Tag Archives: learning pedagogies

Every since the written word was created, content delivery was curtailed by the media on which it was delivered. In the beginning, clay tablets could only be so big before they became unwieldy. Therefore the amount of material that could be communicated was limited by the media.

The same holds true throughout history. When we come to papyrus scrolls or animal skin, text got longer and longer, and was formatted to suit the media it would be delivered on. (Which is probably where the phrase “reams of text” came from.) Then came books and newspapers. These were standardized into two sides of sheets divided by titles, chapters, headers, and paras. As printing presses improved, these were supplemented by boxed items and images.

With the advent of computers and the internet, content access became “virtually” unlimited. A person could click on links embedded within other links and tunnel through pages and pages of information without ever coming to a physical end of information. And additionally, videos, audio files, image and text, were all conveyable and supported using digital media.

Mobile Devices and Changes in Content Delivery
Now that we’ve moved on to a mobile platform, things are beginning to change again. Screen size limitations have once again come into play. Reading and learning on a phone is for many akin to peering through a keyhole that is far away.

The pervasiveness of mobile devices is ushering in a new age of learning pedagogies, making us examine and question how knowledge is organized and interrelated. So how do we evolve our text to be delivered in a way that is suitable for consumption on a mobile device and specifically, for learning? By delivering learning content in small, consumable portions, mobile learning enables users to access material through a method of quick reading, reviewing and testing.

Proven Content Framework – Study guides, flashcards and quizzes
Mobl21 has researched and developed an patented content framework to enable instructors to deliver learning material effectively to mobile devices. Using this framework, users can focus on delivery and consumption of goal-oriented learning and not mere replication of existing in-class or online content.

This structure of information enables users to go through a lesson using a study guide (where content can be in the form of video, audio, animation and/or text), review the highlights of the subject using flashcards and later test understanding and memory through quizzes.

To successfully enable m-learning, it is important to understand the role content design plays in facilitating learning and comprehension. By exploring and evolving newer ways to organize content, we can ensure users get the best use of this dynamic medium.