Mobile Ad Hoc Networks (MANETs) and Mobile Learning (m-Learning): A Survey

Mobile Ad Hoc Networks (MANETs) have many uses. Education is one of the many areas in which
MANETs have been applied. MANETs in education have been proposed in the creation of mobile virtual
classrooms to boost ubiquitous learning. While ubiquitous learning may be enabled through general elearning, this paper concentrates on m-learning that is based on MANETs’ principles. MANETs-based
mobile virtual classrooms have been suggested for improving learning in marginalized areas—
particularly in the developing countries. In addition, there are researchers who view MANETs as the
future of e-Learning. As smartphones and smart devices become an integral part of our society,
MANETs are viewed as cheaper way of forming networks in instances that traditional networks may not
be feasible, damaged or lacking altogether. Because they do not require pre-existing infrastructure,
MANETs are cheaper and more flexible to establish and launch. Mobile nodes/devices make up MANET
networks. Network nodes can join or leave the network without affecting the overall functioning of other
nodes. The ability of MANETs to reconfigure themselves without the need of conventional
administration makes them very dynamic. In this article, the writer attempts to present the state of the
art in the area of MANETs and m-learning. This paper attempts to identify the areas of convergence and
divergence in MANETs and m-learning as reported in the literature. This article presents the MANETs
frameworks proposed for mobile virtual classrooms, their shortcomings, their effectiveness, and
possible areas for further improvements. Furthermore, the paper tries to present the history and
advancement of MANETs in relation to mobile virtual classrooms. In every instance, the writer attempts
to relate the two—MANETs and m-Learning.