The Mobile Learning Network

The Mobile Learning Network currently in its third year, is a unique collaborative initiative encouraging and enabling the introduction of mobile learning in English post-14 education. The programme, funded jointly by the Learning and Skills Council and participating colleges and schools and supported by LSN has involved nearly 40,000 learners and over 7,000 staff. MoLeNET projects have procured a range of handheld devices and supporting technologies since the initiative began in 2007, with a significant increase in purchases of games technologies (mainly the Nintendo DS and Sony PSP, but also the Nintendo Wii) observed in the second year of the programme. Colleges and schools across England have exploited both the gaming potential of these devices for teaching and learning and the numerous opportunities afforded by their impressive additional functionality. This paper explores the key findings from the MoLeNET research and evaluation strand in relation to mobile games technologies and games based learning and the contribution of these to improvements in teaching practice and learning experiences.