The M-Technologies in M-Learning

The term mobile technology is used in reference to the mobility of a technology, that is, the ability to virtually use a technology anywhere and at anytime without mobility constraints. Different types and forms of technologies have been part and parcel of human activities and the evolution of such technologies especially in the area of ICTs have brought about several technologies; among them are mobile-ICTs. The ‘mobile’ prefix is an indication that there are ICTs which are not typically mobile in nature. Contemporary, these are refered to as ‘static-ICTs’. Desk top computing and the use of cable network are vivid examples of static-ICTs while smartphones, tablets and mini laptop with wireless network connectivity, represent mobile-ICTs. The purpose of this paper is to elucidate the relationship between mobile computing and communication technologies, and their implication for education delivery. The phenomenon of using mobile-ICTs for teaching and learning as popularly refered to as m-learning and is an off-shoot of e-learning which implies the use of static-ICTs for learning. The problem however, is that m-learning has a highly fragmented meaning because most fail to understand all the constituents of m-learning which this paper perceives to be the interconnectivity between mobile device, mobile telecommunications and mobile applications in their entirety as inseparable elements of m-learning. The questions that this paper seeks to address are; what are the key technological components of m-learning and what role do they play in making m-learning possible? As a method, a desktop research is done by reviewing relevant literature and documents on the theme of this paper, coupled with interviews and survey to arrive at an empirical outcome.