Can Mobile Learning Help Enhance Student Motivation?

We don’t need to tell you that smartphones and tablets, has brought a huge transformation in our day-to-day life. But, perhaps the single most significant benefits of mobile technology that has made a substantial impression on our lives in how we learn.

Studies have shown that over two-thirds of school-going children have smartphones now, which is three times more than in 2006. Teachers aren’t lagging behind either. A teacher’s access to a smartphone or other forms of smart devices like tablets has also doubled than what it was in 2006. As smartphones and tablets become ever more prevalent and affordable, experts think that more young people will use them to make education more engaging. And it has already begun. More and more schools are using mobile devices to motivate students, make learning more engaging, and personalizing it to suit specific needs of individual students.

But, let’s now focus on the elephant in the room. Just how exactly, technology is changing the way we learn? How does this look like? What are future trends? How can the internet empower, enable and engage students and teachers alike and transform education?

According to a report by Darrell M. West, vice president and director of Governance Studies, West noted that mobile learning is an approach to address problems in the educational system. West also said that smartphones and tablets inspire innovation and help students, teachers, and parents to gain access to digital content, which is vital for a post-industrial world.

“Digital technology helps teachers think about new classroom models. Students can take more responsibility for their own learning, while teachers can focus on more advanced problem-solving and building critical skills for those in their classrooms. The result will be an educational collaboration that is more satisfying for students and teachers,” West said.

West’s report, which is a part of Brookings Mobile Economy Project, also discovered that 52 percent of teachers believe digital instructional tools encourage students to learn. Teachers are also hopeful that these tools will help students to develop their creativity and critical thinking. It also paves the ways for students to take control of their learning process and solve problems.

According to the research using an internet-enabled mobile device in school helps pupils in enhancing their learning prowess. 78 percent saying it allows them to check grades, 64 percent admitting that it helps them access online textbooks, and 69 percent saying the device makes it easy for them to take notes in the classroom.

Every student’s learning capability is different. Mobile devices, when combined with the internet and social media enable a more personalized learning opportunity for both students and educators. That said it is crucial to increase personalization in the learning process. Many students said that they now can take their research anywhere using mobile devices.

Collaborating with their teachers and classmates has also become easier. Accessing school networks and organizing schoolwork assignments online is now possible, thanks to mobile technology. For example, more and more students are now signing up for online tuition in Singapore, whose internet infrastructure is one of the best in the world.

West also emphasized the need for more progress in developing digital infrastructure and digital content, as well as providing more professional development for teachers.

“Challenges exist, but the results from a wide variety of promising pilot projects and research indicate that students, teachers, administrators, and parents are excited about the opportunities and interested in exploring how to effectively leverage these devices and tools to increase student achievement, teacher productivity and home support of learning, “ West said.

Author Bio:

David A. Buhr has over fifteen years of experience in the field of Education. He specializes in setting up Educational State. He is an expert in the area of developing strategies of Education. He is presently working at his Home tuition agency in Singapore.