Educational-Communicative integration model of mobile apps for teaching and learning

Educational activities are divided into 2 processes: learning and teaching. New methodologies that benefit those involved in educational activities are intended to be created using ICTs, which have been on the rise in recent years, and the culture of innovation. Villalonga and Marta-Lazo (2015) show the way teaching and learning activities should be; they maintain that it is necessary to adopt a system of dialogues based on horizontality and bidirectionality where communication is key, i.e., communication between the members involved in these activities must be clear and consistent so that everyone benefits from it. They further point out that the active participation of the members, as well as cooperation and interactivity, will ensure that the teaching and learning activities are efficiently performed.

Based on the learning model of Villalonga and Marta-Lazo (2015), we intend to give way to technology with the use of mobile devices accessible to users of all educational levels. In order to better understand the approach of the learning model by means of a mobile system, an in-depth knowledge of the pedagogical functionalities of educational institutions is required; this learning model is based on the knowledge imparted not only by teachers, but also by any other person who provides information on a specific subject. Knowledge is under construction and, as it is interconnected among members, it enables the network to build itself and become increasingly complex. During the research on how to solve a given problem, the student accesses contents that this model records and clearly shows, and even shows the tools that can be used to make the knowledge concrete. Data, once accessed, is connected with that of peers and teachers, so that the learning network grows efficiently, allowing information to circulate and interact with the users. It then must be transferred to a mobile platform that provides connectivity, a simple term that allows the model to be more efficient, considering that the mobile applications will be connected and the participants of each subject will be able to learn and teach according to the culture of innovation offered by technology (Villalonga & Marta-Lazo, 2015).

Mobile devices in higher education and personalized learning environments

To understand the direction of the study, we introduce the term m-learning, which is based on e-learning and provides a way to improve learning methods opting for mobile learning and teaching, since connectivity allows the creation of networks where members of educational institutions can interact. From this, emphasis is placed on the importance of smartphones, for they are equipped with many tools (hardware and software) that can be exploited in favor of educational objectives. Reliable statistical data will be collected using surveys to learn about the benefits and particularities of various mobile devices such as brand, memory capacity, network costs, users’ preferred applications, usage frequency and others, thereby making it possible to observe and model the reality to which we intend to give added value. These data are very useful for any type of research related to modern education, as they allow observing how the bases are being formed to face a new stage in education in a more technological and systematized way (^{Cataldi et al., 2012}).

Data also provide further evidence of whether teachers are in a position to use a smartphone, as not everyone has the same requirements when acquiring a mobile device. Furthermore, teachers’ training requirements are aspects that need to be considered, since the use and/or method of teaching among colleagues varies. The results of the surveys confirmed our previous thoughts about the teacher-technology relationship: students have a greater advantage when it comes to technology compared to teachers. A more comprehensive picture of the users’ needs is obtained from the results, and solutions are proposed involving learning situations that complement the activities and are of benefit to the parties involved. A new paradigm called “learn, unlearn and relearn” is thus revealed, in which both teachers and students are integrated.

Mobile application for school management

People with smartphones forget that the device they have in their hands is a portable computer that can be used as a multi-featured problem solver. At Universidad Politécnica de Francisco I Madero (UPFIM) in Mexico, researchers detected two problem areas for students, these were: students’ attention to schoolwork, from the enrollment process to the homework (grades, schedules and general information), and the response time to the requests they made (^{Gomez et al., 2016}).

At UPFIM, the development of a mobile system is proposed to address both the university's problems and the different types of changing realities; to this end, a development method called the Rational Unified Process (RUP) is proposed. Upon choosing the method, the system that is intended to solve the problems of the students of the aforementioned university is named C.A.S.A. Attempts to use the same system in other institutions encounter barriers, as each entity has its own processes, which often differ from the standard ones. Customization is very important at this stage, so that small changes (such as colors, logos, images, resources) and much more significant changes (such as process changes, removing or adding modules) can be made to adapt to the reality of each institution. This is known because the system is implemented in a school where such barrier is observed. The system is currently being tested in two educational institutions: the university where the system was developed (UPFIM) and the Tecnológico de Monterrey, Campus Hidalgo. It appears that the system, implemented in a mobile system as it is a widely used tool in that university, efficiently solves specific problems.

