One issue I came across is that of cost. Whilst the Australian Government through the Digital Education Revolution, is providing $2.2 billion dollars over 6 years to provide equipment, training and access to broadband internet. Mobile devices may be overlooked, this is indicated by the recent initiative within Canberra where secondary schools are being provided with smartboards, computers and internet with no mention of mobile devices. So the question must be asked...Just who will pay for these devices for mobile learning to take place?
For educators to expect students to buy and own the tools is unrealistic. Not only due socioeconomic differences within schools but also what device should be bought? Yes students mays own phones, but not necessarily the same ones making teachers job of designing digital learning experiences difficult.
I found an article, 'Pre-paid literacy: Negotiating the Cost of Adolescent Mobile technology Use', (Taylor, 2009). While phones are popular this article shows that mobile learning may be a challenge due to adolescents having limited financial resources and has management issues of costs. Taylor uses research into youth mobile literacy practices, as well as talking to students to illustrate the relations between cost and use.
One thing that became obvious is that with the use of mobile in particular there are on-going costs. You do not just pay a start up fee, rather money is paid on a continuous basis for maintaining plans, sms and call costs and updating devices to stay current. If phones are used to facilitate learning in schools then is it the responsibility of the school to pay for these costs? or is it up to the students? This factor of cost and the debate of who is to pay may be a major barrier in preventing mobile learning to be implemented on a large scale.
