Mobile Applications as Learning Tool: Students’ Perspective
Kalimantan Institute of Technology, Indonesia
ABSTRACT
The widespread popularity of mobile devices followed by the rapid development of mobile applications or apps gives birth to a new category called educational apps. Hundreds of apps focusing on education – ranging from math to languages to even art, with various features – can be easily downloaded; making students and people in general able to study anywhere and anytime. In theory, those apps should be able to increase students’ willingness to learn and improve their grade. This research presents students’ perspective on the use of mobile apps as learning tool. Using undergraduate students of Kalimantan Institute of Technology as the subjects, students’ views on the use of apps as learning tools are collected through questionnaires. The main data collected are: (1) frequency of educational apps usage versus non-educational apps and (2) students’ opinions on the benefits and weaknesses of educational apps. Results of this research can be used to further introduce mobile apps as teaching and learning tools in Kalimantan Institute of Technology and as starting point to develop mobile apps that can fulfill students’ need.
KEYWORDS
education, learning, mobile apps, students’ perspective