Mobile Learning: New Report from UNESCO Provide Perspectives on Policies

A New report issued by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) focuses on policy issues educators must consider to adopt and promote the use of mobile learning. The firs report titled The Future of Mobile Learning: Implications for Policy Makers and Planners predicts that:
1. Technology will be more accessible, affordable and functional
2. Devices will be able to collect, synthesize and analyze massive amounts of data
3. New types of data will be available
4. Language barriers will be broken down
5. Screen size limitations will disappear

These technological breakthroughs can be harnessed to promote distance learning in more personalized and authentic forms. The report also presents analysis on a range of policy issues as where we are today, and what must be done in the next 15 years. These include: Access, Life Skills, Gender Equity, and Learning Outcomes.

The report further presents analytical perspectives on enables and barriers of mobile learning and discusses a range of “grand challenges,” such as linking mobile learning analytics to learning theory.