For the past few years, mobile technology in education has been set on gaining momentum and becoming a powerful factor in the transformation of the education process. In this regard, the cordlike use of mobile tools in classrooms has reshaped the way students face educational content or communicate with each other. With the emergence of smartphones and tablets which have become part-and-parcel of students’ learning process, educators started exploring the possibilities of either engaging students in the use of mobile devices or other ways benefiting the learning process.
Growth of Mobile Learning Tools
The impact of mobile technology on education was evident in the use of its tools in a variety of educational settings. For instance, ResearchAndMarkets claims that the mobile learning market had grown from $40.6 billion in 2020 to $156.2 billion in 2026. This growth implies that mobile technology was becoming an essential part of the learning process because it is beneficial for mobile education that gives learners flexible and equal access to knowledge.
The Emergence of Educational Apps
Also, educational apps emerged as a primary tool for enhancing learning. Numerous apps were designed in support of a variety of subjects and learners’ needs. For example, in such a case, such app as Photomath enabled students to take pictures of the formulas and get step-by-step solutions. Also, in California, an essay writing service “California” took the initiative to help students solve math problems.
In contrast, according to Common Sense Education, 65% of teachers claimed that educational apps increased the level of participation for students in the classes. This piece of evidence, as I think, is logical because, on the one hand, it increases the level of interaction with the teaching material and, on the other hand, it makes the learning process fun and enjoyable.
Mobile Learning: Transforming Traditional Education
In all, the use of mobile devices for learning purposes changed and transferred the strategies of traditional education. The advent of digital tools and cloud storage means that teachers could create more interactive lessons. For example, in-class games could be a perfect fit for such apps as Kahoot! studies, or Quizlet. I proved this with a presentation as well. In addition, Educause found in one of the surveys that 60% of students claimed that game-based teaching had increased their motivation and understanding of the teaching material.
The Shift Towards Personalized Education in Australia
How is/was mobile technology used in Australia in the field of Focus? When did this use emerge? In 2016, there was a shift in mobile learning development from gamification to diverse mobile learning strategies. Personalized education has become the focus of attention. This form of learning enables students to learn at their own pace. For example, well-known adaptive learning platforms, DreamBox and Smart Sparrow, have used algorithms to develop unique learning paths for each student based on their performance, thereby achieving the goal of learning progress. A study by McKinsey & Company also tested 98 education technologies in schools and found that personalized education can improve student achievement by an average of 20%.
Collaboration and Professional Development Through Mobile Technology
How do/did these implementations reflect on the future of mobile learning and/or on teachers’ professional development in mobile technology use? The development of technology in classrooms has provided a platform for creating a collaborative learning environment. Students can choose to use mobile tools to work together to complete projects, share resources and communicate better. In a report by Pew Research, 88% of teachers believe that technology helps students work more smoothly with each other.
This type of learning is not only favored for its innovative approach but also for enhancing the elements of team spirit and critical thinking in 21st-century students. Gradually, mobile technology became the driving force of the future of educational technology. Schools’ implementation of mobile learning became one of the driving forces.
Therefore, significant strategies for mobile technology implementation also include the professional development of teachers, which allows familiarizing them with mobile technologies and digital tools. In EdTech Magazines survey, 70% of all teachers report that training to combine technology has improved the quality of teaching. Moreover, mobile technology has introduced interactive learning, where the use of video, podcasts, and virtual reality can increase students’ engagement by 25%. Examples of such platforms are Nearpod, which allows students to interact with the curriculum.
The Impact Beyond the Classroom
The positive effects of mobile learning were not restricted to the classroom. The ability to use mobile devices to access learning materials allowed students to view information at any time and from any place where they had internet access. As such, they were able to foster the habit of lifelong learning, which could be applied to a greater extent beyond the mandates of schooling. In addition to that, e-learning platforms such as Coursera or Khan Academy provided multiple chances for students to learn past the confines of school.
This means of learning was becoming increasingly popular, as evidenced by the fact that the e-learning industry was projected to be worth over $375 billion by the year 2026, according to a report by Global Market Insights. The ability to browse intelligently and navigate through the internet was proven to be a lifelong skill that would eventually be encountered by every student. In turn, while creating their curricula, educators would include lessons in digital literacy that would teach students how to interact with the online world and navigate it safely.
A survey conducted by ISTE suggests that 92% of educators believed that digital literacy should be a standard part of the learning experience, which underscores the role of mobile technology as an instrument to train students for their future lives. On the other hand, in-class technologies were also multiplying, with various methods of teaching continually enriching the classroom experience.
In particular, the method of the “flipped classroom” became common, where students would meet to focus on tasks after accessing and interacting with online learning aids concerning the lesson plan. Research conducted by Baker et al. showed that students in a flipped environment were more likely to be engaged and retain information.
Mobile Technology for Special Needs Education
Mobile education solutions were also instrumental in special needs education. Mobile apps intended for students with learning disabilities and other challenges offered bespoke solutions to their needs. For example, non-verbal students used such apps as Proloquo2Go to leverage a vocabulary expressed in pictures to interact with other students.
Such mobile apps could improve the educational experiences of many students with disabilities, and a report by The National Center for Learning Disabilities suggests mobile technology may allow all students with disabilities to learn.
Socially, mobile technology changed the way students from all socioeconomic groups communicated and interacted with each other. Notably, as students were equipped with mobile devices, their engagement in all other forms of social interaction, which they traditionally experience in the classroom, diminished.
However, alternative forms of communication increased. For example, a study by The Pew Research Center found that 72% of teens connected with their friends on social media to work together on school projects. Thus, mobile technology expanded the way students could interact with the people around them and the variety of their communication methods.
Challenges and Concerns in Mobile Learning
Challenges related to mobile learning and education had to deal with mobile device management, cybersecurity, and ethical and privacy considerations. As mobile technology was implemented in the educational process, parents and educators expressed concern with the safety and privacy of students, raising the need to discuss and monitor students’ use of mobile devices. A report by Common Sense Media claims that 61% of parents are worried about children’s online safety.
The report outlines such issues in the use of mobile devices at educational institutions, suggesting that schools must implement digital citizenship programs aimed at responsibly teaching students how to use mobile technology. Another issue was the rise of mobile advertising as an instrument used on educational mobile apps fitted for students. It was evident as developers started to market to students in the form of mobile advertising fitted in educational mobile apps.
As mobile devices are now a part of most students’ daily lives, developers benefit from this demographic to advertise other apps and collect money from advertisers. According to a report by AdAge, by 2025, the educational app market was set to generate around $2.3 billion in ad spend, which suggests they would become an important stakeholder using mobile education solutions.
The Future of Mobile Learning
The progression of mobile technology will lead to the development of mobile learning. On the one hand, it will be influenced by innovations like AI and machine learning that allow implementing a high degree of personalization, thus, e-learning will become adaptive as platforms will provide real-time feedback and create optimal learning pathways. According to Gartner, by 2025, adaptive learning platforms will be a part of 80% of educational technology solutions, thus transforming educational processes and the manner in which students learn new material.
The Role of Mobile Technology in Enhancing Learning Outcomes
On the other hand, mobile technology will be involved in enhancing learning outcomes. Both mobile devices and applications will become more mobile and more interactive and will provide a more stimulating learning environment. In addition, new developments in mobile technology can provide opportunities for improving educational outcomes in different ways. In such a way, mobile technology will be an integral component of the development of mobile learning.
