Mobile content is twice as difficult [usability] — from Jakob Nielsen
Summary:

When reading from an iPhone-sized screen, comprehension scores for complex Web content were 48% of desktop monitor scores.

It’s more painful to use the Web on mobile phones than on desktop computers for many reasons:

  • Slower downloads
  • No physical keyboard for data entry
  • No mouse for selection; no mouse buttons to issue commands and access contextual menus (indeed fewer signaling states, as discussed further in our seminar on Applying HCI Principles to Real World Problems: a touchscreen only signals “finger-down/up,” whereas a mouse has hover state in addition to button press/release)
  • Small screen (often with tiny text)
  • Websites designed for desktop access instead of following the usability guidelines for mobile
  • App UIs that lack consistency

New research by R.I. Singh and colleagues from the University of Alberta provides one more reason: it’s much harder to understand complicated information when you’re reading through a peephole.

…rest of posting here.

From DSC:
With the above said, the mobile learning wave cannot — and most likely should not — be stopped. The types of devices we end up using may change, but mobile learning will move forward.

For one example of this, see: