Bangkok--1 Apr--PC & Associates Consulting
Educators reveal that mobile devices make accessibility to digital tools and applications easier, boosting student engagement in the classroom
Budget and integration issues are the biggest challenges to the faster adoption of mobile technology in educational institutions
Adobe today unveiled the findings of its study, ‘Transforming Education with Mobile and Digital Technology’ , at the 10th annual Adobe Education Leadership Forum in Bali, Indonesia, More than 1,000 educators representing 13 countries across Asia Pacific were surveyed for the research, with an aim to gauge the state of mobile technology adoption in the classroom and the importance of mobility and digital tools in education.
The study revealed that far from being reluctant to admit mobile devices to their classrooms, educators strongly believe that the proliferation of mobile devices is already having a positive impact, and influencing the way instruction is delivered to students. While traditionalists may claim that mobile devices in the classroom can be a distraction, 77% of educators from Asia Pacific and 85% of educators from South East Asia felt that there was a positive overall net effect to having mobile devices strategically integrated into the teaching process.
The reason behind this support for mobility is simple – 83% of the educators in Asia Pacific and 98% of the educators in South East Asia felt that the accessibility of digital tools and applications on mobile devices helps them better understand and improve concepts and information before including them in lesson plans for their students. However, 89% of educators in Asia Pacific and 100%of educators in South East Asia also felt that more needs to be done by their institutions to provide students with access to mobile devices.
The study also highlighted specific barriers to the propagation of mobile technology in educational institutions. Across Asia Pacific, educators felt that budget allocation (39%) and issues with integration of mobility with existing infrastructure (27%) were the top two crucial areas to overcome for faster adoption of mobile technology in academic institutions.
Commenting on the study, Wayne Weisse, Business Manager, Education, Adobe Asia Pacific said, “The ability to visualize or integrate interactive learning experiences in the classroom via a mobile device can make a huge difference in learning outcomes when engaging with today’s millennial generation. As our study highlights, the challenge now is to provide support to enable greater mobile adoption. Educators and institutions need to work together to make this shift, ensuring that students are empowered not only to consume digital content but also to be the creators of that content.”
The detailed survey report and infographics can be downloaded at http://www.adobe-eduforum.com/2015/mobility