The onset of a pandemic,
COVID-19 has dramatically changed the lives of people across nations. This, no
doubt has affected the education system. As much as we are strongly making sure
that we would not send our children to schools and colleges, it is needless to
say that online learning seems to be the only plausible option.
Not everyone can afford
expensive laptops and tablets. In this situation, a smartphone seems to be a
good option to make use of online learning.
In this article, I have
planned to give a complete guide to parents so that they can evaluate and
decide if a smartphone is a good option for online learning for their wards.
Smartphones can help children learn online:
Lately, of course, out of
necessity I began my search to understand if a smartphone is useful and capable
to help my children learn online. As you all know by now, I am a mother of
three kids. So online learning for all three of them means buying three extra
gadgets. I can't buy three different laptops.
First, it is a complete lockdown
in India. Second I don’t have enough finance to purchase three laptops in one
go when globally and nationally we all are having such an economic crisis.
So I decided to do my research
on smartphones which I have planned to share in this blog so that parents like
me can find some pocket friendly yet effective alternatives. Please check my FAQ section in this article where I have listed exhaustive lists of questions with answers
regarding smartphone usage for online learning. I am sure most of the doubts
would be cleared. In case, you have any more doubts or clarity needed, please
feel free to list them in the comment section.
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Smartphone for online learning |
However, before we check
and decide to purchase or make use of existing smartphones that we have with
us, let us see how smartphones can help children learn in an online platform.
10 ways how a smartphone can help children learn online:
#1. REMAIN CONNECTED
Smartphones help us to
stay connected with our peers as well as assignments any time anywhere. Whereas
the psychological benefits are evident that I have discussed later in this article,
it is important to understand that smartphones help students to stay connected
with their projects, tasks, and assignments.
Students can make use of
online DROPBOX or even make sure of Google docs which gives absolute
flexibility to read, write, and update documents online.
#2. RECORD CLASSES
Recording classes is a
very good option for children. There are times that students might miss a part
of the lecture due to un-mindfulness or loss of connectivity. In this situation
recording of the classes becomes extremely handy.
Moreover, as parents, we
know that every child is not the same. Some children are extremely vocal and
social in communicating their concerns; others may be little reserved and shy
to ask the facilitator to clarify and repeat the part missed. In this case,
video or audio recording options are extremely supportive and effective.
#3. APPS FOR NOTES
Taking notes for classes
in online becomes very easy with smartphones. There are numerous apps available
in Google Play store which come very handy to take notes easily and quickly.
I have dedicated an entire
article on “The best online educational app”. Please visit my page for more
details.
![]() |
Useful apps for taking notes |
Some apps for taking notes that I use would be:
#4. MAKE USE OF PODCASTS
With the popularity of
Smartphones, the opportunities to deliver messages and relevant information is
a piece of cake!
What are Podcasts?
It is nothing but an audio
program.
(For
more details on Podcast and how to listen to podcasts, you can check the article in the
Guardian).
Podcasts nowadays are
growing in popularity to share information, thoughts, and ideas as well as
stories of particular interests.
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Podcast for online learning |
Almost every topic is
covered in podcasts. Students can make use of podcasts and enjoy listening and
learning easily. Moreover, podcasts are free. One just needs an internet
connection and they get available in numerous apps.
#5. USE OF VIDEO PRESENTATION:
In most of the online
programs and classes, sometimes the students might be asked to make video presentations.
If our computer does not have a camera or somehow our laptop camera is damaged
or in case you don’t have a separate laptop for kids to study online, the best
option is a smartphone. It is because, in most of the smartphones that we use
today, there is in build camera which produces great quality video without any
worries.
#6. KEEP TRACK OF CLASSES
While a physical calendar
is extremely useful and handy, but keeping a calendar on your smartphone would
be an extremely wise decision to keep track of upcoming projects, assignments,
homework, etc.
![]() |
Smartphone Calender |
With the help of the smartphone
calendar, we can set reminders for the children for their due dates for various
submissions of papers and their tests from time to time.
