Mobile: the future of learning in Africa

According to an online report, the number of mobile device users in Africa have risen from 9.2 million in 2000 to well over 650 million users in 2013.

Based on current figures, huge growth is foreseen in the African smartphone market over the next few years. If the use of smartphones in Africa follows the same path as feature-phones have, then smartphones should hold 40% of the African mobile market by 2018.

The vast majority of students and employees in Africa come from disadvantaged backgrounds and have little or no access to computers at home. Due to the advanced technology embedded in the current smart phones, mobile learning has become quite a popular means of learning for businesses and schools. Mobile learning is a way to give the learner more control over how their learning is structured and can be particularly beneficial during down-time at work or while travelling.

Learning should be key objective

The always-available nature of mobile learning empowers learners to take their own initiative and plan learning activities according to their personal goals and needs. With its visual and auditory components, as well as its individual feedback tools, mobile learning significantly reduces the time that it takes to train employees.

While companies may design applications to be visually appealing, the danger is that the relevance of the content can easily be neglected. It's important that care is taken to ensure that mobile tools are relevant and serve the purpose that they were intended for. Learning should always be the key objective, and education, rather than technology, should drive the decision making process.

The implications of mobile learning are far-reaching. As mobile capabilities continue to grow, new forms of learning will continue to evolve, and productivity within the workplace will continue to improve.