New Perspectives in Science Education

The development of new technologies such as cellphones and computers has allowed the scientific community reach new horizons in the education and teaching of sciences education.(1)
Smartphones can facilitate students’ learning in anytime, anywhere. Different tools can be used to support science education, while mobile devices with internet access can facilitate students’ online investigations of simulations, video and participating to conferences or webinars.(2)
Studies on Smartphones learning in science education indicated that different tools/applications can be used to support science learning and that mobile devices with internet access can facilitate students’ online educations and investigations such as search of articles, video and virtual labs and science pathways.(2,3)
Recent review in science education demonstrated that “educational technology” was the least researched topic within the last two decades, in comparison to other topics such as learning-context, learning-conceptions and teaching.(3)
Smartphones get more and more widespread, it opens up for the possibility that the students can do their own experiments at home as homework assignments. Analysis of the empirical research on the use of mobile devices as tools in educational interventions that were published in peer-reviewed journals has revealed that the overall effect of using mobile devices in education is better than when using desktop computers(3,4).
Conclusion: Smartphones can use as scientific instruments in science education and they are better than desktop computers. (1,4)

Keywords: smartphone, science learning, science education, mobile learning.

References:

• L. Darmendrail, A. Müller, THE USE OF MOBILE TECHNOLOGIES IN SCIENCE EDUCATION AND RESEARCH, 2018, 12th International Technology, Education and Development Conference,
  DOI: 10.21125/inted.2018.0869,
• Hwang, G.-J., Lai, C.-L., Liang, J.-C., Chu, H.-C., & Tsai, C.-C. (2018). A Long-Term Experiment to Investigate the Relationships between High School Students’ Perceptions of Mobile Learning and Peer Interaction and Higher-Order Thinking Tendencies. Educational Technology Research and Development, 66, 75-93. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11423-017-9540-3
• Lin, T.-J., Lin, T. C., Potvin, P., & Tsai, C.-C. (2019). Research Trends in Science Education from 2013 to 2017: A Systematic Content Analysis of Publications in Selected Journals. International Journal of Science Education, 41, 367-387. https://doi.org/10.1080/09500693.2018.155027
• Yao-TingSunga et al. The effects of integrating mobile devices with teaching and learning on students' learning performance: A meta-analysis and research synthesis, 2016,  Computers & Education, 94, 252-275