20 Ways to Use Smartphones in a Classroom

No matter how much professors try to convince students to spend less time with their devices, all of them eventually come to the same conclusion: smartphones can be very useful from an educational perspective. As long as students and teachers use it in the right way, the entire studying process can be positively transformed thanks to technology.

You wonder what educational potential smartphones have? The 3 Hours Essay team has compiled the 20 great suggestions!

1. There are different apps (such as Time Recording Pro) that can be used to measure the time assigned to a particular task. Both students and teachers can use it to measure how much time a particular project takes.

2. Whiteboards for smartphones enable all students to have clear access to the details you present.

3. Student assessment is much simpler thanks to mobile phones, which can serve as tracking devices for coursework and exam results. With the constant updates enabled with different apps, educators are aware of each student’s progress.

4. Vocabulary improvement is boosted thanks to smart devices. All students need is a dictionary app, which would enable them to access simple definitions at any time.

5. Map applications are very useful in geography classes. When teachers introduce students to a new region or a country, such app can help them find the location and gain better understanding of its culture.

6. Noise detecting apps, such as Too Noisy, can help teachers control the levels of noise in the classroom. When the decibel levels are kept low, students can receive a reward at the end of the class.

7. Communication between students and teachers is simplified thanks to free smartphone apps.

8. Presentations don’t have to be provided through an external hard drive and USB stick. Students and lecturers can store these materials in their mobile phones, which can be directly connected to the projector.

9. Everyone can access the class blog through a smartphone. New posts can be written and published without the need for a computer.

10. Students can easily make and edit videos, add effects and text, and publish the content on different platforms.

11. Scientific calculator apps are free of charge. With the right app on their devices, the students don’t need to spend a lot of money for a well-performing calculator.

12. Learners can discover exciting studying material from their smartphones. iTunes U courses can transform the classroom learning experience by enabling teachers to create and promote their courses.

13. EBooks can also be accessed through smartphone apps. Kindle is one of the apps that turn the phone into a book.

14. Note-taking is simplified thanks to different applications. Evernote, for example, enables its users to take notes at any time, any place.

15. Translating apps can make language courses much more fun. Instead of looking through a heavy dictionary, the students only type the word or phrase into the app, and get the appropriate translation within seconds.

16. Teachers and students can read the news on their smartphones. Many educators instruct students to access useful online material provided by influencers. Thanks to smartphones, the news can be instantly brought into the classroom.

17. Students can take quizzes and test on their smartphones! GoConqr is one of the apps that enable teachers to implement this technique and make the evaluation process less intimidating for the class.

18. Both lecturers and students can check any fact on the phone. A device with Internet connection is very useful during a hot debate.

19. Educational games transform the learning process into an enjoyable experience. There are dozens of apps designed to make different subjects fun.

20. Teachers can install apps that enable them to track students’ attendance directly from their smartphones.

Can you think of another way to use smartphones in the classroom? Don’t hold back and share!