Opportunity in the commute

A very interesting post on Technology Review: http://bit.ly/faT0h

The basic point: Commuting in 'Asia' (Otherwise known as 'a very large group nations and ethnicities that are more culturally and linguistically diverse than Europe, but anyhow') involves more use of public transportation than in the 'West' (which, as it includes France, the USA, and New Zealand, is geographically everywhere).

Semantics aside, the point is good. Commuting has traditionally been Dead Time. In a car or on public transport, there is limited to no face-to-face socialising. In a car, there is the potential for out-loud noise (e.g. the radio), on transport there is the potential for personal noise (e.g. an ipod). But for Other Things - using the internet - that's different.

In a car, your hands are on the wheel. You can't use the internet. On public transport, your hands are free. You can use the internet.

For public transport users, that's a lot of time that was previously Dead that is now usable. Time that could be used for learning.

There's a lot of reasons why educators should consider creating mobile apps, but for me, the commute is the most compelling. People who can use their hands while commuting can choose to use that time for learning - and that's time that educators should be providing for.