it starts to play

Play MP3 > Play on MP3/MP4 Player or Smartphone > Save to Device and Play

These instructions assume your device has the ability to browse the Web through WiFi (a wireless internet connection) or mobile network and store downloaded file data, such as with a Droid, Palm Pre or a iPhone.

1. From the appropriate web page or email, click on the hyperlink provided to you for the MP3 or MP4 files.
2. Click on the title-link you want to listen to.
3. If prompted to Play or Save, select Save.
4. Navigate to the new MP3 or MP4 file on your device.
5. Press the Play button. The MP3/MP4 should play from the device.

Play MP3 > Play on MP3/MP4 Device or Smartphone > Save to Media Player and Play

First off, if you use media player software such as iTunes, Windows Media Player, or Winamp, (which is my personal favorite), save your mLearning audio and video files to your respective music and video libraries. These folders are referenced by the application so it automatically knows to add new files to the device. You may want to add a sub-directory entitled “mLearning” so it's all easier to find. These instructions assume your MP3/MP4 player has the ability to store file data when synched with a media player application on your computer workstation or laptop.

1. From the appropriate web page or email, click on the hyperlink provided to you for the MP3 or MP4 files.
2. If prompted to display non-secure items, click Yes.
3. Click on the title-link you want to save (assuming you trust the source).
4. Select Save Target As… (or Save link As... depending on your browser)
5. Navigate to the default directory for the audio or video files referenced by your media player from the Save As window. Follow your media player’s instructions for exact location for synchronization. In most cases, this is typically the MyMusic or /Music folder, however you may want to create a sub-folder, name it mLearning or MyPodcasts, and store your MP3/MP4s there. For Windows Media Player, this is a folder monitored by the Library as accessed from the Library tab. For iTunes, this is the iTunes Music folder location indicated on the Advanced tab under Preferences.
6. Click Save.
   
7. Follow the specific instructions for synchronizing audio files from your media player to your MP3/MP4 player. If you are using an Android based phone, you will need to "Mount" it first. This may involve simply clicking the file(s) and dragging to your device or clicking check-boxes and or setting up play-lists for synchronization after connecting your device to the computer.
8. Once the files are saved to your MP3/MP4 device, disconnect based on its instructions.
9. Navigate to the new MP3 or MP4 file on your device.
10. Press the Play button. The MP3/MP4 should play from the device.
    

In the next part (Part 3), we'll review how to create an audio CD for those who prefer to listen in car or some other type of disc player. Then we'll discuss BlackBerries in Part 4 because they are a different animal.