AN EMPIRICAL STUDY ON EFFECTIVENESS OF USING MOBILE AS A REOSURCE FOR LEARINING IN EDUCATION IN RURAL AREA

Abstract

Information technology is emerging and has emerged as the next big thing in every field and aspect of humanity. The advent of smart phones has revolutionized the whole process of learning and analyzing any subject, system, process, procedures etc. Traditional teaching methods like chalk and talk or writing on boards is most often used technique in education and especially in rural areas. Various analyses show that very few colleges use innovative techniques in learning & teaching. Mobile technology as an innovative method and resource for learning is still not a great idea and is not accepted and practiced in most of the colleges. To understand the effectiveness of mobile learning as an educational tool we surveyed rural area students from Palghar Dist(Maharashtra, India). It was found that most of the students do possess smart phones with internet accessibility, but using their mobile device only for seeking information, downloading images and videos or for communication. Very few knew about Mobile learning apps or tools available. Also it was observed that instructors or teachers are hardly using and promoting learning in classes through mobile inspite of smart phones being the best option available for the students residing in the rural areas.