Improving Way of Learning by Mobile Technologies - Research Proposal Example

Heading: Improving way of learning by mobile technologies Your name: Course name: Professors’ name: Date Introduction The proposed topic is improving way of learning by mobile technologies. The rationale for this topic is mainly because of its relevance to the current world with consideration of technologies that have developed over the past decade. More so, mobile technologies are available for many users and hence using them to improve education is a step forward in positive utilization of available technologies. The evolution of technology especially within the telephony world means that majority of the people in globally can now access online information that was limited to Personal Computer. Mobile phones are now evolving as next generation devices that will change the direction of our educational system because of their massive potential. Aims/objectives i. To identify the significance of mobile technologies in higher education ii. To examine difference ways in which mobile technologies can be used in enhancing education. iii. To establish the potential role of mobile technologies in all spheres of education. Literature review According to Armatas, Holt, & Rice (2005) in the past few years, universities have made significant progress in corporate technology systems towards initiatives that support various aspects of studies and learning. These efforts include initiatives of encouraging students to online environments. Most students come to universities and colleges equipped with mobile devices, mostly mobile phones which allow them to communicate easily and share information. These emerging devices are proving significantly important in online teaching and learning process as they present opportunities for technology solutions where students can be primed and supported in a number of ways in their education process. As noted by Armatas, Holt, & Rice (2005), the main challenge in this case is achieving balanced as well as sustainable use of the system in order to direct students learning process. Mobile technologies are indispensible in pushing students towards college information in order to add value to the education process. According to New Media Consortium (2008) smart mobile technology is altering the way in which students receive their education from the lowest level to higher education. About ten years again educational websites were only accessible through a computer, today it is possible to have educational mobile applications in Smartphone’s and tablets. They are spearheading the cause of boredom-free education. The key advantages to these devices unlike the traditional equipments such as computers are their ease of accessibility, portability and their functionality. Mobile devices can be used to access the internet in the same manner as a computer; in fact mobile phones have integrated computer features such as Office functionality (with enabled editing of Ms Word, Excel, Power point and Ms Access among others). Mail functionality applications have also been integrated in order to allow quick communication process. With all these capabilities of portable devices, mobile services are proving imperative in aiding institutions break the monotony and reach out to students as well as developers in creating better applications that can assist in a classroom setting (Junglas, Spitzmuller, 2005). Importantly, mobile devices have the potential of overcoming geographical limitation, remove, and socioeconomic boundaries and create a level playing field for all students irrespective of their socioeconomic status. Tables and other mobile devices create a better learning experience as compared to the traditional platforms. As noted by Benford (2005) most young children find it more interesting to use mobile devices in accessing educational applications and playing games. These mobile devices make the learning process a fun. According t Benford (2005) next generation mobile devices are clearly gaining popularity in the educational sector. As an example, the latest device such as Google’s Glass is threatening the existing classroom structure. Google Glass allows students to access a number of educational live streams and hence eliminating the need to be physically present a class setting. Mobile education also allows students and teachers alike to share knowledge at any time irrespective of their locations. With mobile devices, the need for regular classes may become unnecessary especially in higher education. Mobile devices can have unimaginable impact for students if lectures can be live-streamed for a group of students, anyone in the world can attend the lecture and hence making it more interesting to actually forecast the impact of mobile technologies to the future of the education system. Anderson (2006) notes that mobile technologies have paved ways for crowd-sourced projects like Coursera and Khan Academy. These projects impart education of diverse subjects making them more appreciated and hence paving way for educational giants to enhance crowd-sourcing. With the online platforms providing wealth of information, millions of people have acquired knowledge on several fields without attending the relevant course physically. As knowledge bank grows even bigger fostered by the evolution of the internet and mobile applications, the future may be well set for online schooling and mobile devices make this move even more palatable. Kessler (2011) notes that computers, mobile phones and tables have all contributed to the development of education in a number of ways, however mobile phones stand apart in an imperative way. In the United States alone, high schools students are increasingly embracing smartphones as reported by Blackboard and Project Tomorrow. The International Telecommunication Union estimated the number of mobile users worldwide was about 6 billion. 