Moving Learning: A Systematic Review of Mobile Learning Applications for Online Higher Education

Abstract

Technological revolutionary changes have boosted mobile learning’s evolution from supplementary material for teaching to a flexible, strategic, and convenient resource, driving new paths in higher education. With global increases in wireless internet access and the advent of highly functional smartphones and tablets, which have impacted the rise in mobile device ownership, mobile learning has expanded its applications as a direct way to implement tailored learning settings. Notably, during the COVID-19 pandemic, together with other educational technologies, it became a solicited tool in remote education. In this systematic review, we will explore how educators and researchers have been documenting the development and impact of mobile learning tools in the teaching and learning process since the COVID-19 outbreak. Results show that, embedded with online higher education programs, mobile learning has empowered interaction in content creation, communication, and collaboration between learners and instructors, significantly impacting learning effectiveness. Moreover, although this technology is well established in higher education, it remains attractive for educators who actively use it because of its pedagogic potential.