Mobile Technology in Education: A Call to Action

The call for mobile technology in education aims to create innovative learning experiences for teachers and students. The proposed initiative involves issuing tablets to new students at Homecoming Africa High School and Community College in Ghana, with the initial cost being high but expected to decrease over time. Faculty will undergo IT training before the academic year starts, while students will also receive training and incorporate IT classes into their curriculum. The BYOD approach is suggested as a cost-effective option, allowing students to use their own devices instead of acquiring new ones.

Running head: MOBILE TECHNOLOGY IN TEACHING AND LEARNING
MOBILE TECHNOLOGY IN TEACHING AND LEARNING.
FRANCIS PONGOFIELDING
GRADUATE UNIVERSITY
SUMMER 2016

MOBILE TECHNOLOGY IN TEACHING AND LEARNING 1
Contents
Introduction......................................................................................................................................3
Opponents........................................................................................................................................3
Benefits............................................................................................................................................4
Conclusion.......................................................................................................................................7
Reference.........................................................................................................................................9

MOBILE TECHNOLOGY IN TEACHING AND LEARNING 2
Introduction
Mobile technology in teaching and learning has become part of the norm across the globe. From
K12 through the tertiary institutions, we witness some aspect of the use of mobile technology in
the teaching and learning process (Park et al., 2011).
Smartphone’s and tablets just like pen and paper have become part of the tools of the classroom.
From face book, YouTube, Google among other social apps, both students and faculty continue
to engage in the teaching and learning process.
Unfortunately, the debate on the role and benefits of this system continues at all levels, and
stakeholders including policy makers, politicians, parents, educators, and students are divided.
Opponents stand by the idea that mobile technology has no play in education and has become a
distraction and waste. Proponents on the other side swear that mobile technology is the best thing
that has happened to education in a long time. It has granted accessibility to those that were left
in the dark and aided in cost efficiency and time management.
Opponents
Some are of the view that mobile technology should not be use until at the tertiary level when the
students can benefit more due to their maturity. At basic and secondary levels students that have
the sense of maturity or responsibility to focus on utilizing the technology to engage in learning.
For example we see on our roads with the majority of teenagers' texting and driving resulting in
accidents. Another fear is that with the rise in sexting and cyberbullying by the same age groups,
allowing them to use mobile technology in the learning environment would be an extension for
them to engage in such vices (Naismith et al., 2004).
Lack of training for even in advanced nations such as the States, faculty and students are not
given the proper training to adequately prepare them to integrate mobile technology into the

MOBILE TECHNOLOGY IN TEACHING AND LEARNING 3
teaching and to learn the process (Hew et al., 2007). The push to accept change by most of our
faculty in using technology to teach accounts is spreading widely. The fear of trying new tricks
of the trade by our majority baby boomers that are in teaching positions has become the biggest
roadblock. The politicians' lack of commitment to providing the proper training for faculty is an
additional challenge.
Extra time is needed to develop and manage the integration of mobile technology in education.
Teachers have to invest more time in learning the technology and also producing the needed
materials. In addition, teachers need to train and develop their students' skills. The teachers also
assume the position of a desk helps IT consultant 24/7. Students will contact them anytime for
assistance and require them being available outside of classroom hours (Liu et al., 2014).
Benefits
It helps to increase the instructional time. Learning continues outside the classroom. The
allocated classroom time is inadequate to benefit both faculty and students, and therefore the use
of mobile technology is a plus for both groups to engage in learning. Education is an ongoing
process and must be continued without limitation to time, and distance. Methods such as
Flipping the Classroom are known to be a very good method that benefits both students and
faculty (Berrett et al., 2012). This method depends on mobile technology to be effective. Mobile
technology has nearly infinite possibilities for education, networking and personal productivity
(Lunsford et al., 2010). Also, mobile technology gives the students more opportunity to practice
homework than the traditional method (Liu et al., 2014).
In the long term, mobile technology in education is cost effective. Aside from the initial cost of
acquiring such devices, the cost and benefits make it relatively cheaper than the traditional