90 % of the world’s population has access to a mobile network; on the contrary, about 2 billion people have access to the internet (Junglas, Spitzmuller, 2005). With easy access to the telephony network, it is easier for majority of the people to access the internet via their mobile devices. This is a new development that is set to change the course of educational process in the modern world. Mobile devices integration is on the rise in both the developed and developing worlds. This indicates that the future of education process is brighter with mobile devices. Usability and functionality of mobile devices are being developed especially with the availability of developing platforms. Open source platforms such as Linux make it easier for developers to develop applications which can be run in different environment. The popular environment is the android platform which has engineered the development of different applications which can be installed in android phones and other devices. Open source software applications means that the applications are easily available and free for people with financial challenges. This means that even people in developing worlds can virtually attend western colleges without physical movement. It is therefore clear that the future of education is pegged on the evolution of technology and most importantly, the mobile technology (GALILEO, 2004). The aspect of portability is particularly a key advantage in the mobile technology as it enables anyone with mobile phone access educative materials through the internet. The aspect of cost is also a strong indicator of the potential of mobile devices as educational tools. It could also be possible in the future to actually complete an exam online using a mobile phone with installed application. This is a major possibility as online platforms provide exams that can be completed online; this essentially shows that with a mobile phone it could be possible to complete an exam without physical presence in an examination room. Research methodology This proposal will focus on secondary data sources in determining the significance of mobile devices in fostering educational systems. In order to complete the research, databases, books, peer reviewed journals and magazines will be consulted in order to create a fundamental foundation for the research process. Kessler (2011) notes that with the development of mobile technologies through web-enables applications. It would be easier for the educators and other stakeholders in the education system to take advantage of the initiative and integrate mobile technologies into the education system. Information about functionality of mobile phones is available online and hence easily accessible for decision making. Scrutiny on secondary sources will provide a fundamental ground for determining the real impact of mobile devices on our educational system. Possibilities of future usage will also be revealed as the potentials of the internet integrated mobile devices are analyzed through the eyes of scholars and educators. Conclusion As identified in this proposal, mobile technologies have great potential of altering our education system in a number of ways. There are many available platforms and applications that foster easier information access from the internet through a mobile phone. This means that with evolution of Smartphone’s which integrate computer like software, it is possible to use a mobile device as an educational resource. Notably, universities and other institutions of higher learning are employing the capabilities of mobile phones to enable student’s access information. This is a positive direction indicator as mobile devices will be exploited in the future for educational purposes. More so, it is clear that mobile devices improve learning process, they are portable, easily accessible and not bound by geographical position or by internet accessibility they way computers are limited. The challenges that will be experienced in integrating mobile device to our educational system will include dealing with offline challenges and measuring educational intake among the students. Other challenges will include taking examinations, personal interaction with the lecturer and so forth. But overall, mobile devices are potentially an imperative way of fostering our educational systems beyond the physical barriers. References Anderson, P.(2006). Mobile technologies and their use in education - new privacy implications. JISC Technology and Standards Watch. Accessed from http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.109.2898&rep=rep1&type=pdf Armatas, C., Holt, D., & Rice, M. (2005). Balancing the possibilities for mobile technologies in higher education. Teaching and Learning Support Unit accessed from http://www.ascilite.org.au/conferences/brisbane05/blogs/proceedings/04_Armatas.pdf Benford, S.(2005). Future Location-Based Experiences. JISC: Technology & Standards Watch. Accessed from: http://www.jisc.ac.uk/uploaded_documents/jisctsw_05_01.pdf GALILEO. (2004). European Satellite Navigation System website available at: http://europa.eu.int/comm/dgs/energy_transport/galileo/index_en.htm Junglas, I., Spitzmuller, C (2005). A research model for studying privacy concerns pertaining to location-based services. HICSS '05: Proceedings of the 38th Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences, 7 (7). Washington: IEEE, p. 180.2. Kessler, S. (2011). 4 Ways Mobile Tech Is Improving Education. Mashable. Accessed from http://mashable.com/2011/05/04/mobile-education-initiatives/ New Media Consortium. (2008).The future of higher education:How technology will shape learning. The Economist. Accessed from http://www.nmc.org/pdf/Future-of-Higher-Ed- (NMC).pdf Read More