A new study shows that studying itself is helped greatly by mobile devices.
According to the findings of a new national survey, more than one in three middle school students are now using mobile devices to complete homework. And it looks like engagement with mobile devices translates to a greater engagement with learning and subject matter.
Students who mobile devices for learning in the classroom, the study finds, express a strong interest in science, technology and math than those who do not.
Conducted by TRU and commissioned by the Verizon Foundation, the published report – remarkably – indicates that more than 66 percent of students are not allowed to use a tablet for learning purposes in the classroom, and 88 percent are not allowed to use a smartphone.
The findings highlight the gap that exists between how children want to learn and the restrictions they face in the classroom due to a variety of factors that the Verizon Foundation and other national organizations concerned with increasing student access to mobile technology for learning are working to address.
“Our research supports the fact that mobile technology can inspire and engage students today,” said Rose Stuckey Kirk, president of the Verizon Foundation. “We need to meet children where they are and leverage their use of mobile devices to increase their interest in STEM – especially since STEM jobs are increasing at three times the rate of jobs in other fields, and the number of graduates in the US earning degrees in STEM is decreasing.”
Do you think more students should be allowed to use mobile devices for learning inside and outside of the classroom? Please weigh in with a thought or comment below.
