Once I started thinking about the different uses of mobile photos and videos, I realized that there are truly countless ways of using these resources in education, both in and outside the classroom. In theory, they are essentially an audio/visual form of communication, but in practice they’re so much more, particularly when it comes to learning. At present, it is difficult to identify the entirety of the different types of learning that can take place through mobile devices, as they vary greatly by field and audience. What is clear is that the use of mobile devices for the acquisition of knowledge is in no way limited to formal types of learning alone. With the increased prevalence of social media, much of the learning promoted by mobile photo and video technology is informal and easily shared with others. And with the countless number and variety of mobile devices available today, people can take photos and access videos from their smartphones, iPads, and/or wireless laptop computers seamlessly. The chart below illustrates the use of mobile photo and video technology among teenagers.
When it comes to learning, as a specific example I thought of language studies as an academic area where videos can help facilitate and enhance learning. In learning a new skill such as a foreign language, audio is a crucial component in teaching pronunciation and diction. Being able to use video technology, both live (such as Skype) and pre-recorded, can significantly help improve a language student’s pronunciation. This concept is by no means new, as it is perhaps underutilized. At the University of Notre Dame, the Center for the Study of Languages and Cultures runs a successful program based on the concept of video technology. Notre Dame’s language learning initiative “offers several virtual conversation partner programs incorporating both live video-conferencing and asynchronous video boards."
Mobile photo and video technology unquestionably changes where, how, and why people learn, as well as who learns. The ‘where’ becomes: anywhere there is cell-phone coverage or a wireless signal. The ‘how’ becomes: visual/audio/interactive. The ‘why’ becomes: because every time it is more and more inevitable to run into the content inundated into mobile devices. And the ‘who’ learns becomes: anyone with access to mobile technology; not just students in a classroom or with a smartphone.
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