As more educational institutions increase their online/open education programs, students and faculty will depend on digital content as part of course instruction. As a result, students and faculty may invest in mobile devices to access such content. Mobile devices will include EReaders and tablets. This discussion session will address trends in mobile technologies which may complement open education, as well as new ETextbook and resource formats that are accessible through a wide variety of devices.
A fundamental assumption regarding online education asserts that instruction and content will move away from static text toward video and interactive texts. The discussion facilitator(s) of this session will ask three main questions: (1)What types of content do faculty currently provide in open education environments?, (2)What type of technology and devices are necessary to access this content?, and (3)Can today's EReaders, smartphones, and iPads provide an appropriate medium for open education content? Participants in the discussion will share research findings, relevant projects or initiatives, and first-hand experiences relevant to these three questions.
