Mobile Technology - Research Paper Example

Mobile Technology Table of contents Introduction ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------2 Benefits of mobile learning ---------------------------------------------------------------------------4 Challenges of mobile learning -----------------------------------------------------------------------6 Requirements for using mobile technology--------------------------------------------------------10 Blending traditional learning with mobile learning--------------------------------------------- 11 Future Implications-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------12 Conclusion-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------12 References ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------13 Mobile Technology Introduction According to Elias (2011), mobile learning has different meanings; it ranges from resource used in the classroom such as tablets notebooks computers and mobile phones. This type of learning focuses on the movement of the student, relating with movable equipment, and knowledge that reproduces an effort on how the general public and its organizations can adapt and boost a developing mobile community(Maniar, et all, 2011). The instructors are also experiencing a new dimension where they use smart phones that use different soft-where in the earning process. The use of these tools has turned to be an informal procedure in the learning process (Milrad, 2006). Benefits of mobile learning Mobile learning is very convenient because both learners and their teachers can get access it at any given time. Just like the types of e- learning mobile learning is collaborative, learners and teachers can share information, this leads to receiving of prompt feedback and instructions (Milrad, 2006). This collaboration increases high performance, and it replaces the use of textbooks and notebooks during the teaching and learning process. Furthermore, it is easy to use mobile learning in the learning context (Milrad, 2006). According to Chan et al, (2006), educational institutions are getting laptops and Internet services as a result of improve technological development. Educators need to understand how to work the mobile technologies and incorporate them efficiently during their teaching and learning process. Teachers understand that this process is important in education because it helps facilitate the teaching learning process using the mobile or tablets devices. Most important aspect of these mobile devices is that by using them in the teaching learning process, they tend to improve the general teaching and learning activity in the classroom, as well as instructor feedback after assessment. Mobile devices have intrinsic educational products that improve instructional procedures in the classroom. Using an android system, the students, and their teachers can make use of the Microsoft word document to make, transform, or edit their documents (Milrad, 2006). The Picasa instrument found in tablets can be used to save meaningful pictures for assignments conducted on projects (Milrad, 2006). This mobile technology provides effective teaching and studying by speeding the entire teaching and learning procedure. Mobile devices used in teaching range from digital laptops to use of tablet in the tutorial room to boost the teaching and learning process (Milrad, 2006). Mobile technology used in the classroom is flexible in that they allow students to acquire knowledge in a flexible environment. Students can also use the devices to observe teaching and learning activities during classroom experiments (Milrad, 2006). Like chemical reactions can be observed in, the iPhone using the app application in it, and this makes learning more flexible in an adaptable environment. However, mobile technological development is challenging to the IT department and educators in the education system (Milrad, 2006). Use of mobile technology promotes educational support because the students use mobile tools as supportive instructive tools (Chan et al, 2006). Students can now access diagrams, editorials, dissertations and other theoretical material, which can expand student activities in the classroom. Mobile learning improves communication between the teacher and the students because through them, the students get encouraged in the learning process and communicated without difficulties. In a classroom, there are usually different students with different personalities, thus through mobile learning the students can learn in their own way (Chan et al, 2006). Apart from students getting access to learning materials through the internet, by using mobile devices such as tablets and smart phones, they can now get in contact with manufacturing specialists. Learners can read assessments and articles by specialists. Students can follow seminars and online conferences (Milrad, 2006). They can also have an opportunity to cooperate with specialists from their classrooms and homes. Using the mobile devices, students can overcome several challenges like distance and expenditures (Milrad, 2006). Apart from these, mobile learning assists learners to interact during the learning process in an active way, and through these improves the instructor feedback after assessment. Making them share experiences and learn from one another. Smartphones and Tablet have many teaching learning resources used as audiovisual materials like graphs, charts and pictures (Donner, 2009). Using mobile technology or devices in the teaching and learning process turns out to be effective and motivating when discussing students’ feedback. Furthermore, the mobile devices like smart phones and Tablets are effective instruments in the classroom. They can be used to instruct students into doing different tasks during the feedback discussion. For instance, a science instructor can conduct an experiment as students observe in the classrooms using their mobile devices. At the same time, the instructor can assess and give feedback during the lesson (Donner, 2009). Mobile technology used in the classroom is flexible in that they allow students to acquire knowledge in a flexible environment. Students can also use the devices to observe teaching and learning activities during classroom experiments. Like chemical reactions can be observed in, the iPhone using the app application in it, and this makes learning more flexible in an adaptable environment (Donner, 2009). This review presents studies conducted on the challenges teachers experience while using mobile technology in the classroom. It also presents how the teachers solve these challenges within an education