Addressing design issues in mobile applications supporting ubiquitous learning

The utilisation of mobile technology provides an opportunity to reflect on the milieu in which today’s courses are delivered and how mobile technology can be leveraged to enable transformative classroom instruction by focusing on higher-level thinking skills and creativity. Numerous studies have suggested that there is improved learning when students have the means to physically move their own learning environment with them. However, the use of mobile applications does not, in itself, change the essential aspects of how students learn. Despite the ubiquity and flexibility offered using mobile applications, their design and integration with the course in which they are used needs to be carefully considered in order to transform the current learning environments into more productive and user-centred spaces. This paper addresses the design issues of different mobile applications, their effectiveness and potential impact on the current educational landscape.