Ubiquitous learning as offered to in the first course module, referring to the concept of learning anywhere, anytime is argued to be unconstrained by the “spatio- temporal dimensions of traditional classroom learning” (Cope, 2020). Within this frame, different kinds of learners (not limited by gender, race, ethnicity and abilities) and teachers are hypothesized to seamlessly assort together, consuming, constructing and applying knowledge. Contradictorily, in his 2013 video, Prof James Paul Gee, airs some of his concerns of digital learning such as winners take it all, de- professionalizing teachers and skepticism of funding and support of large corporations such as the case of Gates Foundation and Khan academy.

Ubiquitous learning is one of the seven principles of assessments in new learning approach (Cope 2020). However, it is important to question the epistemological pre-supposition of learning maturity of the learners linked to the learner’s profile and the role of culture in context of three architectural aspects discussed by Cope (2020), physical, communication and pedagogical. It is interesting that Prof Gee briefly draws attention to this argument in his video discussions when he talks of 40 years of research which reflects the difference between embodied meaning of the elite and rich students and the verbal meaning of poor kids.

Traditional education systems have accounted for the “social cultural approaches to understand learning and development” and has puts “culture as core concern “(Nasir and Hand, 2006, p. 450). However, the consideration of culture in e learning environment is an emergent area, where alignment of learning objective and its realization adopting a ubiquitous approach has not been much examined (Rey, Barbera and Fernandez-Navarro, 2016)

In the ASEAN context, for example, which is deeply collectivist, feminine, tendency to avoid uncertainty, with normative styles (such as employing Hofstede’s model), the role and expectations of the teacher within e -learning environment and relationship with the learners can be expected to be very different, and thereof many pre- suppositions of learners of ubiquitous approach will be challenging, and therefore forms a concept in need of definition and consideration.

Reference
Cope, B. (2020), “From didactic learning pedagogy to new learning”, in Learning ecologies: Innovative approaches to teaching and learning for digital age.
Nasir S. N and Hand, M. V (2006), “Exploring social cultural perspective on race, culture and learning”, Review of Educational Research, Vol. 7, No.4. pp. 449- 475
Rey, P.G, Barbera, E. and Fernandez- Navarro, F. (2016), “The Impact of Cultural Dimensions on Online Learning”. Educational Technology & Society, 19 (4), 225