SMARTPHONES IN EDUCATION

By Joel Bryant

What defines a Smartphone? No official definition But widely known for:

Advanced computing ability and connectivityPortable media playersCamera functionsHigh-resolution touch screensWeb browsers that can access and properly

display standard web pages  Wi-Fi capabilities and mobile broadband accessAccess to software applications with a multitude

of uses

Mobile Learning

So Why Smartphones?

They are already here Student motivation Student understanding They combine the functions of many

different technologies into one Extend the learning process outside of

the classroom

They’re Here! Depending on the grade level, many students

already have access to Smartphones.According to MobiThinking.com there are over 5.3

billion mobile subscribers (77 percent of the world’s population)

Although the majority of these are “feature phones” and not “Smartphones”

According to NPD.com, in the USA, sales of Smartphones overtook feature phones in 2011, (54% -46%)

Granted, most student users would be in the higher grades

They’re Here!

Benefits for EducationAlthough not all students have access to

Smartphones, many will, and as numbers project, the amount of students with access will continue to increase.

As a result, it is a cheaper technology to implement○ Not every student must be provided with one

by the school

Student Understanding and Motivation

Most students today have grown up as part of the “digital generation”They have been exposed to advanced

computing technology since birth.Anya Kamenetz writes about a pair of twin girls

who have been using an iPhone since they were 6 months old, and are starting to read at 18 months thanks to an app called “First Words”

Students’ understanding of technology is largely inherent

Student Understanding and Motivation

Kamenetz explains that children nowadays ”don't have that barrier that technology is hard or that they can't figure it out.” (Kamenetz, 2010)

Due to the interactivity of mobile devices, even students without mobile access often have an understanding of how to use the technology by learning from peers or parents.

Bonus: Students love to use their phones.

Student Understanding and Motivation

Benefits for EducationMany students already know how to use the

technology○ Less instruction time wasted

Students can teach each other how to use it○ Independent learning

Students like using their phones○ Utilize as a positive learning tool, instead of a

distraction

Multiple Functions

Smartphones can combine the functions of:CamerasVideo CamerasTelephonesCalculatorsPCs/LaptopsGPS’Audio recordersMany, many more

Multiple Functions

Benefits to EducationInstead of buying Flip cameras, video

cameras, laptops, calculators and various other technologies, Schools can consolidate these technologies into one:○ Smartphones

In a world of increasing cutbacks for education, it is smart to conserve money where we can

Learning Outside the Classroom

Smartphones allow students to take their school work anywhere with them and complete it at any time.Students have busy lives!

○ With sports, dance, clubs, lessons and a multitude of other responsibilities, students’ lives are hectic.

Smartphones give students the ability to do school work on the way to the rink, or in the waiting room at the dentist.

Learning Outside the Classroom

With cloud computing technology, students can store their work online in the “cloud”

They can text, skype, call, or email eachotherThis allows increased collaboration, and

eases pressure of meeting outside of class for group projects.

Learning Outside the Classroom

Benefits for EducationWork can be done anywhere at anytime

○ Lifts restraints of limited class time○ Instruction can be given in podcast or video form to be

accessed anywhere.Creates accountability for absent students as well as those

who attend regularly.

Students can work together with more ease○ Better collaboration and social behaviour

Parents can monitor students grades and homeworkStudents can track school events, deadlines and

other important dates

Challenges

FundingHaving already spent so much money on computing

technology, school’s will be wary about abandoning it for Smartphones

The digital divide in each class and school is different, and funding has to be allocated accordingly

Teacher EducationTeachers need to be taught how to use Smartphone

technology to teach effectively Supervision

Student access to inappropriate material is difficult to filter.

Conclusion

Although they face many difficulties in their implementation, Smartphones could potentially be the next great piece of technology to inspire real learning in our classrooms!

Audio for Presentation

I will pause speaking to allow the viewer know that we have moved on to the next slide.

Bibliography Fearrington, C. (2011, October 8). Smartphones in Education [Web

log message]. Retrieved from http://chrisfearrington.com/blog/2011/10/08/smartphones-in-education/

Kamenetz, A. (2010, April 1). A Is for App: How Smartphones, Handheld Computers Sparked an Educational Revolution. Retrieved from http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/144/a-is-for-app.html

MobiThinking. (2011) Global mobile statistics 2011: all quality mobile marketing research, mobile Web stats, subscribers, ad revenue, usage, trends… http://mobithinking.com/mobile-marketing-tools/latest-mobile-stats

The NPD Group, Inc. (2011) Verizon's iPhone Sales Help Make Apple the Third-Largest Mobile Phone Brand in the U.S. Retrieved from  https://www.npd.com/press/releases/press_110428.html

Smartphone. (n.d.). In Wikipedia. Retrieved October 17, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smartphone