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M-learning began as long ago as 1968 with the appearance of Alan Kay’s Dynabook. The Apricot portable delivered m-learning, having a microphone for voice input as well as optical connectors between the keyboard and screen to allow it to be disassembled and carried around. (2013).
Imagine having your own self-contained knowledge manipulator in a portable package the size and shape of an ordinary notebook. Here is my conceptual model of the first handheld multimedia computer which I call Dynabook. (1997).
In the 1980's, the Apple II was the first affordable and widely adopted personal computer. Before the Apple II, large mainframe computers had some presence in schools, though they were not very widespread. (McQuiggan et al., 2015).
In the 1980s, much of the curriculum surrounding computers in the classroom related to teaching how computers worked (programming languages, for instance) or for games and less on using them to perform other nontechnical educational functions. (McQuiggan et al., 2015).
Then there was the Philips Velo, which ran ‘‘pocket Office’’ software including Word and Excel. Personal digital assistants (PDAs) – the bright stars of 2002 – produced smaller, full color screens and devices that operated at faster speeds. (Little, 2013).
As the 2000s progressed, the interest in PDA's decreased, as smarthphones offered the same aplication and Web funtionalities, but with the added mobile-phone capability. Tablet computers continued the trend toward greater mobility. (2014).
Desktop computers, laptops, and netbooks were the most prevalent technologies utilized by schools until 2010. Featuring touchscreen technology, increased mobile learning portability, and an intuitive user interface, the iPad presented a game-changer for digital learning. (2015).
In the circumstances of confinement caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, and to ensure continuity of teaching for students, the use of mobile devices are essential in educational instituitions. It makes it possible for students to learn and collaborate. (Naciri et. al., 2020).