Mobile Elearning Should Die a Quick, Painless Death

There are so many applications and programs related to electronic or online learning right now, it’s not even funny. Most of the time I’m impressed by the cleverness of it all, but sometimes, my eyebrows would shoot up in incredulity and disdain. I’m no expert in programming, customization of technology or whatever—but I can certainly say that I’m an expert consumer. An example of a stupid innovation, I think is mobile electronic learning.



I really wish that mobile elearning will die a quick, painless death. Not only is it an impractical and ineffective way to learn courses, but it is also a health hazard (eye strain, much?). I understand that mobile phones are becoming a vital tool used in both the personal and professional environments, but seriously, how can a person really learn and absorb information via 3-inch LCD screens?

Elearning on mobile phones is not taken, or never will be taken seriously by learners because learning is not instant. It takes a certain amount of time and effort driven by the right amount of motivation. No matter how much we wish to be like the characters in The Matrix who merely have to “download” skills and knowledge via computers, it’s not going to happen—within next couple of decades, at least. The point that I’m trying to establish is that quality learning takes time and comprehension. Mobile learning will not be able to satisfy this need, basically because staring at a tiny thing for a whole day everyday for a year will numb your mind, least of all your vision. It simply does not make any sense at all.

I appreciate the effort of developers to use trends in technology to boost the utilization of electronic learning in today’s society. It is an admirable practice to keep up with the changes and evolution of technology, people and culture. For instance, elearning has tapped into social media such as Facebook, Twitter, social bookmarking sites and so on. And everyone knows how big the roles of these social media are in their daily lives. It has become a necessary entity in the lives of people from all walks of the planet.

I guess mobile electronic learning is one of those “failed experiments” for the developers in the industry. But I know that they’ll come up with more creative and useful stuff in the future. They’ve come this far, after all. There’s no stopping them from coming up with the best application or software solution for the benefit of learners everywhere in the world.

I also learned that Adobe Elearning is pricey