Barclay Communications
Free iPhones for New Classroom Learning Experiment
Friday 11th December 2009
Thirty secondary school pupils at Gumley House Convent School in London are being given free iPhones to see how effective they are as classroom learning aids, and if they are a viable replacement for text books.
The scheme is being monitored by Professor Michael Gibson from Kingston University who will observe the pupils’ use of the mobile phones for learning, according to the Daily Mail.
The pupils will have their mobile phones topped up with £15 credit to allow them to buy apps to enable them to learn – or to download tunes. There is some very good software available for the iPhones, which are the latest 3G S models, which enable pupils to study the Periodic Table, GCSE History, Algebra, Maths, Shakespeare and Bible Studies.
Stephen Byrne, Assistant Headteacher at the school said: “It’s a very popular scheme at the moment. We carry out spot checks to monitor what they have been downloading. There’s no Facebook in class and the volume must be off. We are encouraging them to download “apps” and share this with us and other students – the children that feedback the most constructive data will be given more iTunes vouchers that they can spend how they like.”
Mr Byrne was positive about the potential of iPhone learning in the classroom and excited about the technological possibilities for the future of learning.
However, other professionals do hold reservations about using mobile phones as classroom aids. Katie Ivens from the Campaign for Real Education said: “Mobile phones have quite rightly been banned from many classrooms as they prove to be a distraction. The case for learning by computer has not been proved at all!”
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