10 Benefits of Mobile Devices for Learning

Today’s mobile devices can handle a majority of tasks that teachers require and students expect from personal computers (PCs). However, there are many distinct advantages that are unique to mobile devices.


Benefits of mobile devices include:

• Portable: Mobile devices are small and lightweight, and can be easily carried by anyone. Inside, outside, to the library, anywhere.
• Low Cost: As compared to PCs, mobile devices are less expensive. (Note: PCs can usually accomplish many more tasks, such as spreadsheets, that are difficult to perform on a mobile device.)
• Energy Efficient: Mobile devices require less power to run than PCs.
• Connected: Most mobile devices come with bluetooth or wi-fi as part of their standard configuration.
• Rugged: All mobile devices come with a solid state disk drive, rather than moving disk drive, and can handle accidental drops and misuse.
• Personal: No other technology creates such a unique, 1-to-1 feeling with the user than a mobile device. As a result, many teachers have seen greater student engagement with mobile devices for learning.
• Cool: …as in, “that’s cool!” Ask any kid if they’d like to learn on a computer or an iPad/iPhone.

• Delightful: You can touch the screen, manipulate objects, pinch and zoom. You can hold a device in all different directions and even shake it. You can use it on a desk, play with it on the floor, in bed, on the couch or in the car.
• Special Needs: Apps can handle special needs in a variety of manners: language, audio, video, colors.
• Effective: PBS found that an iPod app can increase vocabulary knowledge by as much as 31 percent.1

What benefits have you experienced? Post your thoughts in the comments.