Parents Want More Use of Mobile Devices in Classrooms

WASHINGTON, May 2, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- In one of the most comprehensive studies of parents' views on mobile devices in education, more than 50 percent of parents believe that schools should make more use of mobile devices in education and 32 percent agree that schools should require them in the classroom. These findings are from a new study of how parents perceive mobile learning and devices in and out of the classroom. The Living and Learning with Mobile Devices Study was conducted by Grunwald Associates and the Learning First Alliance and underwritten by AT&T*.

The study found –

• Parents recognize the benefits. Seventy-one percent of parents say mobile devices open up learning opportunities while, 62 percent say the devices benefit students' learning and 59 percent say the devices engage students in the classroom.
• Parents are ready for change. Forty-five percent of parents say they plan to buy, or have already bought, a mobile device to support their child's learning.
• Parents want to collaborate with educators. Forty-three percent of parents say they need help finding good educational apps for their children.

"Mobile learning is approaching a tipping point as parents and educators recognize the potential of mobile technology in the classroom," said Cheryl Scott Williams, Learning First Alliance Executive Director. "Now is the time for parents and teachers to join forces to shape what mobile learning will look like in and outside of the classroom."

With students already carrying their own devices to school, widespread mobile learning could be on the horizon. The study found that one quarter of all K-12 students bring a smartphone to school every day – and by high school, more than half of all high-school students carry a smartphone on a daily basis. About one in six parents say that children are permitted to use their own mobile devices in the classroom – commonly known as a "bring your own device" policy.

"The opportunity is ripe for mobile learning as students are now surrounded with technology, but the study does suggest there is an unmet desire for more learning and educational value from mobile devices, both at home and in school," said Peter Grunwald, president of Grunwald Associates LLC.

The Living and Learning with Mobile Devices Study recommends that educators share information and advice with parents about how to make better use of mobile devices and apps for learning. Similarly, the study suggests industry and mobile learning advocates should work with parents and educators to identify educational apps and content. The full public report is available free at www.grunwald.com/reports.

"Parents can be change agents in the school system. With the results of this study, educators know parents are on board with mobile learning, and their support can be enlisted to jumpstart ways to cultivate mobile learning," said Kevin Carman, AT&T Marketing Director. "Likewise, we are committed to doing our part to help support educators and parents by providing mobile learning products and solutions that seamlessly function in the classroom and at home."

About The Living and Learning with Mobile Devices Study

The findings are based on a robust, nationally representative survey of parents of children aged three to 18, conducted by Grunwald Associates LLC in collaboration with the Learning First Alliance and with generous support from AT&T. Basic technology ownership and usage data were collected online from 2,392 parents, representing 4,164 children in November 2012. Quotas were set for the core sample population to match the composition of the U.S. population of parents by household income, ethnicity and geographic region. This sample composition also was balanced to match U.S. Census data on child ages and grade levels, based on National Center for Education Statistics data on the population of pre-K–12 public school students. All differences reported between groups of parents in this report are statistically significant at the 95 percent level of confidence (p < 0.05).

AT&T's Commitment to Education

AT&T is committed to advancing education and is helping to lead the transformation. Technology is rapidly changing how and where students learn – and AT&T is driven to help students succeed – in school, in the workforce and in life. For more information, visit www.att.com/edu.

*AT&T products and services are provided or offered by subsidiaries and affiliates of AT&T Inc. under the AT&T brand and not by AT&T Inc.

About Grunwald Associates LLC

Grunwald Associates LLC is a full-service research and consulting firm whose work has informed the debate on a range of national policy issues. Grunwald offers an in-depth understanding of education, innovation and family technology use, combined with mastery of state-of-the-art research methodologies. The firm specializes in challenging public and proprietary assignments for corporate, nonprofit and government clients. Services include sophisticated quantitative and qualitative research, including pricing simulation and product configuration, social media and community development, and messaging and strategic counsel.

For more information, visit www.grunwald.com.

About Learning First Alliance

The Learning First Alliance (LFA) is a partnership of 16 leading education associations with more than 10 million members dedicated to improving student learning in America's public schools. LFA shares examples of success, encourages collaboration at every level, and works toward the continual and long-term improvement of public education based on solid research. For more information, visit www.learningfirst.org

About AT&T

AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) is a premier communications holding company and one of the most honored companies in the world. Its subsidiaries and affiliates – AT&T operating companies – are the providers of AT&T services in the United States and internationally. With a powerful array of network resources that includes the nation's largest 4G network, AT&T is a leading provider of wireless, Wi-Fi, high speed Internet, voice and cloud-based services. A leader in mobile Internet, AT&T also offers the best wireless coverage worldwide of any U.S. carrier, offering the most wireless phones that work in the most countries. It also offers advanced TV services under the AT&T U-verse^® and AT&T │DIRECTV brands. The company's suite of IP-based business communications services is one of the most advanced in the world.

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