Mobile Learning is based around the issue of being mobile and educated at the same time. M-Learning focuses on mobile information appliances that are “small and portable devices that offer rich interactivity, total connectivity and powerful processing.�? (Schwabe and Goth, 2005) The beauty of m-learning is that the learning is not the central focus but it is something that occurs whilst using everyday technology. The MP3 Player[1] is one popular appliance that is used in conjunction with m-learning.
The MP3 Player is a portable audio player, that enables most digital media to be encoded into MP3 format. The Mp3 Player is extremely reliable in the transferability of language learning[2]. Many websites providing language learning resources feature audio in MP3 format. The MP3 can compress audio information without loosing the benefits of sound quality. Therefore, when learning a language, the MP3 player offers better sound availability which results in the leaner having a better understanding of pronounciation and meaning of words.
Podcasting [3]is another distribution format available to MP3 files. The MP3 player allows you to listen and learn from podcasts anywhere you like, and at anytime. The learner just has to subscribe to downloadable software on the Internet that have a feedable address. Downloading MP3 files allows the learner to be given better access to the information as they can control what they learn, when they learn, and where they learn.
Anna Massie 09:49, 28 Oct 2005 (EST)
