1.1 Learning Theories

DLT (Digital Learning Technology) has revolutionized the way information is taught and learned.  The chalkboard classroom system is now a relic in the museum of ancient educational history and is likely to remain there for good.  The proliferation of the use of technology in all areas of our lives, in no small part due to the advancement in mobile technology has made learning accessible "on-the-go" to anyone with a simple smartphone.

Individualised learning is a traditional method of acquiring information where educational materials are tailored to meet the needs of the individual learner based on his/her interests and abilities. Individualised learning is centered around the teacher who would plan the lesson according to the needs of students  As individualised learning is "traditional", a "traditional" DLT like Microsoft Powerpoint slideshows rich with graphical and multimedia content is often the tool of choice for classroom teachers.

"Ubiquitous learning", as it's name implies strives to make learning an on-going process, by making content accessible anytime and anywhere.  With technology, this can be done with relative ease.  A teacher can simply put content (instructional videos, links to resources, assignment requirements etc.) into a learning management system (eg. Wiki) and the students work through the content step-by-step [1].  Content is readily accessible through workstations and mobile devices.  

Although ubiquitous learning offers great flexibility and will likely be the de facto standard of learning in the years to come, it remains to be seen if students will fully embrace this mode of learning as reading off a monitor or smartphone screen, or putting on VR glasses to experience a virtual reality tour cannot fully replace a real-life educational experience on campus [2].

References

[1]Cope, B., & Kalantzis, M., (2008). Ubiquitous Learning: An Agenda for Personal Transformation. Proceedings of the 6th International Conference on Networked Learning

[2] Dongsong Zhang, J. Leon Zhao, Lina Zhou, and Jay F. Nunamaker, Jr., (2004) Can E-Learning Replace Classroom Learning? Communications of the ACM, 47 (5), 78-79.