Mobile learning technologies can make adult education experiences easier, more fun, and more successful. Smartphones and tablet devices are becoming more and more popular. Most students have one, or access to one. Many students are experimenting with popular new software applications for their devices. Two popular apps are Blackboard for Mobile Learning and Perrla Mobile. Both of these applications show promise for the adult learner on the go!

 

Blackboard for Mobile Learning (BBML) gives online students whose school uses the Blackboard Learning Management System (LMS), the option of accessing the LMS from a mobile device such as a smartphone or tablet. It is not uncommon for adults to struggle with finding time for studies when faced with busy lives requiring attention to children, spouses, jobs, personal responsibilities, health issues, and unexpected interruptions. Access to the LMS through a mobile device allows the busy learner to check in to class, read resources, check grades, and coordinate assignments. As BBML is constantly being updated and enhanced, soon interaction with discussion boards, blogs, wikis, and social media will be possible. Assignments will be able to be downloaded to a dropbox in a simple format and interactive collaboration with group members will be possible anywhere there is a signal (instead of only at your desktop or laptop connected with wifi). As an educator, taking advantage of BBML could take place through a reading assignment done through learner’s mobile device and then checking in to the virtual classroom to complete the assignment by writing a brief review posting. Students could also keep a log of time on their mobile device vs. time on their desktop/laptop device. It should be evident that spare time well spent using BBML saves time at the desktop which, in turn, creates more time for other life areas needing attention. More information can be found at:   https://www.blackboard.com/platforms/mobile/overview.aspx.

 

Perrla Mobile is available for either Apple or Android. Currently it is not available for any other platforms. Perrla for desktop computing is a program for formatting APA and/or MLA papers precisely and automatically to the standards described in each format. It automatically formats the body of the title page, body, conclusion, and references. Perrla makes it easy to create a “perfect” paper. Perrla mobile is not a replacement for the desktop versions, but meant to be an enhancement. Rather than formatting entire papers, it formats only research information found through searches on your mobile device, and stores them in a reference database which can be uploaded to your desktop computer for integration into a paper. This allows research work to be done any time it is convenient, and safe, to work with your mobile device. I have used Perrla for several years and it is a time saver, plus it creates documents which are perfectly formatted; there is never any question if it is done right. Perrla mobile extends some of the functionality to mobile learning devices, allowing research to be conducted even when away from home. In professional practice I would assign students a task to research a topic relevant to the course being taught with their mobile phones, and then upload their findings to a collaborative class Perrla paper. This can be done at no charge with the free Perrla Mobile application which allows up to ten references to be researched free of charge. Another assigned task would be to have each student demonstrate knowledge of, and ability to, access all of the Perrla Mobile features and apply them to the class collaboration. More information can be found at: http://www.perrla.com/MobileAppDetails.aspx.

 

Both BBML and Perrla Mobile are excellent examples of technology which makes smart use of mobile learning devices. They are technologies in the process of development, as technology advances, so does the evolution of these products. The eventual intention of Blackboard for Mobile Learning is to allow full functionality of the Blackboard Learning Management System to mobile devices. Likewise, Perrla Mobile will eventually include title page and content body creation. This technological evolution will ultimately allow complete integration of mobile devices with online education. This will create an educational experience which is more positive and successful for both learners and educators.