Simulations and m-Learning

First of all, happy new year to you all, its that time again, BLOG TIME!

As you all know, I have been working on a few simulation concepts at work and for years, simulations have played an important role in the training activities of certain sectors, like the defense, aviation and aeronautical industries in several countries, not just here in Australia. These days, simulations are being adopted in other industries and for a broad range of skills and competence development. Technology and cost barriers are continuing to shrink, opening up the potential for wider adoption of simulation technology. I believe that simulations offer advantages over handbooks and they can complement lectures, demonstrations and give real world practice.

I have also been investigating the mobile Learning (m-Learning) sphere. This is due to a few things, firstly, I now have a tablet based device now, and can definately see a growth market for this. For mobile learning there are two distinct potential markets which I see evolving:

The first one is the market of learning services for people that are without infrastructure (accessibility to internet and e-learning may not be as wide spread in rural or remote areas) and learners in developing economies.

The second one is the market of learning services for people who’s jobs require them to continuously move, people learning and receiving information while visiting various sites and locations, certain types students needing individualized learning education, on the move and while on external projects.

From my research, in the United States, PDAs have already been used in schools and for workers on the move and this thing had significant results in terms of improved learning effectiveness. In Europe, mobile learning is beginning to develop, and telecommunications companies such as Nokia and Vodafone have already integrated these technologies into their training and development systems. So, having said all this, I think this year, I will invest some time into looking into more m-Learning solutions.