Mobile Learning
Technologies
Mobile learning technologies, have potential to enhance
adult education. Bringing new and improved
technologies into the classroom is important. The use of mobile
technologies is more lightweight than hardback books or PCs. The use of mobile learning in the classroom is a way to
diversify many types of learning activities as part of instruction. Lastly,
mobile learning can hook and engage the alienated adult learner (Baran, 2014) . For this week’s assignment, I will discuss IPad and location-aware apps.
IPad
IPad enhances
adult education in many ways. The first way is,
Apple offers over 65,000 apps and growing. There are many educational
apps instructors can use for classroom instruction. Students are more inclined
to use tablets instead of computers in the classroom.
However, they prefer Ipads. Publishers of hardback books have teamed
with Apple to sell digital versions of textbooks.
IPad improves the literacy and
communication of adult students. The app iBook
helps instructors develop interactive books
with 3D quality. IPad have great battery life
with the capability to travel anywhere
because of its lightweight IPad are easy to use,
and they offer video chatting and recording. Lastly, students can use IPad to
utilize social media for research and sites like Facebook, Twitter, and Google
searches. I selected the IPad because it is easy to access and the apps will
help adult learners enhance their communication with classmates and people
online (Karsenti & Fievez, 2013) . Ways I would
incorporate IPads into my professional practice, start with one lesson in the classroom and then build. The second
way is to offer students the free online
book, Universal Design for Learning: Theory and Practice.
Location-Aware Apps
Location-aware apps transfer online information
based on their physical location. This application can show you your position on the map and offer nearby restaurants,
bars, clubs, or any place you seek. This
app alerts your friends on social media of your location prompting them to come
and join you for dinner or drinks if nearby. Since the development of this software, some
colleges and universities are using this location-aware app to help students on
campus. The app helps students on campus find a friend and locate resources in
the library needed for classroom instruction. I chose location-aware apps as a
way to help adult learners utilize location-based
content and experiential learning. Ways I
would incorporate location-aware apps into my professional practice is engaged in team building exercise and implementing
geolocation by encouraging every student to use the app to find the users
location on a web site or the web app.
References
Baran, E. (2014). A Review of Research on Mobile Learning in
Teacher Education. Journal of Educational Technology & Society,
4(17), 17-32.
Jeng, Y.-L., Wu, T.-T., Huang, Y.-M., Tan, Q., J., S., &
Yang, H. (2010). The Add-on Impact of Mobile Applications in Learning
Strategies: A Review Study. Journal of Educational Technology and Society,
13(3), 3-11.
Karsenti, T., & Fievez, A. (2013). The iPad in
education: uses, benefits, and challenges. Quebec, Canada: Creative Commons.
Hello Ms. Childs, I totally agree that IPADs could enhance adult education. We are in an electronic era and computers make many traditional jobs better. “James Kulik at the University of Michigan performed a meta-analysis on several hundred well-controlled studies in a wide variety of fields at the elementary, secondary, higher- and adult-education level. He found that computer-based education could increase scores from 10 to 20 percentile points and reduce time necessary to achieve goals by one-third. He found that computers improved class performance by about one-half a standard deviation, less than the one sigma difference that could be accomplished by peer tutoring.” (The Journal Staff, 1997) Great post and continued success.
ReplyDeleteReferences
The Journal Staff (1997) Computers in Education: A Brief History. The Journal Retrieved April 7, 2017, from https://thejournal.com/Articles/1997/06/01/Computers-in-Education-A-Brief-History.aspx?Page=4
Hi Torsha,
ReplyDeleteI think the use of location-aware apps has great potential for learning. An example of a way I may use mobile learning is to track locations of students and show to point out habits which might be hindering their learning. Another use may be to recognize their location and provide useful information, such as history of their location, or for other nearby learning resources. As you mention, this type of experiential learning may keep students interested in learning and point out information which they otherwise may not have accessed.
Respectfully,
George