#7. READ AND LEARN ANYTIME ANYWHERE
That is the uniqueness of
online writing! One can read and learn anytime and anywhere. The only thing you
need is an internet connection and you are good to go!
I am a person who belongs
to the old school of thought. I would prefer printed books rather than EBook
apps. However, I cannot deny its popularity and usage. It is indeed extremely
helpful these days when children can immediately make use of eBook contents to
learn and study faster than waiting for the paperback to be delivered especially
when e-commerce and delivery are having a hard-time fulfilling customer
demands.
![]() |
Read anytime online |
Moreover according to a study done by Pew Research in
the United States, One out of five Americans often listen to audio-books. This
research further strengthens the idea of e-learning in the modern world of
today.
#8. GET ANSWERS QUICKLY
When I was writing my
papers on Social Science, I had to do a lot of research. I remember running
from one Library to another to grab a copy of the reference books suggested by
my professor. Most of the time either books were already taken or I would have to
sit down in the library and take notes writing. While I cherish those good old
days, I would admit and appreciate the boon of having internet and Google
Search. You can read through so many journals at any time at the convenience of
your home.
Indeed, the ability to
learn what we want to learn is empowering and elevating.
What do you think? (Share me your thoughts in comments)
#9. USE OF TIMER
We all have trouble
staying focused on assignments, whether parents or children. Sometimes we wait
for the panic monster to wake us up at the last moment and we end up catching
up tasks in a hurry that results in low quality work or less research-done
projects.
![]() |
Use Alarm in our smartphone |
To avoid such a scenario,
it is perhaps a good idea if we can make use of Alarms in our smartphones.
#10. CONTACT TEACHER WITHOUT FEAR OR HESITATION
Like I have already
mentioned. Not every child is the same and they need not be the same. Every
child is unique. Some may be very pro-active and vocal to voice out their doubts;
others might be little hesitant, reluctant, and sometimes even fearful.
Online learning through
smartphones become very useful to contact the teacher and facilitator
virtually through chats and emails or audio calls.
Apart from the points that
I have listed above, there are plenty of other benefits of smartphones.
#PSYCHOLOGICAL BENEFIT
There is an atmosphere of stress
and anxiety that we all are going through. Children are also affected by this.
The social distancing and being away from friends and peers set a feeling of
loneliness and depression amongst children.
Online classes are a good
platform for providing children an ambiance of healthy learning with peers and
friends together. It gives them a mental boost that has positive psychological
benefits.
#EMOTIONAL BENEFIT
Have you heard of Emotional Abuse Or Emotional Intelligence? We psychologically social alienation and distancing create an emotional
deficiency amongst kids. As much as we as parents hate the idea of our child
using the smartphone all the time, let us understand and accept the fact that
they could also feel stressed. They need a vent and using a smartphone may be a
way out to come out of it. As parents we can restrict the timing for playing
games as well as screen time, I admit. However complete denial is not the right
option.
In this regard, I cannot
hold myself to talk about the Prime Minister of New Zealand, Jacinda Ardern. No
doubt! I am her fan from her millions of fans. Her awesome message for the
children as she held a special press conference for children was a big hit. It touched people’s hearts.
#INTELLECTUAL BENEFIT
Smartphone gives a tremendous
boost for intellectual learning and developments. One gets access to eBooks,
encyclopedia, and the whole library of books, and the article seems to be in
this pocket fitting device, the smartphone.
As parents, we can always
create security and block adult content to enable the use of child-friendly
content for the children.
Smartphones also help
students to stay alert, focused, and organized and remain connected to concepts
at a deeper level.
Now that we have discussed
the role and usefulness of Smartphones. Let us check out some of the latest
smartphones that we can buy or make available for the children.
Some of the Safest Smartphones for kids would be:
- Relay Kids Phone Alternative: 4G LTE Nationwide Range, Walkie Talkie Ease, GPS Tracker with Geofencing (Blueberry).
