Go and Learn

I'm not cool enough to write an article on the new mobile learning devices created explicitly to increase our smarts. I won’t sport the Neomind Brainwave visor, the Tomy EQ Trainer gadget or Nintendo’s BrainAge exerciser anytime soon. You won’t see my neighbors learning this way either.

A quick poll asking about mobile learning on my small-town street corner garnered queries about the bookmobile, others referenced trailers used for extra classroom space, and one older gentleman told me he was a gifted mobile learner who perfected the art of reading the newspaper usually while driving his car.

Ironically, people I spoke with proudly showed me the slim modern cell phone they wouldn't leave home without. Several also sported internet-enabled PDAs. Use of new ultra-light tablets is't far off. Vehicles and backpacks are equipped with GPS units, game consoles live in briefcases and living rooms, and iPod buds adorn many ears.

Although we might not ponder the educational value of these everyday appliances, the gear we use to communicate and play can also be used to learn; we just don't yet think of them as learning tools. Mobile learning is the great invisible elephant in the room, in our pockets, in our purses, and in our cars.

Let's consider which gizmos meet our needs whether we’re learning for pleasure, getting ahead at work, or because we know discovery keeps us sharp.

Dig Deep

Learning moves us from one level to a more advanced level: possibly from adventurous novice to intermediate educator or from weekend warrior to full-scale pro. When you learn enough pertinent knowledge so that new information can be put into context we’re able to do something more.

Books on tape (or CD) and podcasts provide sure-fire approaches to dig in deep. Figure out what to master. Download, borrow or buy, then listen. Learn how to become a bestselling book author from Annie Jennings's, get iToors’s insider’s in-depth travel scoop, or find everything about raising a dog. These audio formats provide broad topics and detailed research to help us learn almost anything.

Interested in more visuals? A DVD in a portable player can show parents how kids with learning disabilities feel in school as easily as scaling Mt. Kilimanjaro without first taking a very long flight. Video iPods and video-enabled cell phones are gaining in popularity.

Consider paperbacks, too. Books are time tested and immanently mobile. They may not be as hip as an e-book reader, but they endure because they’re easy to read practically anywhere.

Scan the Surface

Perhaps we don't want to learn all that much: just capture enough to make the right connection. Mobile tools can help us access an answer rather than memorize every detail.

I store directions to places I travel infrequently in the notes section of my PDA. I look up an address en-route and find a note reminding me to make a left when my instincts say go right. Portable GPS units literally keep us on course. GM's OnStar system adds real-time assistance beyond directions. A friendly operator can also provide traffic, weather, and roadside service recommendations for the journey ahead.

La Leche League International recently released its best-selling book, The Breastfeeding Answer Book, in pocket-guide format well suited for PDAs. Because of its portability, doctors and other healthcare practitioners can quickly refer to a trusted reference while sitting with a nursing mother and baby rather than back at a desk or over the phone.

One company I work with blogcasts content subject to change frequently including product release updates, time-sensitive information, and other items useful for their field sales and customer service reps. They just began also podcasting a monthly radio-style talk show with interviews of corporate staff the field wouldn't get to hear from otherwise.