The idea of mobile learning is usually drawn back on the idea of the Dynabook as suggested by Alan Key. In his paper from 1972 he imagined the dynabook as a source for information. Astonishingly, it is not suggested for communication purposes. Additionally, Key focuses on technical issues and did not consider pedagogical issues.
Often mentioned reasons like learning in relevant contexts can not justify mobile devices, since access to knowledge is clearly necessary in education, but it is not clear that mobile devices are useful for this only since they are available.
Beside the lack of pedaogical reasons for mobile learning there's a lack of a definition for mobile learning – and that is not astonishing, since most authors try to define mobile learning by discussing different devices and services. But devices or services do not learn. Learning is something people do, and most people are more or less mobile, so learning is always mobile.
The objective of this paper is not to suggest a theory or definition of mobile learning, but mobile learning can as a first estimate be understood as a process accomplished by people in the intention to aquire knowledge where computer based devices with access to a relay network are used.
In any case: mobile learning takes place, if we define it or not, and it will certainly change the culture of knowledge communication at school. Thus we are interested in the bias of communication mobile computer technolgy brings into school.