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A recent Pew Research Center survey found that 58% of U.S. teachers own smartphones — 10 percentage points higher than the national average for adults. Those teachers are building that tech-savviness into their lesson plans, too, by embracing bring-your-own-device policies and leading the push for an iPad for every student. In 2013, an estimated 25% of U.S. schools had BYOD policies in place and it’s reasonable to assume those numbers have risen in the past two years.
What do
these mobile devices really add, though? Is there more to this tech
trend than just grabbing the attention of students? Is mobile technology
boosting classroom instruction, or is it all just a flashy way to
accomplish the same things as analog instruction?
Research finds benefits of mobile technology
That same
Pew Research Center survey asked a group of Advanced Placement and
National Writing Project teachers about the educational impact of
Internet technology in the classroom. Here’s what those teachers had to
say about mobile technology specifically:
- 73% of the teachers reported using mobile technology in their classrooms, either through their own instruction or by allowing students to use it to complete assignments
- English teachers are more likely to use mobile technology in the classroom than math teachers
- 47% of teachers strongly agreed, and an additional 44% somewhat agreed, that students need digital literacy courses to be successful academically and beyond.
As far
back as 2010, reports were surfacing that mobile apps are not only
engaging, but educational, for children as young as preschool. PBS Kids,
in partnership with the US Department of Education, found that the
vocabulary of kids ages three to seven who played its Martha Speaks
mobile app improved up to 31%.
Abilene Christian University conducted research around the same time
that found math students who used the iOS app “Statistics 1” saw improvement in their final grades. They were also more motivated to finish lessons on mobile devices than through traditional textbooks and workbooks.
More
recently, two studies that separately followed fifth and eighth graders
who used tablets for learning in class and at home found that learning
experiences improved across the board.
35% of the 8th graders said that they were more interested in their
teachers’ lessons or activities when they used their tablet, and the
students exceeded teachers’ academic expectations when using the
devices. When self-reporting, 54% of students say they get more involved in classes that use technology and 55% say they wish instructors used more educational games or simulations to teach lessons.
My own college students report back from student teaching in P-12 classrooms and say kids do seem to respond well to the stimulus of mobile devices. They stay on task, they correct mistakes in real-time and, most importantly, they get excited about learning.
Source: Gizmodo
