Powering education with mobile technology

In many ways, mobile technology is motivating the younger generation to use modern gadgets for learning purposes

The world today is a technology-driven place to dwell in where the age of machines has taken over and has definitely ensured a comfortable life for us. The ability of mankind to use science in an efficient way has led to many inventions and opened up myriad possibilities to explore. We all live in the digital smart age where we have access to technology at our fingertips. Things that we thought to be impossible to achieve back then have been made possible now as we have eliminated the time and place factor.

Enterprise mobility

With the introduction of cloud-based systems, the term “enterprise” that was used earlier with a limited group of people or companies has extended its reach to small and medium sized organisations. Education is the new kid on the block and this sector is experiencing technology transformation in almost every area. Be it providing digital training, conducting online examinations or anything in between, we’ll experience technology adoption in every area going forward.

Enterprise mobility may seem to be an intimidating jargon, but if one can imagine students sitting at home and watching videos of their teacher explaining scientific concepts on their tablets, or think about college students finding their next class location on their handhelds, it becomes more tangible.

System of learning

From the days of the gurukulas to the high-end schools and colleges, we have come a long way, not only through breakthroughs in infrastructure but also in the concept of education as a whole. We have gone through the system of writing and memorising in copies to storing digital notes on a high-end device. In India, we are slowly witnessing mobility solutions being introduced into our education system. One can now find lectures delivered online and presentations created and transferred through internet or applications in a secured way. The idea has already been solidified and several mobile apps are being built to access this information.

Mobile devices have made the world smarter for students. They can reduce the time and money with the support of these devices, as they don’t have to travel anywhere to get in touch with teachers or their institutes. Institutes and colleges are using the mobile solutions in order to make learning fun, accessible and environmentally-friendly for their students.

Learning is a never-ending process and mobile applications are being developed to meet the learning needs with respect of time and money. Universities can manage students’ data, which consists of attendance, admission status, fees, performance report, and results using mobility solutions. It is tedious to manage the details like class schedules, teacher schedules, event management, class roster, discussions and announcements for the institutes, schools and universities. Therefore, a right solution is needed to cope with these upcoming challenges.

Mobile education

Mobility solutions have brought about a paradigm shift in the education industry. When we compare the learning process of students with earlier days, there has been a remarkable change today. Earlier, it was necessary for students to attend colleges and schools to gain knowledge. The teacher and the classroom were the only platforms for students to learn new things and then there was the age and time-limit for students to learn new things. Mobile technologies have made it possible for anyone to learn without taking location into consideration.

Today, there are many software and mobile application development companies which are providing mobile applications for institutes and colleges to streamline their learning practices. These solutions are proving to be productive and effective mobile learning for students and teachers. Videos pause as soon as the student takes her eyes off the screen, the device vibrates to bring the student’s attention back to the material, and teachers get feedback on which parts of their video lecture the students had the most difficulty with. Students can also create their knowledge graphs and based on their past learning and use the mobile app to receive recommendations on what courses to pursue next. And this is just the beginning.

To conclude, like in all the other fields, enterprise mobility has transformed the education sector as well, with educational institutes, teachers and students benefiting significantly from this uber popular movement. Recognising the gravity of its essence, IT companies have also made notable contributions, helping educators to leverage education apps, software and mobile devices in conveying information among the students. It is definitely the magic of mobility that has motivated the younger generation to use modern gadgets for learning purposes along with traditional textbooks.

Source | Financial Express | 29 June 2015