Abstract:

When Steve Jobs re-envisioned the phone by giving the world the iPhone, he also re-engineered the way that content is delivered and the way that people learn. While mobile learning may have been the first outcome of this invention, ubiquitous learning is its more powerful progeny. It came as no surprise that the iPad was released without a manual. In a world of ubiquitous computing and ubiquitous learning, the learning and the device are fully integrated and its uses are thus intuitive to the learner.

The smaller screens and the app technologies of these new devices invite a rethinking and refashioning of educational content. Among the design challenges are the following: deciding what constitutes a good design for a learning module; deciding the appropriateness of integrating social networking components into the learning module; deciding how to assess the educational validity of a learning module; and predicting correctly the learning characteristics of individual learners. This is particularly challenging in the area of the special needs learner, one of the fastest growing segment of the student population.

U-learning promotes the learning conversations that are fundamental to student success. U-learning advocates for shared experiences, community learning, and immediate feedback. In addition, u-learning encourages entrepreneurial thinking, a necessary component for success in a global economy where nimbleness counts.

This paper explores strategies for effective design of u-learning environments, and looks at innovative ways in which instructors than present educational content to students who are using rapidly changing technologies to consume that content. The presentation is designed for those who are new to instructional design in the u-learning environment.

Keywords:

Mobile learning, ubiquitous learning, instructional design, iPad, tablet computing, learning modules, student success, community learning.