Many of the tools, techniques, and methodologies used fordigital design are based on the explosive growth of the web on desktop andlaptop computers. But mobile is different—not only because it is usually small,but because it travels with the user. Constant connectivity, sensors, and inputmethods like touch and gesture allow mobile devices to act very differentlyfrom the computers we have traditionally designed for. One key differencebetween mobile devices and many computers is touch, but our understanding ofhow people use touchscreen phones and tablets has been sadly lacking.
In Making mLearningUsable: How We Use Mobile Devices, Steven Hoober, with Patti Shank, analyzes the results of his own phonestudy and a crowdsourced Guild tablet study. The report examines how peoplehold, touch, and use the various tablet sizes, and explores the implicationsfor the design of mobile interfaces for learning. This information is critical toanyone who wants to make effective use of mobile devices for information orinstruction.
