Essay on Use of Smartphones in Higher Education

The rising usage of technology in institution of higher learning has enhanced both learning and teaching for students and the teachers and lecturers. Among the technology used in higher education is the use of computers, smartphones, and projectors, among others. To be precise, the use of smartphones has widely changed the manner of how students communicate among themselves as well as the communication between them and their teachers. Notably, the smartphone technology has also changed the way students gather or collect their information, schedule their time and presents the level of their attention. Moreover, the smartphones contain features such as cameras, sensors, GPS, and other connectivity features. The features mentioned above had greatly influenced the learning and has made it more realistic compared to times when there the smartphones technology was initiated in the higher training institution.

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The use of smartphones in higher education has some advantages to students, which has encouraged its use at large. First, smartphones as a device have several applications that are designed to aid or facilitate education as well as learning purposes. These applications allow the students to access a large number of information and data that necessary in implementing the right knowledge and action in through their studies. Besides, smartphones are used in recording lectures in a classroom (In Keengwe, In Maxfield, & IGI Global, 2015). The smartphones have voice memo and hand free note taking notice as inbuilt programs that are used for recording as well as take notes during lectures instead of writing down on a piece of paper or books.

Secondly, smartphones are utilized in the classroom as clickers. The smartphone use as clickers is a technology that assists the students to indulge or participate in response-based activities such as in-group discussion and other educational platforms. Notably, through clickers, students can also answer multiple-choice questions asked by teachers in the classroom. This is by just clicking the image that is available within the system, which gives out the answers on the screen. Moreover, they can also be utilized in eLearning platforms. To be precise on eLearning, it allows the students to study or learn in any place using their smartphones as long as they have access to the internet. According to In Keengwe, In Maxfield, and IGI Global (2015), learning using smartphones outdoes the traditional way of learning that involves attending lectures in class and taking notes.

Third, due to the digital gap and the advancement in the technological world, it has become inevitable to avoid the implementation of this technology in the learning institution. Students are devised in various ways thus; they cling on the new developments that are coming their way. In other words, students are curious to learn the new that crop in their way, and as such, they engage in all manner of activities to learn the new technology. Therefore it is in this case, that the school administration should match their curriculum with the technology that will enable their students to grasp more information to help remain to equip with the world of academics. It is due to this fact that smartphones have turned out to be more important or fundamental in proving the performance of the learning of their students.

On the contrary, every technology that crops in also comes with its disadvantages. Smartphones have also resulted in various difficulties that have turned out to compete with the efficiency of learning. Just as denoted by Gava (2013, January 21), the new technology has both negative as well as positive effects. In most cases, students have indulged in activities other than those that are beneficial to them. Some of such activities include engaging in social activities crimes such as watching pornographic content. However, according to other scholars, even though it has encouraged face-to-face learning, the use of smartphones has encouraged some unethical behaviors where students have taken upon themselves to miss classes during their lectures. Some of the other activities include late submission of assignments, copy and pasting of their colleagues work in the discussion platform (McMahon, 2009).

In conclusion, I believe the availability of negative influential behaviors cannot be an obstacle to initiating new developments in academic platforms. I support those who are encouraging schools or higher learning education to implement the developing technology to aid through their teachings. Smartphones typically have brought beneficial factors such developing and initiating new platforms such discussion forums where one can be motivated to speak out his or her issues without shying off (McMahon, 2009). Notably, in curbing the negativity in such areas of smartphone technology, those responsible in bring or implementing this idea should as well devise new rules and regulation that will see unto it that such as cases of unethical behaviors are curbed. Moreover, I think it is important for those supporting and those opposing to come in unison and address the matter instead of criticizing the issues. If they work together, they will be able to reduce the dynamics experienced or encountered in these areas. This will see into it that the challenges will be reduced drastically and learning will be efficient.

References

Gava, J (2013, January 21). Pros And Cons Of Campus Learning Vs Online Learning - eLearning Industry. eLearning Industry. Retrieved (2017, February 5) from https://elearningindustry.com/pros-and-cons-of-campus-learning-vs-online-learning

In Keengwe, J., In Maxfield, M. B., & IGI Global,. (2015). Advancing higher education with mobile learning technologies: Cases, trends, and inquiry-based methods.

McMahon, W. W. (2009). Institution of Higher learning, greater good: The Social and private benefits of higher education. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press.