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Mobile phone and learning in Latin America

Article · January 2009

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 MOBILE PHONE AND LEARNING IN LATIN AMERICA

Elba Valderrama Bahamóndez

University of Duisburg-Essen
Schützenbahn 70, 45117 Essen
elba.valderrama@gmail.com

Tanja Döring
University of Duisburg-Essen
Schützenbahn 70, 45117 Essen
tanja.doering@uni-due.de

Albrecht Schmidt
University of Duisburg-Essen
Schützenbahn 70, 45117 Essen
albrecht.schmidt@acm.org

ABSTRACT
Mobile learning has become a core topic in developed countries, where mobile platforms compete with a well-established
infrastructure of PCs. In contrast, the mobile phone is the first computing platform for most users in developing countries.
In this paper, we will analyze the state in Latin America with regard to the access to information technology for learning.
Our initial study focuses on Panama, because it is a good representative of Latin American countries in terms of
availability of technology in schools, as well as educational challenges. Despite the lack of technology found in schools,
an increasing number of people have mobile phones. This paper explores the potential for using mobile phones as
learning tools and looks especially at how current teaching and learning practices can be supported, e.g. to solve math or
language exercises. Besides, we look at the network and multimedia capabilities of mobile phones and assess how these
could be used to support learning and, in particular, documentation and information gathering.

KEYWORDS
Learning, mobile learning, mobile phones, developing countries, children

1. INTRODUCTION
Mobile phones are the most popular mobile computing platforms; in the last year alone, one out of every two
people around the world used a mobile phone [ITU 2007]. Indeed, in just five years, from 2002 to 2007,
worldwide mobile phone users grew 23.6% in average. In developing regions, like Africa and Latin America,
this growth rate was around 49% and 40% respectively.
There are two central motivations for us to work on this topic: (1) It is expected that over the next years a
great majority of people will have a general computing platform in the form of a mobile phone, and (2)
Children spend a significant time in public transport traveling to and from school. For many citizens in the
developing world, mobile phones represent their first contact with computing technology. At the moment,
even many low-end phones offer a means to run software (e.g. JAVA ME programs). Also, transportation
within the cities and urban areas is often chaotic and time-consuming. A majority of children spend two
hours or more each day traveling by bus to and from school. This suggests that mobile phones would have a
significant advantage over PCs or laptops in this usage context, even given the smaller user interface.
In this paper, we therefore analyze the potential for mobile learning in developing countries. Our work
focuses on the educational situation in Panama, since it is representative for Latin-America, as we explain in
the next section. In the next two sections, we look at technological and educational states of Panama and
contrast them to several approaches for improving the access to technology in developing countries. In the
fourth section, we explore the potential of mobile phones for support education in developing countries by
discussing specific scenarios. Finally, we explain why and how mobile phones can support current learning
practices.

2. ACCESS TO TECHNOLOGY
Panama is situated in Central America, and had a population of 3,339,781 inhabitants in 2007; almost half of
them were less than 24 years old [Contraloria 2008]. Like many other Latin American countries, Panama also
had a high concentration of inhabitants near metropolitan areas: 70% of the population lived in the province
of Panama [Contraloria 2008]. Primary school attendance in Panama is mandatory and free. As a result,
almost all children (99%) between 6 and 12 years old in Panama go to school, but after children reach 12
years old, their school attendance decreases greatly, especially in rural areas [MEDUCA 2008].
Even though computers became widely available in Panama in the mid-1990’s, a recent study from
March 2008 shows that less than a quarter of families (21%) have a computer at home [Contraloria 2008].
Another study shows that only 16% of Panamanians are Internet users [ANSEP 2008]. This indicates that of
the few homes that have a computer, even fewer have Internet access. Several reasons that may explain the
lack of Internet access in homes are the high cost of Internet access, slow connection speeds (dial-up) and
lack of infrastructure for broadband connections in both urban and rural areas. Meanwhile, only 34.7% of
schools with computers have Internet access. Typically, a single computer is shared amongst 5 students in
elementary schools and 21 in middle and high schools [MEDUCA 2008]. It was, however, not clear in
[MEDUCA 2008] what percent of schools have made computers available to the students (e.g. in a computer
lab). In general, the access to computers in schools is very limited in Panama, as well as in other developing
countries. Overall, the data suggests that computers are treated more as an educational topic (e.g. children
learn how to use them) than as a learning tool (e.g. to help them improve reading or math skills).
Just as in other developing countries, mobile phones are the most-used computing technology in
Panama. As shown in Table 1, more than 70% of Panamanians have mobile phones (and this figure is even
more remarkable considering that around 50% of the population is below 24 years of age). One possible
explanation for the overwhelming use of mobile phones over the telephone is that mobile users can purchase
affordable prepaid cards (which provide an effective means for managing the cost). Another possible
explanation is that mobile phones offer a convenient means for communication in the vast rural areas, where
dedicated phone lines are not yet available.
Table 1. Technology access rate in Panama in 2007 [Contraloria 2008]
Technology access Percentage
Internet Users 15.99%
Mobile Phones users 71.54%
Homes with dedicated phone lines 14.30%
Homes with Computer 21.00%