The university has informed us of their intention to implement the system in a school on a trial basis.

Analysis of apps for smart mobile devices aimed at supporting academic reinforcement at DES DACI

Poor student performance is a problem that concerns teachers, parents and educational institutions; it is believed that it could be due to poor study habits, family problems, lack of motivation, among other. The excessive use of smartphones is another noteworthy and current factor related to this problem, as students are more focused on their cell phones than on class, and, in the hallways, they are immersed in social networks, games and movies. All these activities distract them, and therefore they do not devote time to academic activities or simply forget about them, affecting their learning. However, what would happen if, instead of being the cause of the problem, the use of smartphones became an asset to improve academic performance? That, coupled with the use of applications, would benefit the educational environment (^{Herrera & Buenabad, 2013}).

At present, smartphones are the most used phones by the student community, given the ever-increasing technological demand. At the Dependencia Académica Ciencias de la Información (DES DACI) of Universidad Autónoma del Carmen (UNACAR), located in Ciudad del Carmen, Campeche, Mexico, there is a significant percentage of students with poor academic performance; for that reason, following a quantitative study, it was determined that the university should opt for technological tools to capture the attention of students. After implementing Evernote, Dropbox and My Homework technologies in the university, the results were encouraging; thus, the university took a first step towards the systematization of its classrooms and teaching processes and, at the same time, it reinforced the idea of having a mobile platform. Introducing these technologies into the education sector would not only provide uniformity to each institution’s processes, but would also enhance the academic development of each student by allowing the retrieval of interesting data useful for completing activities such as homework assignments. It is exciting to imagine what would happen if instead of papers, students would use MS Word on their cell phones or save their files in Dropbox and no longer in a folder.

Teachers and the integration of mobile phones in the classroom

Information and communication technologies in the educational sector must be approached from the perspectives of those involved in each educational activity; to this is added the reaction of teachers, who present the course contents and the annual academic plan and play a fundamental role in the inclusion of these technologies in the classroom. ^{Brazuelo et al. (2017}) conducted a study involving teachers of compulsory secondary education in Las Palmas (Canary Islands, Spain) that analyzed the use of smartphones, as well as teachers’ attitudes towards the integration of these in academic processes. A certain degree of distrust was observed on the part of teachers towards the use of smartphones in the classroom and the integration of these technologies in academic processes that bring students closer and optimize their work as educators. This situation is more common among older teachers, who are unaware of the benefits that these tools could offer them and the institution. The challenge is to convince them that the tool is functional and is a facilitator of processes to create a better classroom experience.

The age range of the teachers who participated in the study was between 36 and 51 years, and the results were diverse. On the one hand, a group of teachers considered that technology is advancing at a rapid pace; they also stated that the students' experience with devices compared to their lack of training in this area and their age is a factor against them. On the other hand, another group of considerably younger teachers regards smartphones as tools that make communication between parents, students and other members easier, faster and more dynamic. Based on this assessment, we intend to carry out a search for information that serves as a starting point for future research and improvement proposals, thus taking a step towards the systematization of educational processes and benefiting society using ICTs for school education on all levels.

Is it possible to integrate mobile devices in elementary education as an educational resource?

The integration of technological tools and resources in the classroom is a viable reality that facilitates communication between parents, teachers and students. As for the use of mobile resources, it is worth mentioning that their implementation alone will not lead to a significant development of cognitive skills given the current academic situation, a proper teaching planning, where the interrelation of activities is beneficial for students, is essential (^{Gértrudix & Barroso, 2016}).

A research based on a survey of 68 students in the 5th grade of primary education in a public school located in the province of Toledo, Spain, (^{Gértrudix & Barroso, 2016}) addresses key aspects such as the number of children with access to a mobile device, usage time and type of applications of their preference. Upon observing the results, it was concluded that children aged 10 and 11 years had mobile devices (smartphones and tablets), a surprising fact given their young age; it was also determined that the most used applications were those for games and messaging, likewise, the number of hours they spent on the mobile phone is also striking. Based on these results, an application for learning historical content in the context of a 5th grade classroom was proposed. The data obtained indicate that elementary school students have different needs and have exchanged toys for technology; parents need to remain vigilant against the excessive use of mobile devices. In some cases, students are only allowed to use their phones on weekends. Teachers should motivate young students to use technology in the best way possible, so that they do not find it boring and do not misuse it.

