learning is a rapidly developing paradigm often defined as
learning that takes place with the help of portable electronic
tools [5]. Advances of mobile technologies allow students to
get access to Web 2.0 social software through a mobile
device's native applications or web browsers. This
maximizes one's opportunity of participation and
collaboration anywhere anytime. We are one step closer
towards Prensky's [6] vision, "What can you learn from a
cell phone? Almost anything! "
However, currently the application of cognitive theory to
the educational use of mobile technologies is still lacking.
Mobile learning development is, most of the time, the
privilege of practitioners with support from a technical team.
The deep learning curve involved understanding the native
mobile operating systems and developing mobile
applications keeps most of the non-technical teachers and
researchers away. We'd like to explore what innovation
mobile technologies and Web 2.0 can bring that allows
teachers to author their own mobile learning environment
and how best we can leverage the emerging technologies to
better prepare students for the digital world. We hope our
study will help build teachers' confidence and skills through
learning the affordance of mobile Web 2. 0 technologies in
the process of developing mobile learning environments for
their courses.
In this paper we will describe our design-based research
in our efforts to 1) develop a generic mobile learning based
platform/or all (MEPA) that allows easy access to device's
core functions as well as web-based learning contents and
social tools; 2) encourage instructors without a programming
background to implement these functions for teaching and
learning; 3) document lessons learned to inform future
research.