- Samsung Galaxy Smartphones.
- Redmi SmartPhones and many more.
Apart from this any good smartphones with the minimum technical specification as mentioned below is a good-to-go option. A lot depends on the usage.
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|
Keeping in mind the usability from the student’s perspective I could think of the following details:
- RAM & Storage: 4 GB to 6GB RAM/ 64 to 128 GB internal storage
- Battery: The
More the better (4000-5000 mAh Li-Polymer
is good enough)
- Display: The bigger the better for the eyes.
- Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 439-665 octa-core processor is a good option.
- Operating System: Android Pie (as it is the latest one available, new apps could be supported easily)
- Camera: Front Camera 8-13 MPX Back camera (depends on usage preferably 48 MP)
- Wi-Fi, Hotspot, Bluetooth enabled, and an unlocked phone.
Disclaimer:
Please note that the specification mentioned above is not a
must-have. It all depends on so many factors. For example the age of the child
who will be using the smartphone for learning, the affordability (of course),
the requirement specific (example the usage of the smartphone for a researcher
is different from a child in school). So I would urge all parents to use your
choice wisely and not emotionally.
15 FAQs above online learning through a smartphone:
I have added 15 FAQs in this article to address the
most common questions that we have in mind while deciding to purchase or allow the
use of smartphones for online learning purposes.
#Q1. Are smartphones good for learning?
Yes, it is a good option.
Helps social learning and the use of audio and video facility.
#Q2. Can I take online classes on my phone?
Yes of course you
can.
#Q3. How can cell phones help with learning?
Treat online classes as a real
course. Use online platforms like applications (apps) and websites to learn.
#Q4. How can mobile devices be used instead of the classroom?
We have many applications like
Zoom, Edmodo, Microsoft Team, Google classroom, Google Meet which is extremely user
friendly.
#Q5. Do cell phones affect learning?
Yes, it can. We can use it
positively for learning and avoid negative usage.
#Q6. How do smartphones affect students?
Please read my article
above for more details.
#Q7. What is mobile learning?
#Q8. What are the advantages of mobile learning?
More interactive, use of audio,
video, and text with presentations make learning easy and fun.
#Q9. What are the disadvantages of mobile learning?
Mobile addiction and
frequent use of smartphones and increasing screen time.
#Q10. How do smartphones help in education?
It can be used as a very
smart and effective learning platform especially during the lockdown and the spread
of the pandemic, COVID-19.
#Q11. How does cell phone use affect learning?
It all depends on you. You
can use it positively for your growth and development. Read the full article
mentioned above for more details. On the other hand, you can kill your time
unnecessarily by wasting it for social networking and online games that would
make your brain ineffective and cripple.
#Q12. How can I use my phone to study?
You can make use of
various online apps for learning. YouTube has a host of informative videos.
Make use of online learning platforms like Zoom, Edmodo, Microsoft Team, Google Meet, and
Google Classroom for more interactive online learning.
#Q13. What is the best way to get rid of distractions like your phone while studying?
Uninstall unnecessary
apps, make use of alarm and timers to limit on-screen entertainment times, mute
WhatsApp, and other social networking notifications.
#Q14. How can I control my mobile addiction and concentrate on studies?
Self-control is a must.
Smartphones can be a smart way to learn and grow. It can be a tool for the destruction
of time and energy if you use it against your development. Stay away from
unnecessary apps. Keep one or two entertaining apps.
#Q15. How should I balance between studying and using the phone?
You need to stay focused
and allocate time for work/learning and entertainment. We need to strike a
balance. For this, we need a good planner, a guide that can put us in check.
I hope I was able to help
to get you all some positive ideas on how we can use our smartphones for online learning purposes. If I have missed out on any point that you think is
important please mention below in the comment section. That way we all can
learn and grow and other readers can also provide their valuable inputs. We
might build our small community of Parents, facilitators, and motivators.
If you find my articles
interesting and helpful, please boost my motivation through your comments.
Cheers,
Happy Parenting!
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