GSMA collaboration with telcos, gov’t brings new opportunities in education

MANILA, Philippines - An international association of mobile operators has partnered with local telecommunications companies, led by Smart Communications, Inc., and government agencies to further improve mobile education (mEducation) in underserved areas in the Philippines.

Officials of GSM Association (GSMA) are in the country for a week-long visit to jumpstart a multi-stakeholder engagement on mEducation.

The GSMA is the worldwide association of mobile operators and related companies devoted to supporting the standardizing, deployment and promotion of the GSM mobile telephone system.

“The objective is to stimulate new commercial mEducation opportunities in the country, particularly in underserved places and areas of the country with limited connectivity where mobile is uniquely positioned to help facilitate education opportunities that would be otherwise inaccessible,” Ramon Isberto, public affairs head of Smart, said.

GSMA signed a memorandum of understanding with the Department of Education (DepED), Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), Digitel Mobile Philippines, Inc., Globe Telecom, Inc., and Smart Communications, Inc. yesterday for the development of mEducation models.

In July 2013, Smart started a study on whether tablets, pre-loaded with educational apps focused on literacy (letters and numbers) could aid in boosting literacy learning among kinder-grade students in a public school setting.

In partnership with Culiat Elementary School in Quezon City, Smart provided tablets to 24 learners and observed that after two months of 30-minute session-per-day use the students demonstrated increase in interest in learning, and they were more behaved compared to the class without tablet aid.

Based on the study, there was increase in collaboration among students and it facilitated more diversity and creativity in learning, it added.

Smart said its full report will be published in November this year.

According to Smart, Asia is set to generate the highest revenues globally on mobile learning.

In 2012, revenues reached $2.6 billion and it is expected to reach $6.8 billion by 2017.

Asia has the 3rd highest growth rate at 21.2 percent, after Africa and Latin America.