During the past few years there have been great strides in the advancement of technology with the rise of mobile devices leading to an era characterized by the instant access to and mobility of information. Mobile technologies have more recently been used in a variety of educational settings for a variety of purposes and educational goals. Nevertheless, while the claims about the positive impact of the use of mobile technologies in different aspects of education are compelling, data on how these technologies support, for example, the understanding of complex concepts or the development of learning skills that enable students to think critically and problem-solve, are limited. This theoretical article contends that missing, remains a detailed characterization of the accounts and the processes through which mobile technologies mediate learning, and proposes that future research in science education is directed towards: (a) exemplifying the theoretical aspects and the characteristics of design frameworks associated with mobile learning; (b) characterizing rich and complex pedagogical practices that use mobile devices; and (c) sketching the details of the processes by which students come to know through engagement in activities that use mobile technologies. (Contains 1 note.)