Conceptualization

This contribution is intended to analyze the functionality of the system, illustrate its architecture, and explain end-user interaction with the mobile application. It is important to understand how data will be shared among the different users, as the interaction will occur via mobile phones and the workload will be concentrated there. This mobile interaction attempts to be at the forefront in a world where smartphones play an excessive role almost every moment of the day; if they were used for educational purposes to improve performance, a significant advance would be achieved in the educational environment and also in the activities that influence and depend on it.

An educational revolution entails more than just changing a system, it also entails changing the school model from its roots. The present educational model barely includes current technologies; there are technologies that aim to systematize school agendas, but they cannot be properly implemented because the people who make up each part of the model lack the necessary knowledge. The proposed system aims to bridge the existing technological gap in the educational field, as well as the gap that teachers or parents themselves have created as a result of the lack of knowledge on technology.

This system is envisioned as a tool to change the current educational model; however, the system will not be able to accomplish everything by itself, it will be necessary for each entity to be aware of a digital transformation that will bring about this great change.

Target users

Upon determining the purpose of the system, it is necessary to identify the target audience and their interests, for the needs of a teacher are different from those of a student.

Four types of users were identified: students, parents, teachers, and administrative personnel; each of them responds to a different need, so the most critical functions were identified. The functions that each type of user performs towards interaction and communication between people in each educational institution are shown; furthermore, it is indicated how they perform them now and how they will perform them with the implementation of the system in their study center.

Architectural Model

As shown in Figure 1, the model identifies components that are of vital importance for the correct functioning of the application; they support the architecture, which is expected to grow over time, as the data and workflow will become increasingly complex due to the number of users interacting with the system in real time.

Source: Prepared by the authors.

Figure 1 ArchitecturalModel. 

Database

The database is important because it contains all the information required for the system to function. The server will be in the cloud so that connections can be made from anywhere, at any time. A good database design will allow the server to remain operational around the clock and, in addition, to be scalable, a very relevant aspect for this system.

The database will be in MySQL format and will have standardized tables to support all the logic to be implemented.

Initially, data will be hosted in the Hostinger server, where the database will be connected and running; from there, all users will be able to connect to it using APIs.

Cloud Messaging Firebase

This part of the architecture (see Figure 2) relies on the technology provided by Firebase. One of the objectives of this system is that parents, students and teachers are always informed of activities, homework or any issue that occurs in the school, to avoid the typical excuses such as “I didn’t read the note in my notebook” or “I forgot to tell my mom”. In order to manage notifications efficiently, users will rely on Cloud Messaging Firebase.

It provides the following tools for the proper functioning of the system:

· Registration Token

A registration token request is sent from the mobile device, which enables the mobile device to be identified from any point. Each mobile device has a registration token that is unique in the world, this allows sending personalized messages or notifications that can be mapped.

· Topic Subscription

Another tool is topic-based subscription, which works in a similar way as when a user subscribes to a YouTube channel to receive notifications. For this educational application, this tool is very important as it allows the user to receive notifications of tasks, events, memos, group chats, or any other data that has been entered into the system. This section is fundamental, since it is where the whole concept of notifying each user in real time is supported by simply sending an unlimited number of notifications on a specified topic from a web service.

For instance, when the teacher enters an assignment with the subject “AssignmentsSchedule5” all students and parents who are enrolled in the schedule with identifier 5 will be notified.

Source: Prepared by the authors.

Figure 2 Cloud Messaging Firebase. 

·FirebaseMessagingService:

This service, which will be running in the background on mobile devices, it will respond to each notification and will redirect the user to a specific screen by touching each notification. The proper functioning of this service is crucial.

In short, Firebase will enable full control of notifications and will make the project scalable as these services support a large amount of data.

