Mobile learning promises frequent, integral access to applications that support learning anywhere, anytime. It supports adults in the work-place and has become an attractive area for using corporate mobile devices. These devices can also support similar access for classroom learning, oriented toward face-to-face participation. Mobile learning continues and extends the learning paradigms and styles derived from the lecture-and-seminar model, while the classroom environment builds on constructivist learning paradigms that employ hands-on projects and cooperative learning groups.

In addition to meeting educational needs, classroom use of mobile devices introduces a range of challenges beyond the established Internet and Web paradigm. Innovations addressing the challenges related to network infrastructure, functionality, control, and the classroom user experience can spread to other social, informal uses of networked handhelds.