mobile technologies afford new opportunities for learning, but their use does not guarantee that effective learning will take place
College students use their mobile devices mostly for self-directed informal learning rather than in the formal academic context, however, which makes it challenging to get an accurate picture of academic use.
The popularity of mobile technologies among college students is increasing dramatically. Results from the ECAR research study on students suggest that many undergraduate students bring their own digital devices to college, favoring small and portable ones such as smartphones and tablets. 2 Although students still rate laptops (85 percent) as the most important devices to their academic success, the importance of mobile devices such as tablets (45 percent), smartphones (37 percent), and e-book readers (31 percent) is noticeably on the rise. Increasingly, students say they want the ability to access academic resources on their mobile devices.3 In fact, 67 percent of students' smartphones and tablets are reportedly being used for academic purposes, a rate that has nearly doubled in just one year.4
# Blending modalities and using technology to engage learners is a winning combination.
# Students continue to bring their own devices to college, and the technology is both prolific and diverse.
# Students have strong and positive perceptions about how technology is being used and how it benefits them in the academic environment.
# Students are selective about the communication modes they use to connect with instructors, institutions, and other students.
"This changes the default from a situation where institutions procure and provide learning technologies to one where learners bring their own technologies and institutions support them. It shifts the locus of control from institution to learner.