Internet

As any current system must have internet coverage, the connection is the most important thing to send notifications or post any event. Efforts are made to consume as few megabytes as possible, and to send as few requests to the server as possible using HTTP.

Efficient use of this resource provides an optimal solution for the user.

End-users

It is at this stage of the architecture when the mobile application becomes important, users interact with the mobile application to, in turn, interact with other users associated with each educational institution. Teachers will be in charge of subjects and students who in turn will be connected to parents.

All mobile devices will be connected to each other and it will be easy to collect data within each module. The architecture is designed so that the user can locally access the information stored in the local database, even if he/she has run out of data. In this case, however, the user will have access only to previously viewed information.

This information will be useful for users because they will be able to access their tasks, notes, events and even messages without internet access, thus making the architecture more robust.

Surveys

In order to implement this system, we gathered information about the target market, i.e., elementary and secondary schools. Surveys were used for this purpose, as they allow obtaining reliable data to ensure a solid basis for our project (^{Sanchez et al., 2014}). The surveys were conducted in Cono Norte in three stages: the first was carried out prior to product launching; the second, days after launching the product; and the third, after the end of the first school term.

·Prior to product launching

The purpose of this part of the survey was to assess how students, parents, teachers, principals and all the people involved in the educational institutions would receive a mobile application that is intended to improve the interaction between them.

At pre-school level, it was observed that a student module was not so necessary, given that only 3 students (5 years old) had smartphones, whereas all the teachers had one. Also, it was observed from the survey that both parents and teachers at this level are at the forefront of technology. At elementary level, it was observed that a small percentage of teachers did not have a smartphone, whereas a large number of students had one. At this level, students had restricted data usage and, those who did not have data, stated that they accessed the Internet at home. At secondary level, it was noted that teachers, who were older, often had basic mobile phones rather than smartphones, whereas almost all students had one; in addition, teachers often did not have access to data, but were willing to acquire a data plan.

It was also observed that the limited knowledge regarding educational platforms constitutes a barrier hindering the transformation to the digital era. It is mainly parents and students who have little or no knowledge on the use of such platforms, while teachers or administrative staff do have experience in this regard due to the use of virtual classrooms during their training or because they have seen some on the Internet. For students who do not have access to a mobile phone, the best form of communication is through Facebook; while, for those who do have one, communication through WhatsApp is better.

The interest that people showed in the possibility of having a system that notifies them of something as simple as homework was quite surprising; this response suggests that they see the system as a potential solution to a need. Users do not want a new e-mail and password, they stated that it would be better to use a system similar to WhatsApp, where users only need to register once and that, when logging into the system, they can log in directly, which makes the process easier.

The results obtained in the first surveys are encouraging. In accordance with what has been stated, we want to provide a system that satisfies the basic needs of parents, students and teachers in order to contribute to academic development; at the same time, it is important to recognize that this is not only an application, but a change in the learning and communications model.

·Days after product launching

According to the results, the system was well received by the users and the people surveyed were duly informed by the schools about the use of the application in favor of the digital transformation. User acceptance rate was above 90%, which shows that the system is on the right track. Likewise, a 92% acceptance rate was observed from teachers, something that was surprising at the time, but that would be useful to identify problems or issues that may not have been evident. Students, parents and administrative personnel were satisfied, since their function fully complies with the parameters that were projected. A 100% approval rate was obtained in terms of usability, and simplicity of the screens.

The system had to be tested to verify if notifications were being delivered in real-time every time there was an interaction; it was very important since we depended on the Firebase service. It was gratifying to know that users were being notified correctly, which proved the usability and functionality of the system.

·At the end of the first school term (August 26, 2018)

This third stage of the survey was directed to the teachers, since, after closing the first period (bi-monthly or quarterly), it was necessary to know if the system had worked as expected and if the users’ reaction had been satisfactory. To this end, a 5-question survey was prepared for 50 teachers from the different schools we approached. Results showed that all teachers agreed that the homework module had been very useful. They even felt that the system made their job easier, since they were able to send homework to all their students and parents in a matter of seconds. Therefore, sending time was reduced and communication was maintained.

