Can you Teach Children with That App? Using Mobile Technology to Teach Health Education in Grades 4 and 5

Abstract

The question underpinning this study was 'How do students respond to specific mobile technology applications as tools in teaching health education (HE)?' in order to understand the educational potential for these devices. The goal of this study was twofold: First, it examines the impact of mobile technology in the classroom by observing the use of mobile apps among grade 4/5 students during their lunch period. Secondly, it uses a traditional in class teaching approach to understand how mobile applications may be used to teach HE during instruction time. This paper will report on the first phase examining four different types of health related mobile apps and their effectiveness in the classroom.