By Toni Fuhrman, Campus Technology
Once banned in the classroom, mobile devices are becoming more accepted as a teaching and learning tool. Yet teaching methods have not caught up with mobile’s potential, according to Ron Yaros, assistant professor of new media and mobile journalism at the University of Maryland’s Philip Merrill College of Journalism. “Under the current methods of teaching in higher education, a mobile device can be a distraction rather than a helpful tool,” said Yaros. “Nobody seems to be looking at how to teach with smart devices, while keeping students engaged.” His assertion is backed up by a recent University of Central Florida survey on mobile learning practices in higher education: Among students who owned a tablet, 82 percent said they used the device for academic purposes. But to improve mobile learning effectiveness, the study advised, “students and instructors need help adopting more effective learning and teaching practices across content areas.”
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