Critical analysis of the concept "ubiquitous learning" through conceptual cartography

Abstract

The concept of “ubiquitous learning” has been criticized due to its technocentric nature, which emphasizes technological aspects over educational ones. However, once ubiquitous learning evolves into an educational concept, its contributions may become more relevant and pertinent in the context of ubiquity and its applications in learning. For this reason, the objective of this work was to carry out a documentary review on the term ubiquitous learning, to make a critical analysis that supports its development. The Conceptual Cartography method was used, through a four-phase procedure: 1) Search for documents relevant to the research; 2) Definition of inclusion and exclusion criteria for documents; 3) Data analysis with analytical categories (Notion, Characterization, Categorization, Differentiation, Classification, Exemplification and Linkage); 4) Interpretation of results. The main result suggests that ubiquitous learning matured conceptually, due to the incorporation of two approaches: continuous and personalized learning. However, these approaches are based on learning ideals, so it is necessary to specify concepts that support the ubiquitous learning perspective when establishing concrete educational practices.