UNESCO Working Paper Series on Mobile Learning

The United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Working Paper Series on Mobile Learning is a resource developed to explore the potential to improve and facilitate learning, particularly in communities where educational opportunities are scarce, utilising the rapidly expanding functionality of mobile technologies.  This series comprises fourteen individual papers, published throughout 2012, to illuminate the ways in which mobile technologies can be used to support the United Nations Education for All Goals; respond to the challenges of particular educational contexts; supplement and enrich formal schooling; and make learning more accessible, equitable, personalised and flexible for students everywhere. 

The series is divided into two broad subsets: six papers examine mobile learning initiatives and their policy implications, and six papers examine how mobile technologies can support teachers and improve their practice. Within the two subsets, there are five geographical divisions: Africa and the Middle East, Asia, Europe, Latin America, and North America. Each subset also contains a ‘Global Themes’ paper that synthesises central findings from the five regional papers.

Two additional ‘Issues’ papers round out the series. One paper highlights characteristics shared by successful mobile learning initiatives and identifies supportive policies. A separate paper discusses how mobile technologies are likely to impact education in the future. According to the authors, collectively and individually, the papers consolidate lessons learned in different regions to provide policy-makers, educators, and other stakeholders with a tool for leveraging mobile technology to enhance learning, both now and in the future.