Mobile learning is the ability to obtain or provide educational content on personal pocket devices such as PDAs, smartphones and mobile phones.
E-learning has come to define any dissemination of educational knowledge over the Internet. This makes e-learning a subset of technology-based training. It also incorporates a number of learning activities conducted on the Internet, of which mobile learning is one part.
Differences
E-learning can be real-time or self-paced, also known as “synchronous” or “asynchronous” learning. Additionally, e-learning is considered to be “tethered” (connected to something) and presented in a formal and structured manner.
In contrast, mobile learning is often self-paced, un-tethered and informal in its presentation.Because mobile devices have the power to make learning even more widely available and accessible, mobile devices are considered by many to be a natural extension of e-learning (Ellis, 2003).