Using a mobile device to earn a college degree may
sound a bit farfetched, yet a quarter of the 4,000 students in the University
of Southern California Viterbi School of Engineering will complete work on
their degrees online.
The USC program allows students to stream live lectures
and join live class discussions via chat or phone, according to a report in eCampus News.
This move to mobile follows a survey last summer that
found 53% of students were more likely to complete required assigned reading on
time if it was available digitally or could be read on a mobile device. The
Wakefield Research study also revealed that 83% of the responding students used
a mobile device to cram for an exam, a jump of 10% over the number of students
who admitted last-minute mobile studying in 2012.
“The results of this survey underscore just how much
students have embraced mobile devices and digital course materials to enhance
their productivity, efficiency, and performance, all of which impact students’
educational success and financial prospects in this highly competitive,
globally connected world,” said CourseSmart CEO Sean Devine when the Wakefield
results were announced.
