Examining mobile games from both educational and gaming perspectives, this title argues that the strengths of the mobile platform - its portability, context sensitivity, connectivity, and ubiquity - make it useful for learning games in elementary, secondary, university, and lifelong education. It describes the potential of mobile learning games.

These games - either participatory (which require interaction with other players) or augmented reality (which augment the real world with virtual information) - can be produced at lower cost than PC or full-size console games. They use social dynamics and real-world context to enhance game play, they can be integrated into the natural flow of instruction more easily than their big-screen counterparts, and they can create compelling educational and engaging environments for learners.They are especially well-suited for helping learners at every level develop twenty-first century skills - including the ability to tackle complex problems and acquire information in "just-in-time" fashion. All of this, Klopfer argues, puts mobile learning games in a unique and powerful position within educational technology.