Theory of Learning for a Mobile Age

By Ian Booth, PGY-1 Pharmacy Practice Resident, University of Maryland Medical Center

        The idea of learning and cognitive development across different generations is a difficult concept to assess, given the multitude of digital technologies that are accessible. In the current educational system, there is a need for separation of what could be considered as two different groups: new millennium learners (NMLs) and old millennium learners (OMLs).¹ Through my experience in higher education, with a wide range of learners, finding differences between their development, in what could be identified as the “mobile age”, can be very important. Learning is now heavily dependent on mobile devices, such as phones, tablets, audio players, etc., and the OMLs may be at a significant disadvantage.¹ In my experience through the educational system, I have seen this transition into technology dependence. In this blog, I will be discussing ways in which mobile learning has progressed over time.

Accessibility

        I believe the first issue that needs to be addressed before focusing on the idea of incorporating mobile learning into an educational theory is the accessibility of electronics. In a survey in 2003 in the UK, they found that over 75% of the population, and 90% of young adults owned mobile devices.² This may overestimate the general population, especially in different areas of the world with less socioeconomic capabilities.¹ Not all learners have the means to use these types of devices through their education, which can make their learning more difficult. With the cost of electronics increasing year after year, during a time where the learners are not able to support themselves, can cause significant impacts to their growth. Although many people may incorporate this idea of learning into their everyday routine, the lack of accessibility can impact someone else’s ability to reach those same expectations.

Is technology mobile, or the learner?

Although we know that technology has advanced progressively over time, and most likely will continue to do so, consideration into the learners schedule is an important concept. People are continuously on the move throughout the day, thus learning takes place all the time. The idea of classroom only learning is no longer applicable, and is something that OMLs may not be used too.¹ With the variety of access to mobile devices, NMLs are able to take learning and organization to a completely different level, and thus are at an advantage.

I think a key example of this is the use of Google and the internet. Researching the answer to a question is now at the tip of our fingers, with a quick search online, where this was not always possible. Learning the answer to a question required a book, which usually required a library. Now the library is right in our technology, whenever we need it.³ As for organization, now we have the capability to have an up to date calendar, integrated within your own schedule, but also other peoples as well, in order to know exactly what is planned at all times. Calendars can be linked to phones, computers, tablets and desktops, making accessibility easier than ever before. This allows learning to be incorporated into all activities of daily life, which also compliments the idea of formal education.¹ Having access to “mobile learning” is a concept that OMLs have had to become used to, where NMLs were raised in a world of this being second nature.¹ This can be a difficult concept to grasp for many OMLs.

Relationship of Mobile Learning to Cognitive Development

        One of the statements from the authors that I felt explained the use of this concept the best was, “mobile learning can be an opportunity to bridge the gulf between formal and experiential learning, opening new possibilities for personal fulfilment and lifelong learning.”¹ Creating this bridge between education that is moving toward a “mobile age” and incorporating it into lifelong learning is something that sticks out the most with this concept. In a profession like pharmacy, where continuous learning is the most important thing we can do, incorporating both mobile and lifelong learning into our daily lives is extremely important, yet also very challenging to do. The practice of pharmacy is an evolving field, just like the theories of education, and I think that combining these aspects of mobile and lifelong learning into our daily lives, as well as understanding the deficits that certain learners may experience with them, will make us better practitioners, educators, and also learners throughout our whole careers.

References

1.   Taylor J. Digital Technologies and Cognitive Development. Paper Presented at MLEARN 2005. Accessed August 26, 2018.

2.   Crabtree J, Nathan M & Roberts S. MobileUK: Mobile phones and everyday life, 2003. London: The Work Foundation; 1-53.

3.   Sharples M. Learning As Conversation: Transforming Education in the Mobile Age. In Proceedings of Conference on Seeing, Understanding, Learning in the Mobile Age, 2005; 147-152.