Interdisciplinary opportunities and challenges in creating m-learning apps

Two case studies

Abstract

Mobile digital devices such as smart phones and tablets support mobile learning (mlearning) and this is reinventing pedagogical and curriculum approaches in education. The unprecedented growth in digital technologies, and the educational apps they support, provides a unique opportunity to increase engagement in learning anywhere and at any time. However, the development of m-learning apps requires collaboration between learning and content experts and technology specialists. Such interdisciplinary collaboration presents both opportunities and challenges. This paper describes two case studies related to m-learning app development with the aim of highlighting the range of educational and technical issues that arose in the collaborative process, and the solutions devised by the interdisciplinary team.