Can a Mobile App really improve learning?

Can a Mobile App really improve learning? HOW THE MOBILE APP INDUSTRY IS INFLUENCING CHILDHOOD EDUCATION As mobile devices march toward ubiquity, they're finding their way into the hands of our earliest learners. Just as parents and educators questioned the quality of children's television content in its early days, so are they beginning to ask questions about the quality of mobile device content aimed at children. This infographic presents a case for the role of evidence-based mobile apps in learning. MOBILE DEVICE USAGE IS INCREASING During the December 2011 gift-giving season, the number of adults that owned a tablet device in the U.S. nearly doubled from.? Research firm Asymco predicts that BETWEEN 2017 and 2018, smartphones will be the only mobile phones that AMERICANS use. 10% 19% By January 2012, less than two years after Apple introduced the first iPad, one in five U.S. adults owned a tablet.? 70% MOBILE DEVICE USE AMONGST CHILDREN IS GROWING NIELSEN SURVEY INDICATED THAT: of Tablet owning households with children under the age of 12 who say kids use the device 77% 57% 55% 43% 41% Another study indicated that nearly 38 percent of all children under the age of eight have used a cell phone, or other mobile device to play games, use apps or watch videos, TV shows or movies." children use their tablets to play games. children use their tablets for educational apps. parents who own tablets use them to entertain their children while traveling. 38% children use their tablets for viewing television shows and movies. parents who entertain their children with tablets at restaurants. 8 years + younger CAN A MOBILE DEVICE BE USED AS AN EQUCATIONAL TOOL? They can entertain and educate children with the parent or when the parent needs to: • handle daily chores. • enjoy a meal in a restaurant. • take a cross-country car ride. • or plane flight in peace. They're lightweight and easy for even toddlers to handle. Mobile devices have operating systems that are purpose-built for media consumption and intuitive, easy-to-use user interfaces. They can be loaded with apps that entertain, amuse, and educate their users. The New Media Consortium's (NMC) 2012 Horizon Report names mobile devices, apps and tablet computing as emerging technologies with profound potential effects on K-12 teaching and learning. REPORTS AND STATEMENTS ON CHILDREN EQUCATION APPS It predicts that the impact on mobile devices and apps will be widespread in the classroom in less than a year. The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) and the Fred Rogers Center for Early Learning and Children's Media issued a joint position statement on the role of technology in early learning: "When used intentionally and appropriately, technology and interactive media are effective tools to support learning and development."8 "Intentional use requires early childhood EDUCATION AND LEARNING APPS teachers and administrators to have information and resources regarding the nature of these tools and the implications of their use with children."8 More than 80 percent of the best-selling paid apps in the iTunes Store's education category are targeted towards children. "When using technology and interactive media, teachers and administrators in early childhood programs have a responsibility to protect and empower children by helping them learn to ask questions and think critically about the technologies and media they use."8 1 80% HOW COULO EQUCATIONAL CASE STUOY: EMEEYOU'S EVIDENCE-BASED EARLY LEARNING APPLICATION MOBILE CONTENT BE IMPROVED?º Beimers et al. advocate for education standard setting based on the concept of evidence-based medicine, which combines the best available clinical evidence derived from scientific research with individual clinical expertise. emeeyou has developed a research approach grounded in evidence-based medicine to verify the developmental benefit of its early learning application. The application is designed to build motor and cognitive skills and encourages the use of multiple languages to continue to challenge the child once learning tasks in a native language have been mastered. Establishing clear standards and benchmarks for I content potentially provide objective ways to evaluate the educational value of mobile media. After the test the children and parents The first pilot study consists of a sample of 60 pre-school aged children recruited carefully in terms of key demographics and socio-economic backgrounds. Under the supervision of a psychologist the children were tested using sub-tests from a clinical standardized assessment tool to 2. in one group (active group: N=30) were shown the emeeyou Jungle Adventure learning app and asked to engage together with the app each night for three weeks. After the three week period the children were re-tested using the standardized The second group of children (control group: N=30) were given the same instructions and testing, using the most popular children's app in Apple's app store. Post testing, both groups (active and control) are evaluated in terms of learning and development and compared to the general population. establish baseline cognitive and assessment tool. language abilities. AFTER PLAYING JUNGLE ADVENTURE FOR 5-10 MINUTES EACH DAY FOR THREE WEEKS RESEARCH RESULTS SHOWED THAT: 31% of the children tested 45% of the children tested 38% of the children tested improved their knowledge of colors by 2 or more improved picture naming skill level by an average of more than 8 months improved object assembly skill level by an average of more than 10 months For more information on these studies, visit www.emeeyou.com This infographic has been brought to you by Jungle Adventure: an educational app game for children. Learn more about Jungle Adventure and research on educational apps for children at www.emeeyou.com or download Jungle Adventure today from the iTunes store. Apps for children should be fun, they can entertain and they have the potential to educate. Research based educational content Available on the Google play that is tested and validated can provide parents and educators with an objective way to evaluate mobile apps and their potential benefits for early learning. App Store References 1. Dediu, H., 2012. When will smartphones reach saturation in the US? Asymco, April 11, 2012. Available at: http://www.asymco.com/2012/04/11/when-will-smartphones-reach-saturation-in-the-us/ [Accessed August 6, 2012] 2. Sadoski, M., 2008. Dual coding theory: Reading comprehension and beyond. In C. C. Block & S. R. Parris (Eds.), Comprehension instruction, 2nd ed. pp. 38-49. New York: Guilford Press. 3. NielsenWire, 2012. American Families See Tablets as Playmate, Teacher and Babysitter. Nielsen.com, February 16, 2012. Available at: http://blog.nielsen.com/nielsenwire/online_mobile/american-families-see-tablets-as-playmate-teacher-and-babysitter/ [Accessed August 8, 2012] 4. Common Sense Media. Zero to Eight: Children's Media Use in America. Common Sense Media, October 5, 2011. Available at: http://www.commonsensemedia.org/research/zero-eight-childrens-media-use-america [Accessed July 6, 2012] 5. Chiong, C., Shuler, C., 2010. Learning: Is there an app for that? Investigations of young children's usage and learning with mobile devices and apps. New York: The Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop. Available at: http://www.joanganzcooneycenter.org/Reports-27.html [Accessed August 18, 2012] 6. Shuler, C., et al., 2012. iLearn II: An Analysis of the Education Category of Apple's App Store. New York, NY: The Joan Ganz Cooney Center. Available at: http://joanganzcooneycenter.org/upload_kits/ilearnii.pdf [Accessed August 8, 2012] 7. Johnson, L., et al., 2012. NMC Horizon Report: 2012 K-12 Edition. New Media Consortium., June 11, 2012. Available at: http://www.nmc.org/news/its-here-releases-horizon-report-2012-k-12-edition [Accessed 6 July 2012] 8. Schaumberg, Roberta et al., 2012. Technology and Interactive Media as Tools in Early Childhood Programs Serving Children from Birth through Age 8. National Association for the Education of Young Children and Fred Rogers Center for Early Learning