Mobile learning in the Asia-Pacific region:

Exploring challenges hindering the sustainable design of mobile learning initiatives

Abstract

Higher education institutions and government departments in the Asia-Pacific region have invested significantly in technological innovation to enhance educational delivery and redress inequality in access to formal education. As a result of the fast-paced growth of mobile adoption and mobile internet access in these regions, universities are able to leverage the affordances of mobile devices to offer greater flexibility to students. Despite the emphasis on enhancing technological capacity, there remains significant challenges to the effective adoption of strategies to integrate mobile technologies in learning and teaching. This article briefly explores 12 projects undertaken at different universities across nine countries. The projects were selected from 28 chapters submitted to an edited book on supporting the implementation of sustainable mobile learning initiatives in the Asia-Pacific region. The motivation and aims of each of the projects are compared and the primary challenges are explored at four levels of institutional stakeholders.