Project Tomorrow, a national education nonprofit organisation, and enterprise technology and innovative solutions provider Blackboard Inc, US, have released a new survey report titled Learning in the 21st Century: Taking it Mobile!
According to the report, access to smartphones has more than tripled among high school students since 2006. The report shows that students now view the inability to use their own devices in school, such as cell phones, smartphones, MP3 players, laptops or net books, as the primary barrier to a successful digital education. Today's students are taking increased responsibility for their learning with mobile devices and instant access to the Internet, and feel strongly about the potential for mobile devices to enhance their learning and to help them be more productive, says the report.
Further, the report reveals a shift in thinking by parents and educators who are now beginning to accept the role of mobile devices as instructional tools, in part because they are active users of mobile devices in their own personal lives. In some cases, educators have embraced mobile devices as a catalyst for making learning a more student directed experience. At Jamestown Elementary School in Virginia, for instance, students use mobile devices to create multimedia projects, improve their writing skills and collaborate with their peers. High school students in Onslow County Schools in North Carolina use smartphones to learn algebra, geometry and calculus.
The report was released at the Wireless EdTech Conference in Washington, D.C. Project Tomorrow's Speak Up National Research Project annually collects and reports on the views of more than 350,000 US K-12 students, parents and educators about online education and 21st century learning. The report also includes interviews with educators and students representing a range of school districts and schools to provide additional context for the survey findings.
Search for more Industry study reports
To access our daily STM news feed through your iPhone, iPad, or other smartphones, please visit www.myscoope.com for a mobile friendly reading experience.
