Involving "Mobile Learning Devices" in Education Mainstream

We live in a world saturated with media. Media is displayed as facilitative tools in all fields including education. In education  there is a wide range of mobile learning devices that are used to stretch students' opportunities of learning and engage students in learning. Children and youth enjoy using mobile learning devices in their own lives, thereby involving these devices in schools will make kids and young people enjoy academic learning as well. Using mobile learning devices is very essential to improve the educational' outcomes and facilitate students' access to information wherever they are and in any time. mobile learning devices transform the learning environment to be inside and outside schools.

There are some limitations and drawbacks about using them in schools but few research have investigated them. Most of the drawbacks are about the limited internet access, the financial power required to afford the devices' price and some limitations regarding the availability of electricity.

Disadvantages of mobile learning are given little attention and concern because overcoming them is easy and achievable. Another reason is due to the striking benefit of them that worth sacrificing and surrendering their disadvantages.

Although western schools are extremely using mobile learning devices and frequently adapting new devices, our schools seem slow in this domain. For about six years , personal the  computers and laptops were the only devices used in our schools and in the past five years interactive white boards was activated as will in the learning mainstream. No IPod, no IPad and no smart phones are allowed to be used in our schools just because the administration' staff are afraid that students will misuse them in ways free of manners. Personally, I evaluate this reason as no more valid. To curb students from all the astonishing benefits of mobile learning for such reason seems pointless since students are already using mobile learning devices at home. There are many achievable ways to insure using those devices only for learning. We are in need to modify the way we look at things to make our students step up in education.

 

For the English subject particularly, using mobile learning devices is very important since there are many applications and software available to facilitate learning English' skills. From my experience in using the smart phone and the IPad I have found a number of applications that help me improve my English skills and facilitate the study materials for me. Some examples of useful applications include "English Language Test" which tests the English language proficiency of the user; "test Your English Vocabulary" which aims to improve the users vocabulary to be prepared for national exams, such as TOFEL exam; and "English Conversation" which daily uploads videos for native English speakers to help the user improve his or her speaking skills. There are many other free applications that aid the user to improve his or her language' skills with interesting enjoyable ways.

Thereby, in the future I will try to find a way to allow students to use mobile learning devices in schools to benefit from the available applications. There is hope to do so since the awareness about the importance of mobile learning is increasing nowadays. 

_information source;

1. Disadvantages of mobile learning
2. Benefits and Drawbacks of mLearning

 

 Importance of Mobile Learning