Mobile Learning: Is There Any Demerit?

Demand for mobile learning apps has been increasing ever since its inception. 

What can be better for a student who receives the on-time solution for their issues, get his or her doubt clear with a video tutorial, and can practice with the ability-based n-number of questions? 

Getting education via a learning app is considered the smartest solution in today’s time. Keeping the various advantages in mind, most edutech organizations present the handiest mobile application to facilitate learning. 

Is e-learning application all about the pros? The question is crucial to understand mobile learning holistically. 

Let’s understand it through this post, so students can make the most out of an education app. 

Let’s get started: 

What Is Mobile Learning (M-learning)?

The term, mobile learning is used when the mobile or any smart gadget like a laptop, tablet, smartphone, etc. becomes the medium of gaining knowledge. 

Data confirms 80% of the world’s population are mobile users and 30% of these are people who use it for mobile learning. 

This data implies the importance of mobile learning. The advancement of technology has made learning quite easy for millennials. 

If a student is willing to learn and perform then these learning resources become the biggest support. 

Why Mobile Learning is Demanding: The Educational Benefits 

Ever increasing demand for mobile learning apps states its benefits. 

Here’s the list of mobile learning benefits that make education accessible to anyone who has access to a good internet connection to their smartphone. 

1. Get Learning Access From Anyplace and Anytime: 

Installing a better-running learning app on the student’s phone may solve half of the educational doubts. 

An educator can provide a limited time to school, and in that short window, he or she has to facilitate learning to a minimum of 25-30 students. This leads to most students having their doubts uncleared. 

Now some students approach their teacher and get the doubt clear, but some are hesitant to do so. For them, mobile learning is the tool that helps to bridge the gap. 

2. Easily explained content videos: 

Most e-learning apps have a video content library where a lesson has been divided into several video lessons. 

Each video lesson explains one keyword with proper examples. Students need to click the video to access the lesson and continue learning. 

3. Practice quizzes: 

Assessing the subject knowledge count as the second important step towards secure learning. E-learning apps provide a set of questions (usually objective type) based on single/multiple topics. 

After finishing a lesson students can submit their responses through a quiz and analyse their clarity with the particular topic.

4. Uses of animation and storyline: 

When it comes to teaching kids presenting a lesson using animation and in the form of a story creates the most impact. 

Children love to listening stories. Mobile learning often presents video lessons in the form of stories which keep the students engage and successfully teach a lesson. 

5. Affordability: 

Mobile learning plans are affordable. Subscribing for an annual plan offers good savings. Once the subscription is added, students will have access to unlimited video lessons, quizzes, and online subject experts for doubt-solving, and many features vary from one learning app to another. 

Factors that May Impact Students Negatively: M-learning Disadvantages 

Over time, technology emerges as a boon for different fields of work. However, it only happened because of the appropriate use of the particular application. The same applies to m-learning. 

Students should be very clear about the app’s proper uses to get the most advantages. 

Following are some factors where m-learning affects the student’s mind negatively. 

1. Dependency: Too much dependency on an m-learning app diminishes the student’s creativity. If a student feels stuck on a topic, they quickly open the app check for the solution, not it down, and are done. 

Students should be taught to try to solve a problem independently first. This inculcates the learning spirit and develops deep thinking. 

2. Distraction: A mobile with internet access acts as a sea of information. You may get any kind of data from any part of the world. 

Having this knowledge may bring a student completely off-track. 

3. Reduces Social Engagement: Nowadays, it has become hard to see children interested in outdoor games as they spend too much time on their phones while playing games or seeing irrelevant content. 

Starting to use mobile as a medium of learning to entertainment reduces their social engagement, which isn’t good for the long term. Social interaction is essential for children’s mental growth and communication skills, and to teach social learning. 

4. Lower academic performance: Irrespective of children’s age or grade, mobile should be allowed for a limited time. Too much m-learning or mobile use creates dependency, reduces thinking ability, and ultimately impacts the children’s academic performance. Hence appropriate use is a must. 

Ways To Help Students To Use M-learning in The Best Manner 

Not keeping an eye on your child’s mobile use will keep them away from actual studying. Thus proper guidance is important. 

Here’re some ways through which one can guide their children for the best use of m-learning. 

• Set a limited time, e.g. 2 hours maximum for mobile uses. 

• Connect their phone uses as a reward. E.g. if your child finishes the homework on time, then an extra half an hour will be added to mobile use. 

• Don’t teach them how to get entertained through mobile. 

• When it comes to m-learning, run the app on the phone, provide them to learn and then get the phone back once the time is over. 

Also, check if they’ve made some notes through m-learning. Through this, they’ll learn healthy use of mobile learning. 

• Don’t give phone during their bedtime. Let them sleep peacefully, so they can wake up on time. 

• Turn off unnecessary notifications so the child doesn’t get distracted during their learning time. 

• Take your child out so they can socialise, talk to other children confidently, and always feel energetic about the day and tomorrow. 

The Right Way of Learning From Technology: The Conclusion 

Some make their life best by taking the most advantages from technology whereas some prove it self-disctructive. 

Excess use of mobile is usually harmful. Thus setting a limitation on children's mobile use is a must-to-do by their parents. 

If children are educated properly about mobile uses they’ll take it with them for a long time. 

Children should always treat m-learning as a medium to help them to fill their knowledge gap. 

They should be taught, no technology can replace human interaction, thus even after studying using an app, if doubt persists then they should see their teacher without any hesitation. 

Asking questions is one of the most critical skills that students should keep practice. 

The right balance of m-learning and school learning can take learners to academic heights, and take them where they want to be in future.