3. EDUCATIONAL APPLICATION APPROACHES FOR THE

DEVELOPING WORLD
Most researchers agree that computers enhance the learning process [Bentley 2007, Lowe 2002].
Looking at current practices in Panamanian schools that do provide access to computers, it seems that
computers are only being used to teach subjects related to computer usage and computer science. These
schools also only offer students access to computers in special computer labs. So far, there is no integration
of this computing technology in other subjects. This usage pattern is not unique to developing countries and
can be found in many developed countries too. Inside these computer labs, one computer is often shared by
two or more children. Luckily, Panama is trying to breaking this pattern, starting with primary schools. Since
2005, the Minister of Education of Panama together to the National Secretary of Science and Technology
(SENACYT) have developed the project Conectate [Conectate 2006]. The aim is to provide the primary
schools with computer labs (called innovation rooms) that all teachers can use to enhance their classes.
Conectate equips computers with digital encyclopedias and Internet access so that children can be taught to
use the computers as information sources and for learning purposes. For example, teachers could show
children how to research a specific topic the digital encyclopedias and building conceptual maps with the
information that they find. Currently, by equipping 700 primary schools (representing 23% of all the primary
schools), Conectate has supported 100,000 children from 4th, 5th and 6th graders. However, each child has
very limited access to the lab (e.g. once a week), since schools are only outfitted with one lab each. Also,
even though the computers provide access to the Internet, children are not allowed go online due to concerns
about security and distraction. Since most children in Panama have no access to computers at home, their
computer use and education are limited to lab sessions in school.
Over recent years, several research efforts have been undertaken to improve the access to computing
technologies in educational settings in the developing world. We will now look at two representative
examples of these research efforts: (1) the idea of having one laptop per child, and (2) the use of a classroom
computer with a shared interface.
A prominent representative of the first concept is the One Laptop per Child (OLPC) program, initiated
by Negroponte [OLPC 2008(a)]. The idea was to create low-cost multimedia laptops equipped with
educational software and a matching pedagogic concept especially designed to improve learning for children
in developing countries. The operating software and user interface (Linux-based, Sugar as new GUI concept)
is designed to be easy to use and has many innovative concepts in comparison to standard systems. The
program’s focus is on providing a collaborative work environment where interaction with nearby users is
made easy through the utilization of meshed networks. Most of the activities on a OLPC laptop are based on
the constructionism theory. In this theory, children “learn by doing” in a collaborative environment where
they get feedback from peers, not just from teachers [OLPC 2008(b)]. This theory has led to some criticism
from the education community [Bentley 2007] for two reasons. One, not all children learn in the same way:
some of them need be guided and motivated more than others. Two, there is a need to ensure that children
have learned the necessary knowledge and skills that will prepare them for higher education or to join the
work force. In the context of education in Panama (and many other countries), this novel approach to
teaching does not fit well into the established curricula and would lead to a revolution in the educational
system instead of an evolution towards an information society.
The second approach is the use of a single PC connected to a single display and a larger set of input
devices. An individual mouse cursor is assigned to each child, which allows them to interact simultaneously
over the same computer [Pawar et al. 2007]. Morveji et al. [Moraveji et al. 2008] proposed the simultaneous
interaction of the whole classroom using a large shared display, i.e. projector. The initial studies [Pawar et al.
2007, Moraveji et al. 2007] concluded that (1) there is added value to collaborative learning as long as the
childrens’ tasks support learning, and (2) the effect of learning is similar to that achieved when using one
computer per student. The strength of this approach is that it supports the collaboration among the students,
which many pedagogues agree is important for child development. This is a suitable alternative for
overcoming the shortage of computers in traditional schools, where all the children in a classroom are in the
same grade. These children are at the same educational level and have to learn the same curriculum.
Unfortunately, the reality in many developing countries is that in multi-grade classrooms in primary schools
are the norm rather than the exception. In Panama, where 74% of the primary schools are multi-grade schools
[MEDUCA 2006], such an approach is less effective. Learning content differs significantly from student to
student, and it would be extremely difficult to develop educational software that supports multiple
simultaneous users with different learning goals on a shared PC and screen.
For classrooms in developing countries, individual tasks or devices for each child or group of children
with similar learning levels would be more appropriate. This approach does not address mobile use while on
the way to and from school nor individual learning at home.

4. LEARNING AND MOBILE PHONES

Books are the most common learning tools in Panamanian schools. Subjects such as mathematics and
language arts are learned by completing exercises in books. These practices are mostly repetitive tasks that
help children internalize new concepts. These exercises have been recreated on the PC and can also be
implemented on mobile phones, thanks to their increasingly greater computing power. Figure 1 shows an
example of a typical math task for 5th graders in Panama that was recreated on a mobile phone.
Our initial study focuses on the 5th grade curriculum, as well as current schoolbooks, and reveals that a
large part of the exercises can be easily recreated on mobile devices. Such applications can be developed
even on simple mobile devices (without multimedia features) that provide a Java runtime environment.