context (Donner, 2009). Mobile technology is best suitable in special education. In that, several mobile devices are currently being created to assist learners with disabilities. Mobile equipment can also help students and teachers with special requirements. Currently the devices have a lot of apps that assist learners with learning frailties and physical injuries. Therefore, special students have an opportunity to learn just like the normal students using these devices (Donner, 2009). Students are usually in a position to understand the feedback presented by using mobile technology. This is because of the common language used by the teacher during discussion. Therefore, mobile technology should be used to supplement the actual instruction process and not the main resource in the teaching process (Donner, 2009). For instance, when discussing the student’s feedback the teacher can use mobiles or tablets to discuss with the students their performances. Challenges of mobile learning Teachers and IT department face challenges in implementing mobile devices in the schools because renovation and buying of these mobile tools is usually expensive and the educational institution to some extent may not buy or provide services to maintain the tools in case of they get damaged (Anderson, 2009). In an education system, every class has about fifty learners, and they all want to use these devices, as well as internet services at once. Similarly, the school will need to hire more technicians to handle the big group of students using these devices. All these might be expensive for schools and the parents (Milrad, 2006). Anderson’s (2009) study noted that when students need to do an assignment using tablets or laptop student may not be able to buy them making the learning process difficult to implement. An education system might have teachers that are less skilled in technology and use of the mobile devices. This makes it difficult in using the applications in the devices (Milrad, 2006). Additionally, online teaching and learning procedures in the classroom does not make the learners acquire social skills because without social interacting in the classroom students cannot make friends and establish relations with their colleagues. In turn, they might not learn socially because of lack of face-to-face interaction during the teaching and learning process (Milrad, 2006). Several teachers consider that using of the internet in tablets and smartphones always contribute to classroom destruction during the teaching and learning process. This is because they take them as a cause of interruption for students, as opposed to other teaching resources (Anderson, 2009). During teaching and learning process, teachers may find it difficult to monitor and ensure that they using the mobile devices for classroom activities and not texting and messaging during the class time (Anderson, 2009). Therefore, before embarking on the devices the teacher must consider using filtered internet services to reduce destruction during the teaching and learning process, and in case, the learner owns the device, it becomes a problem filtering the internet (Anderson, 2009). Several educational instructions usually look for short ways of minimizing costs especially when purchasing technological teaching resources like tablets (Chinnery, 2005). This usually makes the schools buy cheap soft where to use because of low prices yet they are of poor quality. These products are usually of poor quality that in turn affects the teaching learning process (Chan et al, 2006). For educators to fulfill the use of mobile and tablets in the classroom, teachers need to get proper training. Lack of proper training affects the use of these devices and in turn affects the teaching learning process, as well as feedback process (Donner, 2009). All education systems require proper consideration while integrating mobile devices into the school (Donner, 2009). However, this integration with other school system can be very complicated because of several bureaucracies to follow. Challenges emerging because of the integration can affect the instructor feedback like lack of enough electricity within the school (Donner, 2009). In a modern classroom, educators are meant to consider the time allocated for every lesson. In a circumstance where the teacher and the student are not competent with the modern technology, they likely to take a lot of time trying to understand how a given mobile device works (Anderson, 2009). Furthermore, a class consists of different learners with different levels of understanding, and this individual difference affects the feedback process during classroom discussions (Anderson, 2009). Other schools, students, and teachers have computer access, however, schools that are located in remote areas lack computers and internet access (Anderson, 2009). In other classroom teachers and students, overuse their mobile devices during the teaching and learning process (Donner, 2009). This over use can lead to different challenges because several learners interact effectively in the classroom through interacting with the content they are discussing, which in turn affects the teacher’s feedback (Donner, 2009). Another major challenge in using mobile technology is that most students use them for games. Because of this, most students associate mobile devices, technology games, and enjoyment purposes. Thus, it affects their comprehension of teachers feedback presented to them. However, teachers can utilize this advantage to teach those who are playful with a lot of caution. It should be noted that mobile learning is not just learning across different contexts of education (Chan et al, 2006). The use of iPod in the classroom usually require a reliable internet especially highly available Wi-Fi in the education system (Prensky, 2005). Phones, iPods, laptops, and computers fight for internet access, which can affect the lesson because of slow internet with the school (Prensky, 2005). Several online publishers have not met the high demand for books. This in turn, affects the student’s access to online books (Prensky, 2005). Students can easily use these mobile devices to search for information from teachers’ feedback during exams (Chan et al, 2006). To some extent, they even exchange messages during exams without the teaching knowing. Other student may take advantage of their phones and record the teacher or other students’ responses, which can be very dehumanizing and frustrating. This in turn, affects social interaction especially in the classroom (Chan et al, 2006). A study conducted by Chan et al (2006), mobile devices cause interruption