MOBILE TECHNOLOGY IN TEACHING AND LEARNING 4
methods (Kim et al., 2006). Once the faculty is trained, and students get trained on what the
expectations are, it becomes cost efficient to engage in the learning and teaching process.
The challenge of accessibility is mostly solved through the usage of mobile technology (Elias et
al., 2011). The majority of students would benefit from engaging in education 24/7. As students
move from high school to college, the easy and benefit of mobile technology would greatly
increase. Government and parents would spend less on facilities such as new classroom, and
textbooks and other stationeries. Mobile technologies are more durable and would stand wears
and tears. According to (Garrison et al., 2011) the ability to create and sustain communities of
learners. The communication and data capabilities of the devices move the classroom outside of
the norms of space and time (M. EL-Hussein et al., 2010). This extends accessibility to students
in other deprived areas.
Mobile devices give both faculty and students the social presence. Students are no longer kept in
the dark due to being shy or in overcrowded classrooms. According to (Palloff et al., 2007) this
is the person we become when online and how we express that person in virtual space.
Educators through innovation gain an advantage by the use of mobile technology. Faculty can
experiment and enhance their delivery methods. They can use social media such as Facebook,
YouTube and twitter to reach their students. Both faculty and students can collaborate with
others outside their classroom to enhance their learning capability. According to (Keegan et al.
2002), Mobile learning is the harbinger of future learning. It has the ability to change learning
and teaching. Both students and faculty can benefit greatly through the use of technology in
engaging in education.
Support Services: Mobile technology in education is not only limited to academic work. Some

MOBILE TECHNOLOGY IN TEACHING AND LEARNING 5
institutions have tapped into mobile technology as a tool for delivery of support services such as
counseling. According to (Mullen et al., 2005) it is essential that counseling services utilize this
medium to reach broader and more diverse student groups and to ensures service delivery.
Mobile technology in education will continue to grow as a result of collaboration with other
sectors such as health, corporate, and finance. It allows those who are shy to access health care
services that they may feel uncomfortable discussion via face to face (Schreiber et al., 2011)
Common tool: The use of mobile technology has become our lifestyle around the globe. From
developed to developing nations like the United States and South Africa, the proliferation is a
common place. According to The Afrobarometer (Afrobarometer et al., 2008) suggests that 73%
of South Africans use a mobile phone ‘every day'. The students are major contributors. It only
makes sense to use these tools for educational purposes since it is readily available and
accessible. It has overtaken radio and television penetration. In addition, "increase in mobile
technology use by college-age students over the past five years: from 1.2 percent in 2005 to 62.7
percent in 2010 "(Smith et al., 2010).This fact and opportunity cannot be ignored.
Promptness: According to (Schreiber et al., 2011)”The immediacy and prompt accessibility
might make the online support service more attractive." Students love to have prompt answers to
their questions and faculty believes in quick response to their questions. Mobile technology has
made this possible for all stakeholders.
Inequality: According to (Kim et al., 2007) "addressing education inequality issues in Latin
America and possible opportunities with mobile learning technology to counter the effects of the
education inequality." It is the picture in most developing nations and continents. The lack of
classrooms, teachers, and textbooks has deprived the majority of children and qualified students

MOBILE TECHNOLOGY IN TEACHING AND LEARNING 6
of accessing all levels of education. Mobile technology is accessible in most part of the
underserved parts of the world so utilizing it to provide education will be a plus point for
students. The inequality in education can be reduced by tapping into mobile technology.”
Motivation in learning: Student-faculty engagement is on a high with the use of mobile
technology. Students can freely engage with their teachers without being shy of the fear peer
pressure. Motivation was found associated with a lower dropout rate, higher-quality learning,
better learning strategies, and more enjoyment of school (Carlton et al., 1998).
Conclusion
Students, faculty, parents, communities and the government has to acknowledge that mobile
technology is here to stay and must be incorporated to our educational system just like religion
and politics. Students and faculty would use mobile technology even outside the classroom for
personal and social benefits. Why not for education? Education will lose if we ignore the
presence and importance of mobile. This article is very important to all stakeholders including
faculty, students, government, parents, and communities. Experts such as Soloway predict that
"within 5years, every student, in every grade, in every school will be using a mobile learning
device"(GoKnow et al., 2010). Mobile technology in education is here to stay and will grow in
the future. Proponents need to find a way of accepting this and working with it. Spending their
resources in fighting the use of mobile technology in education is not productive. The call for
mobile technology in education helps to create the best innovation for teachers to teach and
students to learn in a most efficient and effectively (Schmidt-Crawford et al., 2012)
This presentation would be used for potential parents of Homecoming Africa High School and
Community College in Ghana. All new students shall be issued a tablet to aid the flip in the

MOBILE TECHNOLOGY IN TEACHING AND LEARNING 7
classroom method of teaching and learning. The initial cost would be high, but over the period of
their program, it would become cheaper relatively. The faculty would undergo an IT training
before the commencement of the academic year. Students would also be required to do likewise
at the start of school year and also IT classes will be a core part from all courses. The best part of
the mobile revolution according to (Husbye et al., 2013) "In an age of shrinking budgets for
educational technology, the bring-your-own-device (BYOD) approach has gathered traction as
more and more of our students bring laptops, smart phones, and tablet computers to class."
Students and faculty need not spend money on acquiring new devices which are cost saving. So
the idea that mobile technology will add cost is not relevant since students can use their current
mobile devices.

MOBILE TECHNOLOGY IN TEACHING AND LEARNING 8
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