Mobile learning is becoming a more and more popular concept as times change because of all the advantages that come with it.
However, there are also various challenges in mobile learning. In this article, we will discuss these challenges and how you can overcome them as an educator.
Designing Materials For Mobile Devices
It can become quite a challenge to adapt programs and learning material to suit mobile devices. It is even harder to create your own content.
Software designers can be hired to get this job done, although this will be an additional cost. Suppose you are going to be doing it yourself. In that case, you need to keep in mind that the learning material should fit small screen sizes and be compatible with different operating systems.
Preventing Privacy And Security Issues
When you use mobile devices in a school, you must consider privacy and security to prevent data and equipment theft.
There are various ways in which you can do this. For starters, make sure that you store the mobile devices in a secure and safe location when they are not being used. Additionally, an antivirus should be downloaded on each device. Students should be taught the importance of having strong passwords and keeping their personal information safe online.
Avoiding Distraction Amongst Students
As you could imagine, students are likely to become distracted when using mobile devices for schoolwork. There are a few ways in which you can avoid this. You can restrict their access to any social media sites, such as Instagram and Facebook, for starters. You should also delete any apps that could be an issue, including games.
Teachers can make use of apps such as Pedagogue to enrich the learning experience of their students. Pedagogue can be used to hold video conference calls and audio chats as a class, creating what is known as a virtual classroom. This means you can keep your students’ attention in a practical way.
High Cost
One of the biggest reasons for all schools not using mobile devices for schoolwork is the cost. As you can imagine, purchasing hundreds of mobile devices for a school’s students is not a cheap process.
There are a few ways that you can go about saving up money for mobile devices. For example, parents could contribute the fee for their child. Additionally, sponsors can assist in purchasing devices.
Conclusion
Although using mobile devices in school comes with many advantages, there are also a few challenges that teachers and staff have to deal with. For example, it can be challenging to design learning materials for mobile devices. More so, the privacy of students always needs to be a priority. Mobile devices need to be kept safe to prevent theft. Lastly, students are likely to get distracted from their schoolwork when using the devices.
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