Wikipedia is a terrific reference tool if you (or your students) happen to be at an internet-connected computer, but it’s a lot harder to use as a reference tool when you’re out and about. 

It’s possible to look up Wikipedia using a mobile internet connection, but for many people, the mobile data charges this incurs can make this expensive (even if you’re using a mobile version like Wapedia).  And there are certainly iPod-based, text-only versions of Wikipedia, but it would be far more useful and accessible to have Wikipedia on a mobile phone as it’s the one device most people never leave home without; and iPod books can’t display pictures.

Which is why I was ecstatic today when I found the best mobile version of Wikipedia yet – and it’s free.  The Series 60 Weblog has compiled over 2000 full-length Wikipedia articles – including over 8500 colour images – into a version of Wikipedia that can be read on Symbian s60 phones (i.e. most recent-model Nokia phones as well as many Sony-Ericsson and some other phones).  Here are a couple of screenshots:

   

Head over to the Series 60 Weblog to download Wikipedia for your phone and get all the details.

Tags: wikipedia, wapedia, symbian, nokia, phone, cellphone, mobile, learning, mlearning, m-learning, mobilelearning, mobile-learning, reference, education, s60