For online learners constantly on the go, being able to access courses on mobile devices is important.
Take Christine Mosser, a full-time online bachelor’s student at Oregon State University Ecampus. The 43-year-old District of Columbia resident says she uses the program’s app on either her tablet or smartphone to complete about 85 to 90 percent of her coursework.
“I really like the convenience; I can do it anywhere,” she says. Mosser watches recorded lectures on her tablet, receives notifications when her professor posts grades and participates in discussion boards with classmates on mobile.
[Learn how to ace discussion board assignments in online courses.]
Mosser isn’t alone. Many online degree programs offer students mobile apps with most of the same capabilities as the virtual classrooms on their desktops and laptops, experts say.
And it’s a topic many of today’s applicants ask about, says Katie Barak, manager of student resources and disability services at the online Colorado State University–Global Campus.
“If you are somebody who’s very busy and you maybe already have a career and you’re coming back to get a degree, or if you’re somebody who wants to travel and also continue your education, then an online program is very appealing to you. And so is being able to engage with an app as opposed to having to be on a laptop somewhere or on a desktop,” says Corinne Hyde, associate professor of clinical education at the University of Southern California Rossier School of Education, who teaches online classes accessible through mobile.
According to data submitted to U.S. News in an annual survey, 81 percent of ranked online bachelor’s programs had a smartphone mobile app and 82 percent had one for tablets during the 2016-2017 school year — a rise from the 56 percent with apps on smartphones and 65 percent on tablets in 2012-2013.
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How often students engage with these apps varies, though most use their mobile devices to check in throughout the day in short sessions, says Paul Corey, managing director for higher education courseware at Pearson, an educational services company.
And in a 2016 survey by Aslanian Market Research and the Learning House, 59 percent of online student respondents said they used a mobile device for at least some coursework — and 25 percent said they completed most or all of their degree on mobile.
Here are four questions experts suggest prospective online students ask regarding mobile accessibility in online classes as they speak with admissions officers and research their options online.
1. Does the app work well on various platforms? It’s important that an online program’s mobile app is responsive, meaning that the screen adapts to the specific size of a device, says Scott Hamm, director of online education at Hardin-Simmons University.
The virtual classroom will appear different on an iPad and smartphone, for example, he says. But students should be able to easily navigate regardless.
“If the only thing you’re letting me do is access the webpage from my mobile, that’s a deal breaker, because that’s not accessible,” Hamm says.
The changing format is also important because students often turn to mobile devices and computers for different purposes. That’s the case for Sally Stafford, a graduate from USC Rossier’s online master’s in teaching program with a concentration in secondary English.
“The mobile phone comes into play for updates, emergencies and sort of the on-the-go work,” says the 38-year-old Colorado resident.
2. Will the app allow you to contact professors, classmates and support services? It’s not enough for an app to only provide course materials; it should also enable students to communicate effectively and easily ask instructors and advisers questions, Hyde says.
[Discover tips to interact successfully with professors and students in online courses.]
“The more robust apps allow you to respond back, so you can post on a course wall, send an email to a professor,” she says, recommending that if an instructor isn’t reachable through the app, ask if there’s another way to get immediate feedback, such as through text messaging.
3. If needed, can you attend live classes on a mobile device? At CSU–Global, most live classes — those that require virtual attendance at a specific time — are optional, though students can still attend from a mobile app, Barak says.
Online students should also understand any limits to live classes on mobile, such as when it comes to giving virtual presentations — something that might be difficult from a smartphone, says Robert Zotti, assistant dean at the Stevens Institute of Technology, which has online degrees.
[Explore ways to decide between live and self-paced online courses.]
4. What additional features do you want, and what will the app provide? Experts advise prospective online students to evaluate whether they want an app that enables them to submit assignments, for instance, or receive push notification alerts about classes.
For Mosser, the Oregon State student, mobile alerts were key.
“Knowing what is going on in each of my classes is very important to me,” she says. “If a teacher grades an assignment, I know immediately.”
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Ask 4 Questions About Accessing Online Courses on Mobile Devices originally appeared on usnews.com
