People's lifestyle has changed with technology and so has learning and education. The advancement in technology over time has led us to move beyond the traditional classroom. And distance learning became a new possibility with Virtual Online Teaching. eLearning has been in the market for quite a long time where learners were able to receive their learning materials via their computers and laptops.
From there we have now arrived at a place of mobile learning, meaning the learning materials can be accessed from mobile devices. However, there are several difference between mobile learning and eLearning. The program developers think of creating a desktop version of the course design before considering mobile-friendly access.
Simply put, eLearning is “electronic” whereas mLearning is “mobile.” On that note, the differences may seem obvious, while both of these formats of learning are done online, the advantage of using mobile learning is that it can be done “on the go”.
Furthermore, there are many aspects to both of these types of learning that make them different from each other. Before we dive deep into the major different elements, let’s define eLearning and m-learning.
What is eLearning?
Electronic learning is the process of learning and teaching via electronic medium. With eLearning, students can access the course material at any time and any place through the internet. In the eLearning platform, the advancement has even extended to the real-time learning experience, meaning both instructor and students can interact virtually. There is also an option for self-paced learning where students can learn at their own pace.
What is mLearning?
The use of mobile devices like smartphones and tablets can be used in m-learning. It mainly focuses on the mobility of students while interacting with portable technology. One of the major advantages of m-learning is that it is accessible anywhere virtually. Courses with the m-learning facility are generally designed for simple screens navigation. That makes it detail-free information or complex graphics.
Key areas of comparison between mLearning and eLearning –
Medium of delivery
Like eLearning happens via desktop computers or laptops, mLearning, learning happens via mobile devices like smartphones and tablets. While internet is needed in both platform, while creating the mobile version the course developer focuses on creating lessons that don’t require a lot of data to download. The Challenge of mLearning is to provide a user experience that is intuitive and VERY fast.
Duration of Lessons
Generally, mobile lessons are shorter than eLearning lesson that teaches in-depth information which can last typically between 20 and 30 minutes. Short unite are ideal for mLearning as people who prefer mobile lessons mostly do not have much time to sit down for hours to study. Typically mLearning module usually lasts up to 10 minutes which can also be shorter. Often, video content usually doesn’t exceed 4 minutes.
Course Design
The eLearning course has the option to use complex, detailed, and larger designs and modules, whereas mLearning courses mostly do not involve detailed information. Furthermore, the concept of mLearning design is to optimize the screen size and navigation simple.
Screen Size
The larger screen makes the eLearning optimize the screen on the complex form. Larger screens also come with increased resolution, allowing live HD video streaming of lessons. This means the instructor can use screen sharing and whiteboards. These small details matter a lot when you are wanting a fuller and in-depth virtual learning experience. whereas, comes with optimized course modules for small screens, which cannot contain highly detailed information, complex graphics, and media that require a lot of data.
Final Words
The main difference between mobile learning and eLearning lies in the content and structure of the course – where mobile learning is basically focused on accessibility. While the screen size makes a huge difference in the course design there are both pros and cons to both the platform. Learners should choose according to their purpose and comfort.Bear in mind eLearning and mLearning are not the same. While mLearning can be a part of eLearning, mLearning is precisely designed to reinforce important concepts, as supplementary to eLearning. Virtual Online Teaching will help!
Written By : Shivangi Chakraborty
