How Mobile Technology Can Enhance Remote Learning
Research has long established that mobile learning solutions in education can increase students’ motivation and lead to greater participation in the learning process due to faster and better acquisition of skills and concepts. Yet, it took a pandemic for the education system to truly appreciate mobile technology and what it could offer to K-12 learning.
A recent study has revealed that mobile learning impacts both the process and outcomes of learning through interactions with other psychological constructs. It also offers new opportunities to directly affect the learning process and results and collect previously unavailable data to improve understanding and approaches to the learning process.
92% of students also stated that they find it easier to use a mobile device to access information. They trust their devices and feel confident that they will not fail in finding the correct information at the right time. In addition, about 95% of students say that mobile devices enable faster communication with peers and educators while offering the ease and convenience of having all their course materials in the palm of their hand.
So, if students are so confident of the benefits of mobile learning solutions for K-12 education, here’s what educators and policymakers should know about the applications and benefits of mobile technology.
Ensures Equal Access to Education
When education moved online across the board during the pandemic, what became painfully apparent was that not every student had equal access to online learning. Students from low-income households had limited access to laptops and internet connectivity. However, smartphones are ubiquitous across socio-economic strata, which means that mobile apps are more easily accessible. If the mobile app includes the facility to download content for offline access, continuous internet connectivity no longer remains a problem.
Instantaneous Feedback
Mobile technology enables quick formative assessments allowing teachers to monitor the learning progress regularly. Teachers can deploy assessments and quizzes, and students can choose to check their knowledge acquisition as and when required. With automated scoring, students no longer need to wait for days to know the results. Teachers can also provide instant, personalized feedback to steer students in the right direction for better academic outcomes. Machine learning has allowed even explanatory answers and essay grading seamless, saving teachers a lot of time and effort while providing immediate feedback to students.
Learning Analytics
With mobile apps, it is easier to collect large amounts of data on learning behaviors, content consumption patterns, level of engagement with different types of content, and much more. These insights can help educators and policymakers with informed decisions regarding learning materials, instructional approaches, and even planning individual learning paths for students. With a robust analytics engine, teachers can also keep parents in the loop regarding their children’s learning progress.
Social Learning
Research shows that group learning can be more effective than individual learning. Students are motivated to move forward with the learning materials with peer-to-peer learning, get questions answered, and understand concepts better. Mobile technology offers just the right tools for social learning and collaboration, such as discussion forums, chats, and message boards. Students can work on group assignments and assessments, which can be completed asynchronously. This way, education continues even when the teacher is not present.
Conclusion
These are only some of the applications of mobile technology for K-12 learning. For instance, read-aloud features, videos, captioning, etc., ensure compliance with WCAG 2.0 and other standards to ensure accessibility. Most importantly, personalization of learning is a great way to engage and motivate students.
If you are ready to bring the advantages of mobile learning solutions to your educational institution, check out MagicBox™, the award-winning digital learning platform with cutting-edge EdTech features to ease education delivery. Contact us today to learn more.
