Mobile Tecnology

Technology continues to progress further into the future every day and as such so does its use in education and the classroom.  Technology is not only limited to desktop computers or laptops, but rather can include the use of mobile devices (Park, 2011).  With recent economic changes, educational institutions are facing budget restrictions.  However, mobile technology can help to eliminate budget deficits. 

One example of mobile technology is e-readers.  E-readers allow learners to read course materials, such as textbooks, with the touch of a finger.  No longer is the student required to carry around heavy textbooks.  Textbooks are updated with new information every few years and as such educational institutions are required to purchase the newly updated textbooks.  This can become expense for school and for the learner in which one is required to purchase their books for class.  With e-readers, learners or the educational institutions are able to purchase textbooks online.  The textbooks purchased are the most current version.  No longer is the student or educational institution required to hold a large inventory of out dated course materials (Park, 2011). 

One example for incorporating e-readers into the classroom is for educators to assign course readings to learners in which the learner is able to read the material on the e-reader.  The e-reader is lighter than the textbook and easier to carry around than a traditional laptop.  Within my current practice as a corporate trainer, one would be able to assign pre-training materials to learners to read.  The pre-reading material would help to provide additional background for the learner prior to entering the training course.  Trainees would not have to forced to use work time to read through the material, but rather would be able to read on one’s commute to and from work or at home in the evenings.  Additionally, the trainee would be able to directly download the materials to the e-reader that have been previously purchased by the company.  The employees attending the training session would be able to easily bring their e-readers to the training course, which would provide easy access to references and topics discussed in the training. 

In a classroom setting, the e-readers could be incorporated to allow students to access information and resources on the internet during the class discussion or lecture.  Additionally, class presentations can be uploaded and shared on e-readers.  No longer does the educator or presenter need a classroom projector.  Students are able to follow along with the presentation slides via their e-reader.  Personally, in the training universe, my organization spends a great deal of time and money on printing hard copies of training presentations that are distributed to participants.  Now the presentations can be downloaded to the e-reader and learners would be able to follow along of the reader. 

The second mobile technology researched is the use of mobile or handheld devices.  With the creation of Smartphones, educators have begun to move away from the use of computer labs in the classroom and have begun to use Smartphones for the same capabilities (Johnson, Levine, Smith, & Stone, 2010).  Mobile or handheld devices allow learners to be connected to their classroom at anytime and any location (Hare, 2010). 

One example of incorporating handheld devices is through the use of apps that can be downloaded on the mobile devices.  One example provided by Johnson et al. (2010) is students enrolled in a science class in which students can learn about the solar system by simply clicking on an app on their Smartphones and then holding their phones up to the sky.  The student is able to see the locations and names of stellar objects.  The learner is able to access their learning resources at any time anywhere.  Learners are connected and further engaged in the learning process.  Learners are able to carry their course curriculum or readings around with them in the palm of their hand instead of lugging around textbooks.  Learners are able to move outside of the classroom, for example in this science class, to be able to receive learning first hand through demonstration. 

The second example for incorporation into the classroom is something that I currently use at Walden University.  Many educational institutions, specifically online institutions, have downloadable applications.  Walden University has an app that I have downloaded to my iPhone.  From there I am able to access my email and classroom at any location.  I am able to join group discussions or answer emails at the touch of a finger.   Adult learners in a corporate or professional setting can benefit from having the classroom available to them at any time.  Within my current organization, many analysts travel for business and as such it is hard to always stay connect, especially in the airport.  Now with the downloadable app to their Smartphones, the analysts are always able to stay connected no matter where they are. 

References:

Hare, C. (2010). School opens door to iPhones in class. St. Albert Gazette. Retrieved on September 26 from www.stalbertgazette.com/article/20100529/SAG0801/305299977. 

Johnson, L., Levine, A., Smith, R., and Stone, S. (2010). The 2010 Horizon Report. Austin TX.: New Media Consortium. 

Park, Y. (2011). A pedagogical framework for mobile learning: Categorizing educational applications of mobile technologies into four types. International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning, 12(2), 78–102.