Educational Games for Cellphones Could Be a Hit with the Youth Market

Young people could soon be using mobile phones as a learning tool to help improve their English and maths, according to the findings of new research from the Learning and Skills Development Agency (LSDA). In a survey of young adults' use of mobile phones, almost half expressed an interest in using a learning game on their mobile to improve their reading, spelling or maths. More than half also indicated that the mobile phone had transformed the way in which they communicate with others.

The research is part of a 3-year pan-European project called m-learning (co-ordinated by the LSDA and involving four other partners) to investigate the potential for mobile technologies as part of teaching and learning processes. The idea behind the project is to use the popularity of mobile phones and computer games to encourage young adults not currently involved in education or training to take part in learning experiences.

The survey found that the greatest interest in using mobile phones for improving skills was expressed by girls, 16-19 year olds and young adults educated to Levels 2 or 3 (GCSE or A-level, or the equivalent). Also, almost half of young people expressed an interest in using phone-based games to improve their spelling and reading (49%) and maths (44%). But they stressed that learning games must be appealing, relevant and fun, even addictive (in the case of maths) if they were to sustain interest, indicating that getting the design and content of learning games right is crucial. A few also expressed an interest in using phone-based games for learning a foreign language or for English as a foreign language.

The majority of those questioned use phones to chat to friends (88%) and for text messaging (94%). Half use their mobile phones to play games, typically for 30 minutes a day. When asked what new services they would like to see delivered through mobile phones, 63% expressed an interest in music (particularly radio). More than a third (36%) would like to receive television through their mobile phones, and just under a third (31%) videophone facilities.

Jill Attewell, LSDA's m-learning programme manager, commented "Making learning attractive and fun for young adults is important. Their lifestyle choices need to be taken into account. There appears to be potential for using new approaches to engage and motivate those who may be disenchanted with traditional education - hopefully encouraging some to subsequently progress to more substantial learning".

The overall aim of the m-learning project (which runs until September 2004) is to develop prototype learning materials for delivery via inexpensive portable technologies such as hand-held devices. It will also investigate the use of different approaches to learning using mobile devices, with individuals and groups in different environments. The m-learning project is supported by the European Commission under the Information Society Technologies (IST) Programme.

The survey was conducted in shopping, leisure and employment centres in seven locations in the UK. A total of 746 interviews were completed with young adults aged 16-24."

Posted to the site on 11th February 2003