during the learning process. Learners who use these devices can easily get distracted when they call from their mobile devices through vibration and ringing. This highly affects the teaching and learning activity will get disrupted when the learners start to texting one another during the lesson or even make calls and answer calls (Chan et al, 2006). Furthermore, with the development of iPhone or smart phones, the students can easily use their phones to shop for products and get to the social networks using quick access of the internet (Chan et al, 2006). Requirements for using mobile technology Diffusion theory developed by Rogers (2003) explains how, why, and the rate at which new technological ideas get integrated into a system. It is through innovation that new ideas are spread through the community. The process requires human resources and a lot of capital for effective implementation. Innovation of new ideas must be spread through the society and that it should occur in stages. This theory can be used in the implementation of mobile learning. Whereby teachers should ensure that they conduct proper planning before using tablets or mobile devices can reduce these technological challenges. These tend to reduce time wastage especially when doing connectivity (Chan et al, 2006). Through proper planning, the teacher will know how to handle the class. Teachers need to stick to what they know while teaching to avoid confusing the students (Chan et al, 2006). Teachers should be exposed to the mobile knowledge before actual implementation, seek for information, discuss with other specialist, implement it in the classroom and finally confirms the use of the device in the teaching learning process. Teachers and the IT department should check the peripherals before actual discussion to avoid destructions during feedback discussions (Stern and Solomon, 2006). Apart from this, teachers and the IT department should ensure that they understand the type of software used during feedback discussion. This tends to reduce problems especially in use of applications during experiments. Finally, these mobile devices need regular updates of programs to avoid destructions of the lessons (Chan et al, 2006). Blending traditional learning with mobile learning In a traditional classroom, learners were asked to buy textbooks, and they are offered published materials for their timetables at the start of the year (Chinnery, 2006). In mobile learning classroom, learners get curricular notes that cover their instructions, teaching and learning activities, as well as examination timetable at the end of the semester. Learning recourses and tools like calculator, dictionary, and provide convenient support to learners in different teaching and learning activities (Chinnery, 2006). For a teacher to blend mobile learning and traditional learning, the teacher should use face to face discussion together with mobile learning during teaching and learning activities. This then requires the use of an integrated approach in teaching activities. Future Implications In order to improve instructor feedback after assessment, teachers and the IT department should use mobile devices and tablets when discussing students’ feedback. By the use of internet services, teachers and students can discuss their feedbacks anywhere outside the schools. Student’s health can be affected by the utilization of mobile devices because these devices have magnetic effects. Mobile devices have these waves, which are very dangerous to them, especially the students, whose immunity has not fully developed (Argyrous, 2009). Students who use these devices are likely to have a severe illness like cancer. Apart from this, the student may over use the devices and in turn affect the teaching learning process (Chan et al, 2006). Above all, the educator should monitor every activity in the classroom as they discuss students’ feedback using these mobile devices (Chan et al, 2006). In conclusion, mobile devices used in teaching and learning activity are very important because they facilitate effective learning. Furthermore, these devices are turning out to be universal in the contemporary world. They are easily portable and highly accessible for everyone in the school. Educators and the IT department need to consider the use of these devices in schools because they provide a quick access to educational resources or teaching and learning activities. Educators should understand that every teaching resource used in education has challenges, and these challenges need to be handled for effective implementation. Therefore, it is importance to retain mobile devices in an education system, but with a lot of care to reduce destructions. References Anderson, T. (2009). Foreword. In Ally, M. (Ed.), Mobile Learning: Transforming the Delivery of Education and Training. Athabasca, AB: Athabasca University Press. Argyrous, G. (2009). Sources and uses of secondary data, in George Argyrous (ed.) Evidence for policy and decision-making. Sydney: UNSW Press. Chinnery, G. 2006. Going to the MALL: Mobile assisted language learning. Language Learning and Technology. 10 (1): 9–16. Chan, T-W., Roschelle, J., Hsi, S., Kinshuk, Sharples, M., Brown, T., Patton, C., Cherniavsky, J. Pea, R., Norris, C., Soloway, S., Balacheff, N., Scardamalia, M., Dillenbourg, P., Looi, C.K., Milrad, M. & Hoppe, U., (2006). One-to-One Technology-Enhanced Learning: An Opportunity for Global Research Collaboration. Research and Practice in Technology Enhanced Learning, 1(1): 3-29. Donner, J. (2009). Research Approaches to Mobile Use in the Developing World: A Review of the Literature, in The Information Society, 24(3): 140-159. Elias, T. (2011). Universal instructional design principles for mobile learning. International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning, 12(2), 144-156. Maniar, N., Bennett, E., H and, S. & Allan, G. (2008). The effect of mobile phone screen size on video based learning. Journal of Software 3 (4): 51–61. Milrad, M. (2006). How should learning activities using mobile technologies be designed to support innovative educational practices? Slides from the presentation given at the “Big Issues in Mobile Learning Workshop”, Nottingham June 1st, 2006. http://w3.msi.vxu.se/~mmilrad/Kaleidoscope/Milrad.pps Prensky, M. (2005) What can you learn from a cell phone? Almost anything!, Innovate : Journal of Online Education, 1(5): 61-51 Rogers, E. M. (2003). Diffusion of innovations. New York, NY: Free Press. Stern, L. A., & Solomon, A. (2006). Effective faculty feedback: The road less traveled. Assessing Writing, 11, 22-41. doi: 10,1016/j.asw.2005.12.001 . Read More