Using Smart Devices to Their Advantage

⏱️ 5 min read

The digital scenery

We live in an era where screens are prevalent in all aspects of our lifestyle. We use them at home, work, and in the classroom. To be without a smart device and a connection to the internet is to be off-grid in today’s world. In other words, to be online is to be in touch.

Evidently, smart devices loaded with apps and sites pushing video, animation and advertisements can easily occupy our time.

“Screen-time”,

limiting it, is a ‘thing’, especially for parents raising young children. We at Learnest are well aware of these factors as educators and as parents.

Most households nowadays, just like most classrooms, have smart devices or computers. We therefore choose to embrace the platform with a long-term view moving forward.

But, we do not recommend children “pass time” with noisy, flashy distractions. Instead, Learnest promotes an enriching, calm experience for those seeking a way to better utilise their devices (and time). Learnest is providing the opportunity to learn something valuable at every use of a smart device.

We have left a smoky industrial age behind, and fully embraced the Screen Age.

The student benefits of digital

A unique benefit of digital learning is the instant availability of study materials. Learnest provides our young learners with the most up-to-date materials wherever, and whenever, they need support with their studies:

Our materials will never be out of stock
Our library is always open
Students can access materials immediately, with a login and some Beans credit
Our library is available anywhere, any time
Our materials can be updated instantly

However organised you are, an automatically tidied library and a guaranteed availability of study materials is the ideal. It is certainly an improvement on our analogue past.

Learnest digital study materials open on various smart devices — L+ material open on various smart devices

Our digital materials are the most accessible

Learnest is conscious of the variability in our learners’ digital environments. That is why we make our materials as accessible as possible, conveniently available on any digital device. Whether it is a desktop, a tablet or a smartphone,

No app, special software or installation required
We use a universal file format that is common to all
Files are easy to open—usually automatically
Portable devices (like a phone or laptop) allow you to take your Learnest library everywhere you go
We use lightweight files that don’t consume your memory storage

After all, all you need to get learning with Learnest is a device, a web browser and an internet connection.

child concentrating on computer with headphones

The advantages of studying via devices

Studying on-screen has increased all students’ access to their learning resources by the simple nature of their availability. Hence, as students progress and good habits set in, the device serves as a ‘companion’ for learning. And ultimately, studying the screen replaces the mindless scrolling.

A little independence from a little ownership — “my learning in my hands”
An immersive experience encouraging students to focus, to read and zoom into the detail
Increases the linking between, and bridges across, related topics
Builds digital literacy by becoming familiar with tap, scroll, swipe, zoom and the graphic languages of the digital environment
Pixels (versus paper) give us brighter colours and sharper words
Our (digital) Beans currency empowers the student to download from our library any time they need to

Children of the Screen Age have grown up surrounded by digital devices. If not their own, most have had access to a shared family device. Thus, the opportunity to take advantage of Learnest’s digital resources is always within reach.

Primary L1 Maths material about shapes on mobile tablet — Primary L1 Maths

Pre-School Mini Digi Book material about shapes by Learnest.xyz — Pre-School Mini Digi Books

A much cleaner footprint

This is no small factor for us at Learnest. Perhaps there is nothing more important.

Being digital means there is no environmental impact with packaging and transportation, and we avoid the piles of paper. Our materials are explicitly designed to be immediately accessed and read. This digital library is always open, ready anytime your child needs it.

Carrying a rich collection of study materials in a single device significantly demonstrates the real convenience of the digital era.

A scientific study into the use of devices in classrooms

A study in Northern Ireland, named “Mobile Devices in Early learning”, investigated the impact of digital devices in classrooms. Around 650 pupils in five Primary schools and five Nursery schools took part in the research for over two years. In order to explore this, the students used apps designed for digital tablets (iPads) to learn numeracy and literacy skills.

Indeed, follow-up data analyses and questionnaire feedback from teachers, students and parents showed positive impacts on pupils’ learnings. To begin with, the students were able to control the difficulty of the questions in the apps. As a result, such sense of self-control increased their confidence and independence in learning. In addition, they felt more motivated and enthusiastic in learning from devices, viewing it as a form of play.

The use of devices also increased the confidence in children with special needs, who often have weaker fine motor skills. Swiping to control the device instead of writing on paper, they gained confidence to achieve the same as their other classmates. Introducing digital devices into classrooms can therefore raise enthusiasm levels to learn within any student.