Mobile Learning ~ New MIT Media Lab Center

Today the Media Lab officially announces new Center for Mobile Learning run by Professors Abelson, Klopfer, and Resnick which...

"...will focus on the design and study of new mobile technologies and applications, enabling people to learn anywhere anytime with anyone. Research projects will explore location-aware learning applications, mobile sensing and data collection, augmented reality gaming, and other educational uses of mobile technologies. [...] The Center's first activity will focus on App Inventor for Android, a programming system that makes it easy for learners to create mobile apps for Android smart phones by visually fitting together puzzle piece-shaped "programming blocks" in a web browser. Abelson proposed an idea that prompted the development of App Inventor during his sabbatical at Google in 2008. [...] According to Abelson, the idea for App Inventor was directly inspired by Resnick's Scratch software, and the core code for its programming blocks came from Klopfer's lab. "The new Media Lab initiative completes the circle," said Abelson. "For me, it's a terrific experience of starting with an idea, finding visionary industry leaders willing to make it a reality, then bringing it back home to MIT so I can work on projects I love together with colleagues I admire."

This should accelerate STEAM app development and ventures too!