The value of mobile technology in teaching and learning

Mobile technology has developed at an amazing rate in recent years and now deserves a full assessment of its place and value in teaching and learning. “Mobile phones have the potential of becoming a teacher’s ally instead of the scourge of the classroom”. 

(Reece and Walker, 2009; 191)

In this blog post I will be looking at three applications (apps), Socrative, Hot Potatoes and Memrise, and the use of video for teaching and learning.

Socrative is a good example of software that is engaging, whilst also being quick to set up.  The teacher sets the questions and the class vote on a yes/no option.  The results are immediate, live and shown to the class via the Smartboard.  It would be excellent in quickly revisiting objectives of a lesson, as it enables the teacher and class to review main facts of a lesson.  It is limited by its unsuitability for assessments as the answers are given anonymously.

YouTube video of Socrative in the classroom

The Hot Potatoes app has arguably more diverse uses and seems already popular with teachers.  Teachers can set crosswords, word searches and quizzes, and these can be done in the class or for homework. The post sixteen learner is likely to be more engaged with the content presented on screen rather than on paper. The limitation is that Hot Potatoes is not innovative; it has merely made digital versions of traditional tests and games and now feels like old potatoes.

If a class needed to learn key facts then Memrise offers an innovative solution.  I discovered Memrise when studying for an Intermediate Certificate in Welsh Language in 2012.  Which is, as Dr Aaron Balick tweeted, an "Impressive website combining the addictive nature of gaming with memory improvement, really great!” (2012).  Once downloaded, the application provides options for different courses at different levels.  It begins by planting the seeds of memory and then tests by multiple-choice answers or requiring the participant to type in the answer.  Memrise is based on scientific study and its designers claim that they are “working with psychologists and neuroscientists at Oxford University and University College London to push the envelope in the science of Memory.”  If there is a problem word there users can insert ‘Mems’, quirky phrases or images to aide memory recall.  If the subject or level is not already uploaded to Memrise you can upload your own. I fully recommend it and will use it in future teaching.

Even without a fully equipped class with smartphones, a simple but no less effective way of using mobile technology exists.  One of the ways is to request a learner to record with a smartphone or camera a demonstration given by the teacher. This video footage can be uploaded to a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) or YouTube and watched on the bus or at home.  This offers learners the chance to catch up with a session they have missed or a chance to recall or review a session.

YouTube is a great source of knowledge and also misinformation.  According to the YouTube website:  “Over 6 billion hours of video are watched each month on YouTube—that's almost an hour for every person on Earth” and “Mobile [devices] make up almost 40% of YouTube's global watch time” (YouTube, 2014). This should not be overlooked.

Teaching learners how to learn is perhaps the greatest gift teachers can give to learners and in an increasingly technological era this should involve learning on-line. According to Google CEO Eric Schmidt "Every two days we create as much information as we did from the dawn of civilisation up until 2003" (Seigler, 2010). With this expansion of information comes the huge risk of overload and distraction but huge potential for teaching and learning.  In my view if we do not adapt to using mobile technology in teaching and learning, we have failed to educate learners about the new learning options revolutionising the world they inhabit.

References

Balick, Dr. A. (2012) 'Impressive website...' Available at: https://twitter.com/draaronb/status/268275184040034305

[Accessed 26th December 2014]

Petty, G. (2004) Teaching today (3^rd ed.). Cheltenham: Nelson Thornes.

Reece, I. and Walker, S. (2007) Teaching, training and learning: a practical guide (6^th revised ed.). Tyne and Wear: Business Education.
Seigler, M.G. (2010) 'Eric Schmidt: Every 2 Days We Create As Much Information As we Did Up To 2003'. Available at: http://techcrunch.com/2010/08/04/schmidt-data/ [Accessed: 26th December 2014]
YouTube. (2014) 'Statistics'. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/yt/press/en-GB/statistics.html [Accessed: 26th December 2014]

Bibliography

http://www.memrise.com

https://hotpot.uvic.ca