It was also noted that the grading module was very useful for teachers because it fulfilled the function of communicating. It is not a super module for calculating averages, but a record of grades; the teachers were able to understand it and it was useful, however, the system still needs to be optimized and transformed into a virtual classroom.

Teachers were happy with the system, and while it has potential, there are still areas for improvement. This is the first version of the system and it complies with its function, makes the users happy and, therefore, the first stone for the digital transformation has been laid.

The surveys were conducted in three different stages, thus providing a great insight into what the system is capable of delivering in the educational institutions. The digital transformation can be observed using these data.

Application Development

Interfaces

In order to better visualize the proposed system, the interfaces designed for the school interaction and communication system, which we have called MottyApp, are presented.

Source: Prepared by the authors.

Figure 3 Startup splash screen. 

Source: Prepared by the authors.

Figure 4 Registration screen. 

Source: Prepared by the authors.

Figure 5 Registration confirmation screen. 

Figures 3 and 4 show the screen that the user will see after downloading the application from Play Store. The user code that will be provided when purchasing the system is entered on this screen. Once the code is entered, the system will associate the user with the code and will display Figure 5.

Figures 6 and 7 represent the main screens according to the user assigned. Each user has its own modules, some of which differ in terms of functionality, while others are similar. The sidebar was designed for the user's convenience, since it is much easier to have all the options on the main screen, thus avoiding unnecessary system flow.

Source: Prepared by the authors.

Figure 6 Main screen (student). 

Source: Prepared by the authors.

Figure 7 Main screen (teacher). 

Figure 8 represents the news display screen, which will slide upwards, resembling Facebook, to make the user feel comfortable and more familiar with the application.

Source: Prepared by the authors.

Figure 8 News display screen. 

Source: Prepared by the authors.

Figure 9 Album screen. 

Figure 9 shows the album module that will display the albums created by users in an organized manner with the tag “new”, so that the network is updated on the number of photos and albums. Each album will be associated to a subject or section, to which only authorized persons will have access; there is no limit to the number of photos that can be added to the albums.

Figure 10 represents the schedule screen, one of the most important screens of the system, for it will collect all the information to be displayed in a calendar using different colors with their own meanings to indicate whether it is a task, an event, a meeting, etc.

To see what is scheduled for each day, you only need a touch to see the pending tasks for that day organized on a single screen.

Source: Prepared by the authors.

Figure 10 Schedule screen. 

Source: Prepared by the authors.

Figure 11 Subject screen. 

Figure 11 represents the subject screen that will list the courses in alphabetical order and associated with an image to make browsing easier for the user.

The images displayed are dynamic and change according to the season of the year. These courses are the ones that the student takes; if you are a parent, they are those taken by ones your child =; and, if you are a teacher, they are the courses that you teach. Images are used to organize and systematize the information.

Source: Prepared by the author.

Figure 12 Courses menu (teacher). 

Source: Prepared by the author.

Figure 13 Course menu (parent and student). 

Figures 12 and 13 represent the menus within each course and have well defined functionalities. It is a very interactive menu and full of colors to attract people’s attention; each course will have its own menu of tasks, incidences, events, attendances, etc., to maintain order. This menu slides upwards so that the user finds it familiar, and the transition to this tool is easy.

Source: Prepared by the authors.

Figure 14 Attendance 

Source: Prepared by the authors.

Figure 15 Events.  

Source: Prepared by the authors.

Figure 16 List of pending tasks. 

Figures 14, 15, 16 present some of the screens that will be seen within the course menu, all following the same design to maintain uniformity, which represents exactly our proposal: an organized, useful and user-friendly system.

Source: Prepared by the authors.

Figure 17 Chat list. 

Source: Prepared by the authors.

Figure 18 Contact list. 

Source: Prepared by the authors.

Figure 19 Student’s location. 

Figures 17 and 18 represent the parents and teachers’ module, as well as the chat, which will contribute to the solution of the communication and interaction problem by bridging the existing gap; its design is user-friendly and dynamic. Figure 19 represents the parents’ GPS module, aimed at bringing them closer to the students, since parents will know the exact location of their child in real time just by entering the module, allowing them to monitor their children.