This paper is part of the UNESCO Working Paper Series on Mobile Learning. The Series seeks to better understand how mobile technologies can be used to improve educational access, equity and quality around the world. It comprises fourteen individual papers that will be published throughout 2012.
The Series is divided into two broad subsets: six papers examine mobile learning initiatives and their policy implications, and six papers examine how mobile technologies can support teachers and improve their practice.
The widespread use of mobile technologies around the world represents a significant opportunity in education. While mobile learning – learning with mobile technologies and devices – is still in the early stages of development, many teachers and students in North America are beginning to realize its potential for enhancing teaching and learning. Mobile learning involves more than merely incorporating new technology into current pedagogical strategies; it requires an instructional paradigm shift that promises to fundamentally change the way students learn. The move toward mobile learning is driven by increasingly high demands for student achievement and an understanding of the digital skills students need to compete in the twenty-first century global economy.
This paper provides a survey of mobile learning policies and initiatives in the United States and Canada. Mobile learning efforts in both countries tend to be school- or district-led, although the United States government has initiated several national programmes that support and promote mobile learning, and a number of state and provincial programmes exist as well. While mobile learning initiatives in North America share several commonalities in terms of devices, tools and resources, there are substantive variations in programme approach. Most school districts implementing mobile learning programmes either provide mobile devices to students directly or allow students to bring their own technology, while some districts have experimented with a hybrid approach. The scope and impact of each programme, and the challenges associated with implementation, can vary widely among individual schools and districts.
To access existing and forthcoming titles in the Series, please see:
http://www.unesco.org/new/en/unesco/themes/icts/m4ed/mobile-learning-resources/unescomobilelearningseries/