Figure 1. Math exercise from a 5th grade book [Pérez et al. 1997] (left) and the same task on a mobile phone (right)
One remaining key issue is how to enable the transformation of schoolbook exercises into applications
that run on mobile phones. We propose two possible solutions: Either schoolbook publishers could offer the
exercises additionally in this form or teachers (without programming skills) could be provided with a simple
means for recreating the exercises on mobile phones for their pupils. Once the exercises are made available
on mobile phones, the children can work on the tasks during their long bus rides or at home. Since children in
urban areas spend 1/3 of their school time traveling in school buses, this technology could allow them to take
better advantage of this time. In general, the schoolbook exercise recreated on mobile phones can be
enhanced with the multimedia and network capabilities of new mobile phones. The incorporation of voice,
video, audio and pictures are very useful for the creation of learning language activities that can be used in
and outside the classroom and home environment.
Making these exercises available on the mobile phones presents two major advantages:
(1) Outdoor activities such as visits to museums or parks can be integrated into the learning experience,
and applications can be enhanced with the multimedia and network capabilities of mobile phones [Mitchell &
Race 2005].
(2) The high penetration rate of mobile phones together with the short lifecycle of mobile phones, i.e. 2
years [González 2005], will allow children to benefit from mobile learning technologies in the short and
middle terms.

4.1 Planned Research

While there seems to be great potential for enhancing children’s learning environment with mobile phones,
i.e. recreating exercises and learning activities on the mobile phones, it is important to know how much
access to and knowledge of technology teachers and students in Panama have. Therefore, as a starting point,
an initial diagnosis will be made based on a survey of a representative sample of 300 children and their
respective teachers in the 5th grade from both rural and urban schools. This diagnosis will help us understand
how much access they have to technology. Additionally, we plan to go into urban and rural schools to
observe the teaching methods used inside the classrooms. Based on the diagnosis and observations, it will be
determined how book exercises and other learning activities should be recreated on the mobile phone. For
this pilot project, we will use two classrooms of 5th grade, one rural and one urban. Each child will receive a
mobile phone for use during class, in the school bus, during outdoor activities and at home for one quarter
(the Panamanian academic year is divided into 4 quarters). During this period, the learning activities and
tasks will be completed on the mobile phone. All the recreated learning activities and tasks will follow the
official 5th grade curricula. For the evaluation of the project, three groups will be compared–one group of
children will have mobile phones, the second group will have access to computers at school, and the third
group will have no technological access at school. All of these groups should share the same learning
curricula and will be tested before, during and after the academic quarter to verify how much knowledge they
have acquired. Currently, this project is in the diagnosis stage, and we expect that the re-creation of textbook
exercises and implementation of learning activities on mobile phones will start soon. For this project,
 teachers, children, and the Ministry of Education, especially the Department of Curriculum, are collaborating
closely with us.
While the mobile phone does present several limitations as a computing device, i.e. limited display size
and non-ideal text input support, there are a number of solutions for overcoming these issues. In addition to
mobile phones, televisions are also prevalent in homes in developing countries. Thus, when children use the
mobile phones at home, they may be able to use the televisions as a larger external display with the phone.
This is possible, because many new mobile phone models support connections to televisions. In addition,
considering that keyboards are fairly cheap, it would be affordable to the families to get a keyboard. And
children could use this external keyboard for easier text input. As mobile phones become more and more
powerful, it may even be the case that a mobile phone, a television and a keyboard will become a real
alternative to a desktop computer in the homes of developing countries.

5. CONCLUSION
In this paper, we have shown the potential of employing mobile phones for learning in Latin America.
Mobile hones have a high acceptance: In Panama, for example, more than 70% of inhabitants have a mobile
phone, whereas computers can only be found in about 20% of the households. Thus, mobile phones
constitute a good opportunity for children to access computing technology. Furthermore, mobile devices are
very well-suited to providing learning support, whether in multi-grade classrooms, in a school bus, or
outdoors on field trips. The multimedia and network capabilities of mobile phones make them ideal tools for
learning. Many low-end phones already offer platforms for running software, and it is possible to create
educational mobile phone applications based on the content of existing schoolbooks. The only missing
ingredient is providing teachers with a simple process that allows them to copy schoolbook exercises to
mobile learning applications. With such a process, teachers could effortlessly transform the mobile phone
into a powerful learning tool for entire classrooms of children. The children would benefit from having
greater access to computing technology, as well as more powerful learning appliances, which they can use
wherever they are. Future work should concentrate on mobile phone applications as useful complementary
tools for learning that can be integrated into the school environment.

REFERENCES
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