A growing understanding of the learning and instructional affordances of mobile technologies (alongside technological developments) have enabled the design and investigation of mobile-learning experiences across contexts and dimensions of mobile learning. For instance, the literature in the field is rich in studies that investigate how learners move physical locations, utilising several devices or technologies, interacting with various social networks (perhaps across formal and informal learning settings) as they pursuit a learning path or event.

There is much appreciation of learning principles, such as contextual, situated, augmented, and collaborative among others, particularly suited to mobile learning. There is a wealth of studies reporting on how these principles can be best applied in the field. There are also always new technologies being implemented in the context of mobile learning for example, "smarter" phones, e-readers, and tablet and augmented-reality applications. However, the evaluation of mobile learning is an area that has lagged behind.

The mobile nature of mobile learners and the application of traditional evaluation strategies and tools have often limited the scope of investigation to what can be observed by researchers or captured by external recording devices such as video or sound. Thus, a challenge remains to understand what happens while learners are on the move.

The ML Conference seeks to provide a forum for the presentation and discussion of mobile learning research that illustrate developments in the field.