I like the idea of contrasting open learning with mobile learning, though most times people use them together without thinking through the differences. Mobile devices are becoming a newly developed artificial organ to social humans. At the term start, I believed that mobile learning is the future and that future is around us. However, after twelve weeks, I change my mind and I stand for open learning.
Open learning enables mobility, while mobile learning is serving the purpose of opening learning. Openness is the water while mobility is the container.
Firstly, this constructive learning approach during this term has collected various open thoughts, with or without mobile technology or mobile features. What inspires people are the contents, new thoughts, debating, and discussion. These are all from an open learning setup. Mobility facilitates sharing and provides a platform to present open thoughts.
Secondly, mobile technology advancement accelerates open learning, any time, any where. From laptop to smart phones, from web-based software to mobile applications, mobility is developing to meet the needs of better convinience, high speed responses, and to-the-point sharing. With better mobility, or more capability of containing, learnings are decentrilized. Ordinary people could become teachers in some sense, in stead of traditional way of all contents centralized by professionals.
Last but not the least, when there is a demand, there is supply. This theory applies to openness learning, ie. the demand, and mobile learning, ie. the supply. With more information shared and exchanged, more open learning needs are fostered, which stimulates mobile technologies and new inventions.
So, to answer which one is more carnival, openess or mobility? I stand for openess.
The title of this posting caught my eye and I’ve been pondering over the meaning of it and the first line. From my understanding, open learning and mobile learning are independent of each other. I believe this is what the author is also saying. I appreciate the idea that openness represents the water, and I’m assuming that the water represents access to education (such as open courses, open educational resources, open pedagogies). I also can see how mobile is a container; however, isn’t it a stretch to say its THE container? Mobile devices, help learners access digital content, as does a desktop computer, or a teacher using the Harvard Implicit Association Test in their class. Open Education has been an amazing movement that has benefitted many learners accessing it and using it in different ways.
Hi Nini,
I absolutely love ” Openness is the water while mobility is the container”
So, the more mobile we are, thus the larger our container, the more openness that is afforded. I definitely like the idea of open learning. Also, perhaps when we say open learning we are not necessarily referring to “free” learning, but accessible learning. I have read up on connectivism and I would to hear your thoughts on open learning and mobility with respect to connectivism.
I really like this concept Nini. It sounds like it is outside the framework of Westernized thinking.