Mobile Applications in Higher Education: Implications for Teaching and Learning

Distance education or learning has been around for a long time and with the advent of mobile devices like the smart phone, it is inevitable that mobility impacts the distance education arena. Mobile learning in this article is defined as the "mobile" state of the learner. In theory, this amplifies the flexibility of distance and online learning, reducing the significance of geographic location while increasing that of contextuality. The affordances of mobility empower students to participate as part of context-aware ubiquitous learning. There are a diversity of contexts, methods, and technologies used. There is a need to have a stronger connection between mobile technology integration and a learning-theoretical framework to guide research, practice, and policy. It is important to integrate mobile and emerging technologies with education through an appropriate evidence-based learning design framework.