| المستخلص: |
For reasons of cost effectiveness and accessibility, there is a growing need for education and training to be delivered on an ‘anytime anywhere’ basis through web-based distributed learning and electronic collaboration technologies. A learner-centered psychological perspective and a team-centered approach have replaced the traditional classroom-centered model of instruction and training. E-learning and m-learning are becoming more accepted and expected in distance education environments. Virtual communities, distributed simulations, virtual realities, and visualization tools have all reconceptualized distance learning environments. The Internet, a non-proprietary delivery system, the computer (desktop, laptop, and palmtop), and the mobile phone facilitate the creation and delivery of online learning that transcends time and space barriers. This paper makes an exposition of the state of web-based education and online collaboration in a ‘team-based’ learning society. It surveys some of the extensive researches on e-learning and scarce researches on m-learning, and points out some psychological theories that have profound effects on learning, especially the theory of interactivity and the theory of conversation. The paper tries to probe the feasibility and impact of using mobile phones in a form of collaborative distributed m- learning instead of computers in e-learning. It describes the technologies available today, compares the devices currently on offer. It simultaneously identifies key areas to target for further research, particularly in the field of m-learning, which is expected to have a leading role as a distance learning tool. The paper also provides some recommendations that positively reflect on knowledge economy and knowledge engineering in general, and on the future of distance distributed and collaborative learning in the Arab world in particular. Subject Terms: Interactivity, collaborative learning, distributed learning, online learning, m- learning, e-learning, learning society, edutainment, and virtual education.
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