Mobile learning in the majority world: A critique of the GSMA position

The interest in mobile learning in the majority world (this term was coined by Bangladeshi photographer Shahidul Alam, to refer to what had been called the ‘Global South’ or ‘developing world’. Majority world “defines the community in terms of what it is, rather than what it lacks.” (See: http://www.appropedia.org/Majority_world)) is understandable.. The figures alone show why: Asia and Africa are the world’s two largest mobile phone markets. Asia Pacific has over 3 billion mobile connections (GSMA-Kearney, 2011a) and Africa has 620m (GSMA-Kearney, 2011b). With such high numbers and with continued growth predicted in these regions, a sensible question to ask is how can mobile technologies support learning and education? However, depending on which literature one reads, and the community one comes from – academia, industry or development – very different answers to this question emerge