In today’s day and age you can find apps for practically anything such as ordering food, checking the weather, and paying your bills. Apps provide the convenience of having exactly what you need right at your fingertips. It isn’t shocking that academics have taken full advantage of this by developing a multitude of apps to help students study, and stay on track with their work. This post is going to examine the if there are any benefits to using online study tools over traditional study methods.
As discussed in a previous blog post, the biggest disadvantage to using any form of technology when trying to do work or study, is how easy it is to become distracted. When using an app on your phone to study, it may be very tempting for some students to exit the app and start scrolling through the internet. Research has shown that students who write their notes longhand show better encoding of information leading to better performance on tests compared to students who use technology to study (Stephens, 2017). This shows that using smartphone apps may not benefit students as much as traditional methods when studying for a test or exam.Â
Alternatively, having access to a multitude of different learning methods can enhance the learning experience of any student. Sometimes, traditional study methods can just be boring, and feel like a chore to do, using apps can make studying enjoyable, especially for those moments when motivation feels so far out of reach. In a study by Chen et al., it was found that the increase in student mobile device use gives instructors a new avenue for displaying content and creating activities to promote student learning (2015). Apps make learning flexible for students, as the devices are portable, customizable, and can be accessed anywhere. An article written by Emily Mindog has found evidence that apps can be effective tools for autonomous learners when used correctly (2016). Similarly, a researcher from Curtin University determined that study tools may have differential effectiveness for knowledge, comprehension, and application; however, no single online tool or app has shown to be better than others, or better than traditional methods (Johnson, 2008).
Based on the evidence above, it seems that students should adopt a blended learning approach when it comes to studying. The traditional model of blended learning incorporates a combination of face-to-face learning and online delivery methods. Students who adopt this approach in their studies should incorporate both traditional methods of studying, with their digital methods to yield the best performance results on tests and exams.
References
Chen, B., Seilhamer, R., Bennett, L., & Bauer, S. (2015). Students’ mobile learning practices in higher education: a multi-year study. Educause Review.
Mindog, E. (2016). Appls and EFL: A case study on the use of smartphone apps to learn english by four Japanese university students. Jalt Call Journal, 12(1), 3-22.
Johnson, G. M. (2008). Online study tools: College student preference versus impact on achievement. Computers in Human Behaviour, 24(3), 930-939. doi:10.1016/j.chb.2007.02.012
Stephans, A. (2017). The benefits of hand-written versus digital notetaking in college lectures. Lexia: Undergraduate Journal in Writing, Rhetoric & Technical Communication, 5.