After the various verifications to be approved, followed by the equally thorough process of application deployment with all processes to encrypt and certify the application the app finally launched!

On to the next one!

As a child I grew up with the generation of children which just started to have mobile phones at school. And I remember the constant toil of every teacher requesting for the house brick sized mobile phones to "switched off" and "put away". However is technology making it so tomorrow's children will be unable to live without a mobile device to aid there studies.

An initiative by Abilene Christian University is just about to be conclude its first year, whereby a number of students were given a iPhone to see how mobile devices can contribute to aid learning. Which started me thinking about the classroom of the future?

Each child in the classroom could use their mobile device to contribute on activities within their lesson.  An application could be built whereby a teacher can display a collection of images, phases on a whiteboard which the children can scan through on their device. The child would then be able to respond, with the results cast on the devices then disabled real-time on the whiteboard. The application could also include accessibility features for children with visual, hearing or learning disabilities using zoom, audio descriptions or more description questions respectively making it even easier to have more inclusive learning.

On a basic level this would help engage the children, but on a higher level this could help how teachers teach much more. The data which would be returned when the child responded could show the teacher which child truly understands the topic and who is just randomly guessing and who has no idea, so these groups can be targeted specifically. Children with a greater understanding could be sent more demanding questions extending their abilities, whereas weaker children could be given less demanding, or differently worded questions to make a much richer differentiated learning experience.

Taking this idea a step further, by integrating voice recognition services, the device could also be used to validate the response to a more description question. Picking up keywords which would result in a correct response to given question, so the child doesn't even need to directly interface with the device. There is also a whole world of big brother capabilities, location based services which could be implemented to work out if when Joe and Billy sit next to each other if their output really does lower.

Outside of the classroom an application could be built which lists all the homework tasks set for that individual for that day, which could also be shared with a parent on their mobile device. The application could then allow the child to communicate on their homework within a closed community of their peers allowing them to share ideas and knowledge. Presentations and responses which were recorded in the day's lesson relating to the topic could also be recalled to the device.

Having watched Tomorrows World as child and still awaiting the call which automatically drives at the legal limited, 5 yards behind the next automatic car I am very aware that things like take a long while to happen, however how cool would be if they did...