Gadgets are generally considered a distraction (for students). But sometimes, they can come handy and serve as educational aids. In this case, a phone with an educational app that does a whole lot of things.
Motion Education based at Kota, Rajasthan, has developed an android based app, which claims to help its engineering students study better. Some of its features includes video lectures, offline tests, evaluation and results, chat and discussions with teachers, timetables and flash cards.
PaGaLGuY spoke to professors of a few rival coaching classes across India, to gauge the effectiveness of this app.
Most said that the privilege of video lectures through an app is an effective feature given that students can access concepts anywhere and anytime. Another detail, the professors give a thumbs up are flash cards. These cards contain important formulae and tips and pop up on the screen randomly. Yet another positive feature, add the experts, is that this app gives easy access to students to check exam schedules and results.This works especially well during ‘results’ days when heavy traffic often leads to crashing of host sites.
The app also enables students to take the All India Test Series (AITS) in the offline mode. So students can solve problems and choose answers which are saved on the app itself. Once done, the student receives an evaluation from the app.
There are also negatives, say these coaching centre teachers, and the biggest one is that time management goes for a toss. Explaining further, they said that engineering students are taught to work at a certain pace while solving problems and this app definitely slows them down.
Yet another negative – a physical classroom with the personal touch of a teacher is thoroughly missed.
Motion is presently testing the app and gather responses. “So far we have received a good response from the students but we are still trying to figure out how user friendly it is. Once all that is sorted out we plan to allow students outside Motion to use” said Nitin Vijay, Managing Director Motion Education Pvt. Ltd.
PaGaLGuY does not have access to the app. The evaluation has been carried out purely on the theoretical promises of the app.