Using Mobile Devices to Enhance Digital Learning


          

Using Mobile Devices to Enhance Digital Learning 


More and more students are using their mobile devices to complete online course-related activities according to the Online College Students 2019 report. So how do faculty need to alter their courses to accommodate students learning in this format? First we should consult the report to see what type of activities that students are completing on their mobile devices. According to the screenshot below of data from the report, the highest percentage of students are using their mobile devices to check grades, assignment due dates, or course schedules. For this reason, professors should keep their grades updated on Moodle, Coastals Learning Management System. Professors should also keep an updated version of their syllabus on Moodle so that students can access important dates and the time of the class meetings.



Digital readings, videos, and multimedia learning are the next most popular activities that students are completing from their mobile devices. It is important to remember as faculty that 75% of our students are non-traditional meaning that they don’t live on campus, some have families and children, and the majority have some kind of job that is either part or full time. More often than not, students have more than just their school work to handle. For this reason, students are looking for accessible class materials that they can read/watch on the go. Professors on Coastal’s campus have the ability, through Moodle, to upload files that are widely accessible to students. With the ALLY tool, documents are now downloadable in many forms to allow students to consume their course content however is most convenient.


The first step in mobile activity completion is professors posting their assignments and content on Moodle, but then how do students access their class on the go? The easiest answer is the Moodle mobile app! Students can now have direct access to Coastal’s LMS through an application on their phones. From the mobile app, students can download content in many forms using the ALLY tool. They can check their grades easily on the go. And they can even complete and turn in course activities from their phones using the text box response or recording media with the PoodLL plugin. Recording options are accessible right in the response box for assignments like discussion board posts. Students can record audio, video, and take pictures that will upload straight into Moodle and submit them for grading. There are endless possibilities for doing course activities on mobile devices as long as everyone gets on board -  professors uploading content to the right platforms and students knowing how to access it most effectively.


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