We all know that kids are hooked on technology — especially smartphones and tablets — but a recent survey conducted online by Harris Poll on behalf of Pearson shows that 90% of the kids believe that tablets will change the way they learn in the future and 89% believe tablets will make learning more fun. This could be good news for schools looking for better ways to use technology with their kids — especially since tablets can be more affordable than full laptops or computers.
Interestingly, 1 to 1 computing and high speed Internet access is still a challenge for schools. While using and owning a mobile device is growing among students, only 62% have wireless access at school versus 93% who have wireless access at home. Only 16% of students attend a school that provides every student with a laptop or tablet.
The survey asked 2252 students how they currently use mobile technology for learning and how they would would like to use it in the future. Respondents included 501 elementary school students (4-5th grade), 750 middle school students (6-8th grade), and 1001 high school students (9th-12th grade).
“This year’s study findings show a high level of optimism, engagement and confidence with mobile devices among U.S. students,” said Douglas Kubach, president, Pearson’s School group. “While we are seeing consistent growth of mobile device use among students for school work, a gap still exists between home and school access, preventing many schools from taking full advantage of the digital learning technologies available today that can be instrumental in improving educational experiences for students.”
It looks like there is an opportunity for app developers to continue to work to improve educational offerings on tablet devices.