Direct student experience of the real organism, object, place or environment is recognised by teachers as having powerful potential for high-quality learning. Mobile technologies offer a way for students to capture their authentic learning experiences, but rendering this rich experience into explicit and highly situated learning contexts for students remains an ongoing pedagogical challenge. After reviewing the changing nature of smart learning tools, several examples are explored to identify how they provide a novel learning context. Each example uses the integration of the smart device's capabilities, such as the rapid capture of images and the juxtaposition of motion and static display. When comparing the incorporated tools of only a few years ago with the current tools available with the latest smart mobile devices, general principles can be generated to inform effective professional practice, specifically when teaching spatially dependent tasks, and in mobile collaborative learning environments.