Mobile+Devices

= Mobile Devices = Susan Grasso

==Description and Uses of Technology== Mobile technology is a category of digital technology defined by its size, portability and connectivity. Mobile devices are easily carried from one location to the other, are usually smaller and lightweight and may have wireless capabilities that allow it to connect to the internet either through wireless cellular service provided by a mobile phone service provider or WI-FI accessed using a transmitter from a cable or Ethernet connection and a WI-FI receiver.

In the 19990s, handheld devices were originally conceived of as digital personal assistants (PDAs) that held such information as addresses and phone numbers but the modern PDA has evolved into a product with nearly the same capabilities as a desktop computer.(Anvraamidou, 2008) Popular mobile devices used today are smartphones (iPhone, Droid, Blackberry), laptops and mini laptops, Personal Digital Assistant (iPod Touch, Palm Pre) tablet computers (iPad, Xoom, Playbook) and MP3 players( iPod, Zune). Users of these devices are capable of receiving, viewing, creating and transmitting information through a variety of applications. Integrated equipment such as cameras and microphones and peripheral equipment such as probes; meters and other measuring devices make mobile devices especially useful for field experiments such as water sampling or energy consumption. Tablets and smartphones can even be used to take field notes and photographs.

Mobile devices are very powerful tools for the educational environment. Their portability and flexibility make them a good choice for field projects where desktop hardware would be completely ineffective. Mobile devices are a way for students to retrieve video and audio files or search the internet for information relevant to their studies. Those capabilities alone would be enough to consider them for educational use but mobile devices are capable of much more complicated functions. Students can use mobile devices to take pictures, to take notes, to compile and analyze data and to communicate with other students and teachers and to create presentations showcasing their work. Instructors can use mobile technology to keep records, collect and maintain data, deliver and grade assessments and communicate with colleagues, students or parents from any location. (Anvraamidou, 2008)

Important Findings on Student Outcomes
Instant access to information and communication is changing the educational landscape. Students are able to use mobile technology in the classroom as topics are being discussed, to get clarification on points or to discuss the topic electronically with their instructor or peers. Beyond issues of size and portability, mobile devices are much more powerful and have capacity for the same functions of larger, heavier, stationary desktop machines. The power to move beyond the classroom walls into the field to facilitate project based learning is what makes these devices a game changer in education. Student and teacher attitudes are an important factor when considering the usefulness and potential successful outcomes of adding mobile devices to the education tool chest. When students have handheld devices 84% of their teacher's report they are more self- directed and students showed greater initiative and completed their homework at a higher rate when they were allowed to take handheld devices home. (Anvraamidou, 2008) Students' attitudes about the introduction of mobile devices into the curriculum are favorable and they believe that the devices are useful as learning tools. (Chompu-inwai, 2006) With both educator and student buying into the idea of using mobile devices in education, the practice may become much more widespread. The dynamics of the classroom change when mobile devices are introduced. Chompu-inwai (2006) found that instructors moved away from their lecterns and became more learning facilitators. This change supports constructivist theories of learning that urge student-centered learning. Constructivists recommend pedagogy that encourages students to be engaged in the content rather than passively listen to instructor's pontification. Mobile devices have the power to change the use of computing devices in schools in general. Instead of infrequent disconnected trips to the computer lab student's will have ready access to computing power that will increase frequency and integration of twenty-first century technologies into classroom activities. (Peng & Chou, 2007)

Emerging Trends and Open Issues
Mobile devices have long been a staple in the business world but adoption in education has lagged behind. However, in recent years, education leaders have taken notice of mobile devices as their relative functionality has increased and relative cost has decreased. Researchers envision a time when mobile devices will replace pencil and paper in the educational environment. (Lai, et al, 2009) The advanced capabilities of tablets, smartphones and mp3 players enable them to replace a plethora of other educational tools. Mobile devices can be used to take pictures, record video, record notes, send instant communications and retrieve information from the vast resources of the internet. Young people have overwhelmingly accepted mobile devices and integrated them in to their personal lives. Among young people texting, checking email and surfing the internet for information is most likely done on a mobile device. Mobile devices have the capability to enhance the educational experience because they can be used to communicate, read documents, record video and record evidence but students are not using them as a learning tool to the extent that they use them in their personal lives. The reason for lack of use in the educational environment is two pronged. First, students have embraced the technology for personal use such as communicating with friends or posting on social networks but have not translated use of the devices to support educational endeavors because assignments have not evolved to warrant their full use and second, educators and schools have not changed their pedagogical methods or structures to completely embrace mobile technology. (Kennedy, 2011) The power and versatility of mobile devices takes them beyond mere sources of information. Web applications can be readily obtained that support communication, collaboration and creativity.The limits to use of mobile technology in the classroom are bound only by the creativity of students and instructors. Educators and students must think of mobile devices as tools of collaboration rather than mere receptacles of notes or purveyors of video and audio resources. (Hoppe et al, 2003) The idea of adding mobile devices is igniting enthusiasm in the education community and innovative companies like Apple, Intel, Microsoft and IBM who are all putting their experience and expertise in the business and private sector to work creating tools and devices for the education market. In the next few years as smart devices diffuse across the population and more students have the computing power equivalent to that of the desktop machine in their pocket or knapsack, perhaps we will see the trend toward integration into all education environments. Teachers and administrators must be cognizant of these trends and position themselves to take full advantage of the wave of innovation that is upon us.