Educators, scientists and policy makers have looked at the computer as an agent of change in education ever since the digital age began. Computers have the capacity to expand the human mind by assisting in computation or facilitating exploration.
The computer also improves the efficiency and effectiveness of learning models. However, as technology gets more and more advanced, the digital world started changing more and more as well.
This means, computers are not the only tech you can use as a medium of learning. Mobile phones have become a part of education too. And these smartphones might be better than computers.
Are mobile phones a better learning option than a computer?
Mobile learning has become prevalent in the current times, especially with the ongoing threat of the novel coronavirus. Also known as mLearning or m-Education, mobile learning is a new way to get access to a variety of content available online through the use of a mobile phone.
It is also the easiest way for students to get help. But is it a better learning option than a computer?
The following are some of the advantages of using a smartphone rather than a laptop or desktop computer. These features can also be utilized by refurbished mobile phones, if you own one.
- Access anywhere and anytime. In a laptop vs mobile phone comparison, no one can deny the fact that smartphones are easy to transport and work with. Mobile phones are smaller, as such, they can be taken with you whenever or wherever you go.
- Keep track of your homework. While several students favor a paper planner, keeping track of homework and project due dates can be so much easier using homework or planner mobile apps.
If you noticed, students carry their smartphones with them practically everywhere they go. Mobile apps on their phones make it easier and quicker for them to record and check in on daily deadlines and upcoming due dates. - Setting reminders. If you are a student and you want a great way for you to maintain ongoing to-do lists and add to them throughout the day, you can use the reminder or task functions on your mobile phone.
You can use your phone to remind yourself to perform tasks, such as attend a before-school club meeting or meet with your teacher for an after-school tutorial or submitting an important project. - Looking up facts and information. You probably haven’t seen an encyclopedia for a long time since the internet offers endless research possibilities and a world of knowledge at your fingertips. While you can look up information and facts using a computer, it is more convenient and fast to do it using your smartphone.
If your teacher mentioned terms or dates that are unfamiliar to you, you can search it up using your smartphone or refurbished mobile phones without skipping a beat. That is, if your teacher allows you to use your phone while in a lecture. - Taking photos, video or audio. There are teachers that move or talk quickly. If you have the permission, you can use your phone to take photos of the board or capture information with video and/or audio clips. You can also do this when you encounter confusing concepts so you can reference later when studying at home.
- Taking notes. If you have observed, students of the current generation are much quicker adding information to their mobile phones than taking handwritten notes. There are mobile apps that allow you to capture ideas in their notes as well as video, web URLs, photos, among others.
Using mobile note apps, you can organize your notes in whatever way feels most logical and convenient to you. - Accessing educational apps. There are already a number of teachers that use at least a couple of learning apps. These apps help them remind students of their assignments or share documents and assignment information.
There are several excellent educational and learning apps available in your brand new and refurbished mobile phones that can help you improve your study habits and be more organized. - Covers a huge distance. One of the main benefits of mobile learning is that it covers a huge distance. This means that even if you are in Australia, United States or in the United Kingdom, you can access the same content or tests at the same or different times. When it comes to mobile learning, distance is not an issue.
- Encourages students. Mobile phones provide access to studies that are presented in such a way that it attracts the students. Nowadays, there are several educational apps that use online quizzes to keep track of your progress, be it daily, weekly, or monthly. These online game quizzes encourage students to perform better from their previous store.
- Tests your knowledge. As mentioned above, there are plenty of online quizzes created and made available to you via your mobile phone. Believe it or not, solving these quizzes, puzzles or riddles can help you expand your knowledge.
Apart from study materials, there are various types of quizzes, puzzles, multiple-choice questions, among others that are available on the internet. Having access to these games and playing them can test your knowledge and even increase your IQ level. - It is healthier. It might sound unbelievable to you but using mobile phones is healthier for you than using a computer. That is because with a phone, you can walk, sit, or recline whenever you use it. This will give your spine an opportunity to rest. Whereas, when you use a desktop computer, your back will be in pain because you are sitting on a chair for hours.
There is a high growth rate of mobile phone subscribers worldwide, particularly in developing countries. However, not everyone owns a smartphone and not many schools or other educational institutions can afford it.
Yes, mobile phones have a tremendous impact not just in education but also health and other economic and social development areas. However, there are not yet at the stage that people can say that they are better learning tools than computers.
What are the PC things you can’t do with a smartphone?
- Computer Literacy Education. In today’s time, being computer literate is an important requirement in business, profession, or in the job market. As such, students can use their computer or laptop to learn how to use and control PC applications and software that are important for them to learn to prepare them for the future.
Acquiring computing skills in schools and colleges can build your potential and give you the chance to get better job and business opportunities.
- Vast storage capacity. Computers and laptops have immense storage capacities compared to mobile phones. Having a vast storage capacity, which is one of the very useful characteristics of computers, can help both students and teachers store all the resources they need.
For students, it will be easy for them to store their data such as assignments, books, presentations, projects, important sheets, test papers, and various education materials without worrying about having to free up some space for more.
The same could be said for teachers. Their computers or laptops can help them store and arrange data quickly in the storage devices about the exams, lecture, question papers, semester patterns, syllabuses, grades of their students, and other important documents.
- Flexible Tutoring. As a teacher, you can use the computer or laptops to serve a number of students by sitting in front of the monitor at a single place instead of roaming in different classrooms for every period. You see, the flexibility of the computer helps the teacher to save time by teaching the students in real-time.
Computer software and websites you can use for tutoring are:
- Zoom
- Google Classroom
- Moodle
- WizQ
- Yocoach
- Tutorcruncher
- Learning Programs. There are several special learning programs, educational software, and websites available that can help you merge basic knowledge and contribute to the mental development of your students.
As a teacher, you can do Computer-Aided Learning, wherein you can prepare lessons in PowerPoint and teach with the use of computer, speaker, mic, and projector. These are environmentally friendly conditions in which students can easily engage and learn.
- Virtual Coaching. Computers are now common in educational fields like schools and colleges. Believe it or not, computers has helped several students to pursue education by allowing them to access their virtual education. This is especially useful for people who are living in a remote area.
Online courses have benefitted students who can’t actually get to a college and school campus. Computers have changed the manner that you work. That’s why it comes to no one’s surprise that computers became a significant medium in education, especially during pandemic.
