Looking ahead in the course, there is a module regarding mobile technologies which states that mobile technologies are not delivery platforms. I hope to investigate where the difference is today. My laptop is mobile, my cell phone has the Canvas app – what are the key distinctions that are important when discussing the differences or similarities in these technologies? Do educators see a distinction where students may no longer? Is there a more important semantic difference that I am unaware of or have I created a distinction that I need to break down?
In my initial formulation of this question I was focused on my personal experience of “mobility” when it came to technology – the technology I have access to is fairly mobile, and I have the luxury of choosing multiple devices to engage with / work on. Grant et al. (2015) examined how mobile computing devices were used in k-12 classrooms, and noted that while some teachers allowed the use of mobile devices that were truly mobile (remained with the student throughout the day), some used devices as a substitute to a stationary computer. Upon reflection, I think my initial inquiry to find the difference between digital and mobile was too narrow. The class discussion “If I build a house, will they come?” allowed me to expand this narrow viewpoint and consider communities of people who do not have the same access to infrastructure and technology that blur the distinction between mobile and digital that I initially had in my mind.